Joe Peter MacLean

Joe Peter MacLean (1945-2013), fiddler, was born and raised in MacAdams Lake, a small community near Boisdale, Cape Breton. MacAdam’s Lake was one of the last strongholds of the Gaelic language in the area and Joe Peter grew up speaking only Gaelic when he was at home with his family. He was one of the few remaining Gaelic speaking fiddlers in Cape Breton. His community was steeped in old Gaelic traditions and he could still remember the older people in the community keeping up the tradition of telling Sgeulachdan, or old traditional Scottish folktales about Fairy People. The Celtic music tradition was also strong in his childhood. His father, Charlie, was also a fiddler. Joe Peter’s repertoire included many old and obscure tunes that he learned from his father. As an adult, Joe Peter had performed for dances as part of the “Boisdale Trio” along with Janet Cameron (2) on piano and Paul Joseph Wukitsch playing the fiddle. In 2003, he performed with the Carlos Nunez band at the annual Celtic Colours International Festival in Cape Breton. He made the recording, Back of Boisdale in 2005 as part of Rounder Records’ North American Traditions Series. His fiddling and Gaelic vocals also appeared on singer Mary Jane Lamond’s recording, 9321177. Joe Peter was admired for his old-style sound and unique repertoire.