“Stage Irish” in “Britain’s Oldest Colony”: Introductory Remarks Towards an Analysis of the Influence of the McNulty Family on Newfoundland Music
The McNulty Family, a New York based Irish-American trio, had a pervasive influence on Newfoundland music from the 1930s to the 1970s. The group’s music was introduced to the island by a St. John’s merchant who sold their records throughout the island and sponsored local radio programs for over thir...
| Published in: | Ethnologies |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Text |
| Language: | English |
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Association Canadienne d’Ethnologie et de Folklore
1991
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://id.erudit.org/iderudit/1081699ar https://doi.org/10.7202/1081699ar |
| Summary: | The McNulty Family, a New York based Irish-American trio, had a pervasive influence on Newfoundland music from the 1930s to the 1970s. The group’s music was introduced to the island by a St. John’s merchant who sold their records throughout the island and sponsored local radio programs for over thirty years. The group’s popularity and influence on the repertoires of local singers are directly related to Newfoundlanders’ search for musical autonomy during a period of political and social change — the change from a British Colony to a Canadian Province, and the emergence of a new middle class. Les McNulty, un trio irlando-américain originaire de New York, a marqué la musique et la chanson à Terre-Neuve de 1930 à 1970. La musique du groupe a été introduite à Terre-Neuve par un marchand de Saint-Jean qui a vendu leurs disques un peu partout et qui s’est servi des radios locales pour promouvoir leur musique. Le succès et l’influence de ce groupe sur le répertoire des chanteurs locaux est à mettre directement en rapport avec la quête d’une tradition musicale autonome par les Terreneuviens à une période de transformations politiques et sociales — le passage d’une colonie britannique à une province canadienne, et l’émergence d’une nouvelle classe moyenne. |
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