Mary Beth Carty (Cape Breton / Canada)
- Mar 1
- 1 min read
Mary Beth Carty is an accordionist, guitarist, and singer from Antigonish, Nova Scotia. Nominated for Traditional Singer of the Year at the Canadian Folk Music Awards, her album Crossing the Causeway (2023) reached No. 1 on the Folk DJ radio chart. The album reflected the diverse musical roots of eastern Nova Scotia and featured collaborations with some of Cape Breton Island’s leading musicians. She has toured throughout Canada and performed in France, Italy, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Featured Song:
“Òran Boisdale” (Song of Boisdale) is a traditional Scottish Gaelic waulking song arranged by Carty, rooted in the Gaelic heritage of Cape Breton. Scottish Gaelic settlers arrived on the island in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, making Eastern Nova Scotia one of the strongest centers of Gaelic culture outside Scotland. The song tells of a woman longing for her lover who has gone to sea: “Who should I happen upon but the men / Young Donald, son of Allan was there / My love is away on the ship on the sea / If I had a ferry and beloved boys of the sea to row / We would sail the unknown green seas."
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