Page 40 - Otis Tomas: Making Instruments & Tunes

ISSUE : Issue 56

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1991/1/1

wasn't Nemo, it was Naomi. The tune could be either "Naomi's Jig" or "Nemo's Jig." But it seems like "Nemo's Jig" is the one that we call it nowadays. 'Cause it's kind of a funny story, I guess.... play it, because, you know, my background is different- I've got Irish influences and Appalachian influences and my own. My music and my style of playing, I think--I hope--reflects a lot of that.... (Were you trying to write Cape Breton fid? dle tunes?) No. You know, I don't really play like a Cape Bretoner. I love the Cape Breton music. And I play a fair bit of it. But to play Cape Breton music--to really play it like a Cape Bretoner, in a way I think you almost have to be born into it, and learn that. Music is another language. I think if you're born in the language, speaking it as your first language, then you speak it pretty well flawlessly with? out an accent. But for myself, I grew up with (and) played a lot of different kinds of music. And I'm not trying to play the fiddle just like a Cape Bretoner would I kind of figure every player brings his own individual style. And I'm sure a lot of the influences that I've had musically are there in the way I play. Even if I'm playing a Cape Breton tune, I'll do little things--little kinds of graces or bowings and things--it'11 be my accent. I'll speak Cape Breton music with an accent which be? trays my background and origins. And I think that's the way it should be. For one player to try to sound like someone else--something bothers me about that.... There's a lot of different accents or dia? lects within the Cape Breton tradition. On the Roof Breton Highlands National Park Why not take some time this winter to relax, explore and enjoy some of Cape Breton's natural and cultural history? The Park is open year 'round. During tiie winter months, we offer: • groomed and ungroomed siti trails, with warm-up cabins • free winter camping facilities at ingonish and Cheticamp • tot}ogganing, snowshoeing, and sicating (bring your own gear) FOR INFORMATION: (902)285-2691 (INGONISH) (902) 224-3403 (CHETICAMP) Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ANNUAL AREA SKI LOPPETS: Gold Rush • Ingonish • January 13 Cheticamp Classic • Cheticamp • January 20 North Highland • Cape North • February 17 Winter in ttie Cape Breton Highlands National Park! Otis: That's another jig I made one day. went up on the roof with my son Zach. It was just a nice evening in the summer. We went up and sat on the roof of the house. I had my fiddle, and I was just playing. It was just a real nice night. We were just sitting up there together, and I was scratching away. And there was another tune. So, I called it "On the Roof."... (Before you came to Cape Breton--and per? haps part of coming here--were you travel? ling, looking for music, or were you trav? elling the way a lot of people were in the U-DO CRAFT SUPPLIES LOCAL CRAFTS WICKER AND WOOD Crafts & Supplies AND lUIUCH MUCH IMORE! Drop in and. enjoy our targe selection /or your personal use or Jor gijts. . s' 1818 KING'S ROAD, SYDNEY B1P6G5 0> 564-9877 NOtl HE HEATING • State of the art heating equipment • Trained heating technicians • Largest Fleet of Home Heating delivery • Ways to save you money • Budget Payment Plan • FREE Furnace Efficiency Tests IN SYDNEY CALL: STEVE BLUNDON I IRVING 5M-6293 '''

Cape Breton's Magazine