Video: The Outside Track performing “Neckbelly”

Come celebrate the 20th Celtic Colours International Festival this year from Friday, October 7 to Saturday, October 15, 2016.

Excerpts from The Outside Track website: Winner of Best Group in both the Live Ireland awards and the TIR awards, The Outside Track are one of the top Celtic acts in the world. A synthesis of virtuosity and energy, their marriage of Celtic music, song, dance has been rapturously received around the world.

Hailing from Scotland, Ireland, and Cape Breton, its five members are united by a love of traditional music and a commitment to creating new music on this as a foundation. They effortlessly fuse traditional and contemporary with crowd winning joie de vivre. Recently joined by acclaimed singer Aoife Scott, the next generation of the legendary Black Family from Ireland, they blend fiddle, accordion, harp, guitar, whistle, step-dance and vocals with breathtaking vitality.

The band is composed of Allie Robertson, one of Scotland’s most respected harpists; Teresa Horgan, from Co. Cork, who is one of Ireland’s up and coming singers; highlander Fiona Black on accordion; and Simon Marion, a guitarist of note from Canada.

Fiona Black is from the Highland village of Evanton, Fiona Black developed a love of music and dance from a young age. The feisean movement provided her the opportunity to nurture her passion through learning to play the piano accordion. Fiona went on to attend the National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music where she honed her skills as an accordionist and gained valuable experience arranging, performing, composing and recording.

Fiona set off for Limerick in 2005 where she completed a BA with Honours in Irish Music and Dance. During this degree, Fiona further developed her skills as a performer, arranger, teacher and composer while also traveling to Cape Breton during her third year of studies. Fiona’s accordion style incorporates many different influences, intertwining her native Scottish style with Irish, Swedish and Cape Breton repertoire, always adding her distinctive rhythm and vibrancy

The Celtic Colours International Festival is a unique celebration of Cape Breton Island’s living traditional culture. For nine days in October you’ll discover hundreds of events and activities taking place in communities around the Island.

From concerts to dances and workshops to community suppers, a full range of events against a gorgeous backdrop of autumn colors is offered

Since its introduction in 1997, Celtic Colours has grown to become one of Canada’s premiere musical events, and a cultural highlight of Nova Scotia’s tourism season. The festival has also been successful in extending Cape Breton Island’s tourism season well into the Autumn, and introducing the musical culture of Cape Breton to tens of thousands of visitors from more than two dozen countries.

At the many concerts, you’ll find some of the world’s finest musicians sharing the stage with Cape Breton’s best singers, dancers, players, story-tellers and culture bearers in venues that range from community halls and churches to modern schools and theatres.

The festival is held during Cape Breton’s most spectacular season, Autumn, when the leaves are turning color and the vibrant reds, yellows, and oranges bring the breathtaking scenery to life as you travel from event to event. These travels may take you around the pristine Bras d’Or Lakes, Canada’s largest saltwater lake, or around the Cabot Trail, often called North America’s most scenic drive. Wherever you go in Cape Breton at this time of year, you are bound to find beautiful scenery around every turn.