LATEST TRACK FROM WEDGEPORT SONGWRITER AVAILABLE TODAY VIA ACADIAN EMBASSY
CHEVAL releases “Tronne,” an innovative new French-language single that expertly melds the past, present and future of Acadian music. Stream it HERE or by clicking the artwork above.
“Tronne” was created in part by using samples of traditional French songs recorded by Désiré d’Eon, journalist, writer, researcher, and founder of Le Petit Courrier – Nova Scotia’s only French-language newspaper. Uncovered by Cheval (aka AA Wallace) from archives housed at the Musée des Acadiens de Pubnico et centre de recherche in West Pubnico, NS, these recordings stemmed from one of Désiré’s longstanding projects where he would visit houses in historic Acadian villages to collect field recordings of traditional stories, sayings, words, and songs from elders in the community. These samples are believed to be recordings of d’Eon himself reproducing some of these songs – notably a children’s hymn called « J’ai rêvé cette nuit ».
Using this historical audio as the refrain, the verses are delivered by Cheval in authentic acajonne – the longstanding dialect of Acadians from Southwestern Nova Scotia – and centered around “tronne,” an Acadian word meaning “noise” that emphasizes the ‘onne’ sound typically found in these Acadian regions, which are amongst the oldest in the world. (Main = monne, rien = rionne, etc.)
Cheval’s unique combination of these manipulated traditional songs, contemporary rock n’ roll with nods to the past, and an unwavering commitment to a hyper-regional dialect positions “Tronne” as an innovative new track from the Wedgeport-born songwriter and helps to illustrate the historic significance of the Acadian Par-en-Bas region and a culture that has endured in this place for more than 400 years.
“Tronne” is available today, Monday, November 03 via Acadian Embassy.