Vishtèn

PEI / Quebec

From childhood evenings listening to music from the top of the stairs, to exuberant folk music sessions on Shetland busses and knockout performances at the Vancouver Olympics, Vishtèn evokes a world in tunes: the rocking boats and waltzing bows of remote island harbors; ancient ballads and striking new melodies flowing from vibrant Acadian and Quebecois communities.

This world instantly invites listeners in, with flying footwork, rippling frame drum, soulful fiddle, and songs that are four centuries old, and others newly minted by the band. With members from Prince Edward Island’s legendary Evangeline area—a hub of Acadian culture—and from the most remote reaches of Quebec, the windswept Magdalen Islands, Vishtèn knows how to dance artfully at the rich intersection of deep history and contemporary energy.