Psychedlic
      Gaelic:
      Mary
      Jane
      Lamond
      @Myrons
     
    
   
   
    
     
      by
      Stephan
      MacLeod
     
     
      STAFF
      WRITER
     
    
   
   
    
     
      During
     
     
      Mary
      Jane
     
     
      Lamond’s
     
     
      performance
      at
     
     
      Myrons
      I
      came
      to
     
     
      the
      realization
      that
     
     
      beautiful
      music
      can
     
     
      be
      understood
      even
     
     
      if
      it
      is
      sung
      in
      an
     
     
      unfamiliar
     
     
      language.
      I
      could
     
     
      not
      possibly
     
     
      translate
      the
      words
     
     
      she
      sang,
      but
      at
      the
     
     
      same
      time
      I
      knew
     
     
      exactly
      what
      she
     
     
      was
      saying.
     
     
      Lamond’s
      haunting
     
     
      vocals
      conjured
      up
     
     
      the
      spirits
      of
     
     
      lamenting
      lovers
     
     
      and
      mischievous
     
     
      fairies,
      and
      her
     
    
   
   
    
     
      band’s
      atmospheric
     
     
      arrangements
     
     
      heightened
      the
     
     
      ambience.
     
    

    
     
      Lamond
     
     
      learned
      to
      speak
     
     
      Gaelic
      in
      the
      Celtic
     
     
      Studies
      program
      at
     
     
      St.
      FX.
      She
      told
      me
     
     
      that
      her
      interest
      in
     
     
      her
      roots
      was
     
     
      strong
      because
      she
     
     
      was
      born
      in
     
     
      Kingston,
      Ontario.
     
     
      She
      had
      a
      desire
      to
     
     
      learn
      about
      her
     
     
      culture
      in
      order
      to
     
     
      make
      up
      for
      what
     
     
      she
      missed
      by
      not
     
     
      growing
      up
      in
      Cape
     
     
      Breton.
     
    

    
     
      Her
     
     
      approach
      to
      music
     
     
      is
      to
      take
      traditional
     
     
      songs
      and
      create
     
    
   
   
    
     
      interesting
     
     
      soundscapes
     
     
      behind
      them
      that
     
     
      don’t
      take
      away
     
     
      from
      the
      song
     
     
      itself,
      keeping
      it
     
     
      fairly
      traditional.
     
     
      Her
      own
      tastes
     
     
      influence
      how
      the
     
     
      songs
      sound.
      She
     
     
      listens
      to
      a
      lot
      of
     
     
      world
      music
      and
     
     
      manages
      to
      fit
     
     
      African
      and
      Indian
     
     
      percussion
      into
      her
     
     
      songs.
     
    

    
     
      She
     
     
      performs
      Celtic
     
     
      songs
      with
     
     
      contemporary
     
     
      arrangements
     
     
      because
      she
      loves
     
     
      it.
      It
      is
      not
      her
     
     
      intention
      to
      save
     
     
      the
      tradition,
      but
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Lam
      Duil
      —
      Mary
      Jane
      Lamend
      (7)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Mary
      Jane
      Lamend's
      fellew
      up
      te
     
     
      Sues
      e!
      is
      trippy
      and
      uplifting
     
     
      album
      much
      like
      her
      last
      ene.
     
     
      Lan
      Duil
      is
      very
      experimental
     
     
      and
      successfully
      blends
      medern
     
     
      seunds
      with
      traditienal
      sengs.
     
     
      Drum
      machines
      and
      samples
      seund
     
     
      almest
      erganic
      as
      they
      are
      mixed
     
     
      with
      fiddles,
      guitars
      and
     
     
      Lamend's
      beautiful
      singing.
     
     
      Nething
      seems
      eut
      ef
      place
      en
     
     
      this
      CD
      and
      that's
      quite
      an
     
     
      accemplishment
      censidering
      mest
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      fact
      that
      it
      gives
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      language
      more
     
     
      profile
      is
      an
      added
     
    
   
   
    
     
      bonus.
      She
      said
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      crowds
      she
      plays
     
     
      for
      are
      growing
      in
     
    
   
   
    
     
      certain
      areas
      but
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Maritimes
      is
      a
     
     
      challenge
      because
     
     
      of
      the
      lack
      of
     
    
   
   
    
     
      venues.
      She
      prefers
     
    
   
   
    
     
      playing
      in
      small
     
    
   
   
    
     
      theatres
      as
      opposed
     
    
   
   
    
     
      to
      clubs.
     
     
      I
      asked
      her
     
     
      how
      traditional
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Ro
      QO
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Be
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ae
     
     
      ont
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Photo
      by
      Andrew
      Mac
      Naughtan
     
    
   
   
    
     
      MARY
      JANE
      LAMOND
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Gaelic
      singers
      react
     
     
      to
      her
      versions
      of
     
     
      ancient
      songs,
      and
     
     
      she
      said
      they
      like
     
     
      her
      music
      because
     
     
      she
      doesn’t
      change
     
     
      the
      songs
      too
      much,
     
     
      but
      they
      prefer
     
     
      them
      to
      be
      sung
     
     
      accapella.
      She
      finds
     
     
      that
      as
      long
      as
      she
     
     
      does
      a
      good
      job
     
     
      with
      the
      songs,
     
     
      most
      people
      don’t
     
     
      have
      a
      huge
     
     
      problem
      with
      it.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Everyone
     
     
      who
      caught
      her
     
     
      appearance
      at
     
     
      Myrons
      would
     
     
      agree
      that
      she
      is
     
     
      definitely
      doing
      a
     
     
      great
      job
      with
      the
     
     
      songs.
      She
      has
      one
     
     
      of
      the
      best
     
     
      back-up
      bands
      in
     
     
      Celtic
      music
      to
     
     
      help
      her
      out.
      Her
     
     
      show
      is
      a
     
     
      thoroughly
     
     
      entertaining
     
     
      experience
      of
     
     
      music,
      story
      telling,