Vishten
The group Vishten was formed in Prince Edward Island, in the Canadian Maritimes, at the beginning of the new millennium by traditional Acadian musicians/dancers Pastelle and Emmanuelle LeBlanc.
Vishten’s music is a hardy mixture of the French, Irish and Scottish styles of Eastern Canada, with fiery fiddling and powerful step dancing taking front and center. Their stage show re-creates the joy and energy of the “kitchen party,” the informal community gatherings where all are welcomed to sing, play and dance. The rhythms and melodies are inseparable, and reflect a special joie de vivre unique to the Acadian culture, with flying fingers, tapping feet, and an unabashed sense of celebration.
Since their formation in 2000, Vishten has played major festivals in the U.S. and Canada, from Lafayette,LA to Winnipeg, Manitoba and all through the Maritime provinces of eastern Canada. The group has now expanded to three members: Pastelle (accordian, piano, dance) and Emmanuelle (bodhran, tin whistle, piano, dance) Le Blanc, and Pascal Miousse (fiddle, mandolin, lead guitar). Emmanuelle and Pastelle are from Prince Edward Island. Pascal is from the Magdalen Islands, eight hours to the north.
All the members in the group contribute to the choreography and musical arrangements, and they all sing. On stage, they work with individual wooden “blocs” that they sit on, dance and play on top of, and use as percussion instruments with both their hands and feet. Audiences are struck by their whirlwind energy, dancing as they play, and the unbridled enthusiasm they feel for their native culture.
Vishten’s popularity has grown quickly. Audiences relate to the pleasure Vishten takes in performing on the concert stage, and the desire to bring their unique culture to audiences throughout the world. As they like to say, “Wherever Vishten goes, a party is sure to follow.”
Tickets are on sale now from the Cedar Ticketline (612-338-2674 ext 2), from hard-working Cedar volunteers in the front lobby during shows, from Cedar outlets (Electric Fetus and Depth of Field), and online at Ticketweb.
All Cedar shows are all ages. Students with ID may gain discounted admission for tickets purchased at the door.
Click here to listen to Vishten on pop-up player.
There's an old saying that goes something like, “ Go out and make your mark in the world exploring the new ways but don't turn your back on your roots”. The members of Vishten have been doing just that for the past ten years, presenting their brand of new-...
