How the Fiddle Flows

  • April 2002
  • 52mins

  • Documentary
  • Directed by

    Gregory Coyes,

    Graydon McCrea,

    Kirk Shaw,

    Starring

    Tantoo Cardinal,

    Gerald Auger,

    Shane Zwack,

    Warren Michael

    ...

    How the Fiddle Flows follows Canada's great rivers west along the fur-trading route of the early Europeans. The newcomers introduced the fiddle to the Aboriginal people they intermarried with along the way. A generation later, their mixed-blood offspring would blend European folk tunes with First Nations rhythms to create a rich and distinct musical tradition. From the Gaspé Peninsula, north to Hudson Bay and to the Prairies, How the Fiddle Flows reveals how a distinctive Metis identity and culture were shaped over time. Featuring soaring performances by some of Canada's best known fiddlers and step dancers and narrated by award-winning actress Tantoo Cardinal.