Portland, meet Newfoundland.
Great Big Sea brings Newfie shanties to the Portland Zoo Concert Series.
Posted by: Anne Adams on Jul 28, 2010 at 01:00PM
5 Comments
I first discovered Great Big Sea while web-searching “Cod Liver Oil.” It wasn’t a food supplement I sought, but a song—an old folk tune that my dad, a third-generation Newfoundlander, used to have on tape. I didn’t expect to find the lyrics; it was a long shot—but hey, why not try?
Cue my surprise when the search immediately yielded lyrics, as well as the bio of an internationally-touring, long-running band (18 years and counting) that had obviously staked its claim on the kooky old tune. Tonight, as part of the Zoo Summer Concert Series, Great Big Sea brings Newfoundland’s traditional chanteys, ballads, and doggerel to Port.
Newfoundland*, an archipelago of cold islands off Canada’s east coast, rarely exports its culture even as far as Canada’s mainland, let alone the world stage. Notable exceptions include novel-turned-movie The Shipping News, the stark black-and-white etchings of
For Portland’s Newfie few, tonight promises a reverie of nostalgia. But even if Newfoundland’s music is new to you, the family-friendly jig-and-reel arrangements, with Irish overtones and twists of caustic humor, should draw you closer to this quirky province’s icy shores.
Tags: Live Newfoundland Oregon Zoo
I first became a fan of Great Big Sea (GBS) in ’96. Their music is mainly “Newfoundland Shanties” but they also have a broad selection of music that span different genres, it is easy to find something you will like.
Thanks, Chris!
Hope you made it to the zoo last night!
A couple of corrections:
- It’s actually pronounced “New-fun-land”, not “New-fun-lund”. We (Newfoundlanders) sometimes explain it by saying it has the same cadence as the word “understand”: “Understand, New-fun-land”.
- The Kids in the Hall are not from Newfoundland.
Thanks, Erin.
Guess I was misinformed about Kids In The Hall—by a Newfoundlander who was over-eager to claim them.
I’ll correct it.
I really enjoyed your description in Portland, Meet Newfoundland. Makes me want to go see them. Love your choice of David Blackwood’s etching.