We've reached the corner of the earth! That's right, the Flat Earth Society named Brimstone Head on Fogo Island as one of the 4 corners of the earth so we parked our van right there to spend the night! Here is the sun setting off the edge :)
Before heading to bed, we ended up at one of the infamous Newfoundland "Shed Parties" in the nearby home of Gerald Freake. You may know Gerald as the leader of the Fogo Island Accordion Group. The group started in the 1990's and was made up of 5 young women who were taught by Gerald how to play the button accordion. They soon exploded in Newfoundland and the rest of the country, recording 5 cd's, 2 dvd's and travelling the country coast to coast! The group was celebrated not only for their talent but also for their efforts to keep traditional Newfoundland music alive. After about 10 years they moved on to other careers, but to this day the group remains as Gerald's pride and joy! Today, Gerald gives free button accordion lessons to kids on the island and dedicates his life to keeping the lively sounds and traditional songs alive! www.learnthebuttonaccordion.com
** If you are wondering what Gerald is holding, it is called the Newfoundland Ugly Stick and is basically made of "whatever you can find to make noise." This is a great way to keep the beat and join in on any Shed Party jam!
Hi
ReplyDeletethanks for the article. I started the Brimstone Head Folk Festival, where the accordian group began. It is great to see families like yours traveling to the island and experiencing the traditional music.