This month on Franco-American Pathways, we put the spotlight on music in the Franco-American community. We’ll listen to some examples of intimate performances that appear in many of our oral histories, and talk about the diversity and importance of music in Franco culture.

We’ll take a deep dive into Acadian musical traditions with Robert Sylvain, who has so generously provided us with the music for our show from his album, Mémère’s Notebook. Then, Lise Pelletier, Director of the Acadian Archives at the University of Maine at Fort Kent, will provide us with some historical context for the evolution of Acadian and Franco music as we know it today. 

After Anna presents the Archivist's Corner, Maureen will present written texts from the collection that deepen our understanding of music as a form of storytelling.

Music featured this week (in order of appearance):

Les Chevaliers de la Table Ronde - Boréal Tordu

Dis-Moi Donc - Robert Sylvain (Mémère's Notebook)

Je Me Suis Levé - Robert Sylvain (Mémère's Notebook)

Veux-Tu M'Aimer ? - Robert Sylvain (Mémère's Notebook)