Vishten, an Acadian group from Prince Edward Island, has taken their brand of traditional music and dance to 8 different countries and performed over 1000 concerts over the past 7 years.

There’s an old saying that goes something like, “go out and make your mark in the world and explore new ways, but don’t turn your back on your roots”. The members of Vishten have been doing just that. The sound is essentially Celtic but with a difference. The songs are French, sung by each band member, alone or in four part harmony. The foot percussion drives the rhythm in a fiddle tune and backs off for the gentle ballads. The band members are accomplished multi-instrumentalists and step-dancers incorporating the fiddle, guitar, accordion, penny-whistle, banjo, mandolin, piano, jaw-harp and bodhran into each performance. They are surely making their mark in the world today as their musical maturity comes through to captivate audiences wherever they play.

Made up of third generation Acadians living separate but parallel musical experiences, twin sisters Pastelle (Accordion, Piano, Dance and Voice) and Emmanuelle (Bodhran, Piano, Whistles, Dance and Voice) LeBlanc from PEI, have teamed up with Pascal Miousse (Fiddle, Mandolin, Guitar and Voice) and Louis-Charles Vigneau (Guitar, Banjo, Mandoline and Voice) from the nearby Magdelene Islands to create a sound that incorporates elements of the new ways while retaining and staying true to the essential Acadian spirit of their roots. 

Emmanuelle and Pastelle are descendants of one of the first colonial families on their father’s side. From their mother’s side they get their Irish roots. With a passion for music and dance that comes direct from their grandfather, Pastelle notes “it’s a family tradition. It’s a sound that breathes, that sings, with its rich sonorities… it’s an instrument that sails and swings!” Emmanuelle adds “on stage, we feel energy that comes from the public – and this makes us want to give even more”.