Eloi Le Blanc - The Grandfather of Acadian Fiddle
In the Eastern Canadian Maritime Provence of New Brunswick, a group of French Colonist settled in the area and became known as the Acadians. The Le Blanc Family are descendants of these people and lived in College Bridge, New Brunswick. College Bridge was so named because there was a college across the bridge of the town. College Bridge was filled with the Le Blanc relatives; cousins, aunts, uncles, sisters, brothers and grandparents. Henriette and Protais Leblanc were married in 1882 and owned a Victorian house. They had seven children, Laura, Eloi, Florien, Antoine, Camille and Rita. Antoine and Camille died of pneumonia at a young age and Florien drowned in 1947 at the age of 33.
When the family was not working on the farm, in the blacksmith shop or carpentry shop on the property, music and stories filled their home. Relatives and friends would stop by for an evening of food, music, stories and dancing.
Laura learned to play the piano at a young age and use to teach children how to play. This brought extra income to the family. Laura always used her talents to teach others to play or accompany other musicians in the area.
At the age of six, Rita learned how to play the piano from her sister, reading music and placing her small stubby fingers on the keys. Rita played music her entire life and entertained others, volunteering at retirement homes and church.
Severin learned to play the guitar and often accompanied Laura and Eloi in their shows.
At a young age Eloi, heard a friend play the fiddle. He liked this instrument so much he would take two sticks and pretend he was playing a tune and sing with it. His maternal grandfather, Landry, played the fiddle and bought Eloi a toy fiddle. Eloi would play a lot of tunes on it that others could easily recognize. At eight his father bought him an old restored fiddle. Quickly, Eloi taught himself to play by ear, songs he heard played on a crystal radio. Two years later he played his first engagement at a wedding dance.
In his teens, Eloi entered many contests and won many amateur shows. At twenty-three years old, Eloi joined Bob White and the Canadian Ploughboys, playing with this band until they disbanded two years later. Then he joined the Maritime Farmers until he received a call from Kidd Baker. He joined Kidd Baker and the Pine Ridge Mountain Boys for twelve years. He was on the radio with Kidd Baker and the Pine Ridge Mountain Boys all those years and made a recording a (78 rpm) as well.
People recognized Eloi by his fiddle, playing in bands for local weddings, shows and other engagements. His nicknames were “Fiddlin Cy and the Fiddler of Memramcook Valley.” He was well known for his memory of music as well as a composer of jigs and reels. He always remembered a tune but often forgot the name of the tunes he played. He became known as "the Grandfather of Acadian fiddle, " as he often taught and shared his talents with young students.
In his later years, he moved in with his sister and accompanist, Laura Boudreau and her husband. He continued to compose music and in 1977 finished his first and only album.
Eloi continued his passion for music until eight months before his death, when an operation kept him from his first and only love. He died at 68 years old, June 21, 1978.
In May 2002, he was inducted into the New Brunswick Country Music Hall of Fame.
Further Information:
News Articles
Induction information
Other sites
http://www.backtothesugarcamp.com/L.htm#leblanc
http://www.shvm.ca/ecomusee3/eloi.htm
http://moniteuracadien.com/presentation-du-prix-eloi/
http://www.culturememramcook.ca/index.php/18-le-prix-eloi-une-celebration-en-musique
http://www.lafamilleleger.com/dr-squeeze-blog/2014/3/30/eloi-leblanc
http://www.shvm.ca/publications/gaudet/gaudet.htm#ELOI LEBLANC
Other recordings included with Eloi Leblanc:
http://www.jukkajoutsi.com/bakerkidd.html
Additional information can be found at the University of Moncton archives: digital music files
Other artist that have recorded some of Eloi's music:
http://www.lafamilleleger.com/
http://www.dominiquedupuis.com/
When the family was not working on the farm, in the blacksmith shop or carpentry shop on the property, music and stories filled their home. Relatives and friends would stop by for an evening of food, music, stories and dancing.
Laura learned to play the piano at a young age and use to teach children how to play. This brought extra income to the family. Laura always used her talents to teach others to play or accompany other musicians in the area.
At the age of six, Rita learned how to play the piano from her sister, reading music and placing her small stubby fingers on the keys. Rita played music her entire life and entertained others, volunteering at retirement homes and church.
Severin learned to play the guitar and often accompanied Laura and Eloi in their shows.
At a young age Eloi, heard a friend play the fiddle. He liked this instrument so much he would take two sticks and pretend he was playing a tune and sing with it. His maternal grandfather, Landry, played the fiddle and bought Eloi a toy fiddle. Eloi would play a lot of tunes on it that others could easily recognize. At eight his father bought him an old restored fiddle. Quickly, Eloi taught himself to play by ear, songs he heard played on a crystal radio. Two years later he played his first engagement at a wedding dance.
In his teens, Eloi entered many contests and won many amateur shows. At twenty-three years old, Eloi joined Bob White and the Canadian Ploughboys, playing with this band until they disbanded two years later. Then he joined the Maritime Farmers until he received a call from Kidd Baker. He joined Kidd Baker and the Pine Ridge Mountain Boys for twelve years. He was on the radio with Kidd Baker and the Pine Ridge Mountain Boys all those years and made a recording a (78 rpm) as well.
People recognized Eloi by his fiddle, playing in bands for local weddings, shows and other engagements. His nicknames were “Fiddlin Cy and the Fiddler of Memramcook Valley.” He was well known for his memory of music as well as a composer of jigs and reels. He always remembered a tune but often forgot the name of the tunes he played. He became known as "the Grandfather of Acadian fiddle, " as he often taught and shared his talents with young students.
In his later years, he moved in with his sister and accompanist, Laura Boudreau and her husband. He continued to compose music and in 1977 finished his first and only album.
Eloi continued his passion for music until eight months before his death, when an operation kept him from his first and only love. He died at 68 years old, June 21, 1978.
In May 2002, he was inducted into the New Brunswick Country Music Hall of Fame.
Further Information:
News Articles
Induction information
Other sites
http://www.backtothesugarcamp.com/L.htm#leblanc
http://www.shvm.ca/ecomusee3/eloi.htm
http://moniteuracadien.com/presentation-du-prix-eloi/
http://www.culturememramcook.ca/index.php/18-le-prix-eloi-une-celebration-en-musique
http://www.lafamilleleger.com/dr-squeeze-blog/2014/3/30/eloi-leblanc
http://www.shvm.ca/publications/gaudet/gaudet.htm#ELOI LEBLANC
Other recordings included with Eloi Leblanc:
http://www.jukkajoutsi.com/bakerkidd.html
Additional information can be found at the University of Moncton archives: digital music files
Other artist that have recorded some of Eloi's music:
http://www.lafamilleleger.com/
http://www.dominiquedupuis.com/