Cynthia MacLeod is riding a wave.

The Prince Edward Island teenager is part of the new wave of Maritimes music. After seeing her energy and drive on display at Celtic Colours 2002 in Cape Breton, I was understandably eager to hear the young fiddler's work on her debut CD, Head Over Heels.

MacLeod is deeply saturated in her region's distinctive musical style, and she demonstrates her mastery over the course of the album. Her fiddle is bolstered by Jeff Matheson's piano throughout. Other musicians appearing on the album are Bruce MacEwan (guitar), Ellen MacPhee (small pipes), Remi Arsenault (guitar, bass, djembe, snare) and Gordon Belsher (bodhran, guitar).

She has proven beyond doubt her proficiency with the fiddle and her command of Maritimes traditions, and it's an exciting forecast for the future of Maritimes music. The challenge now is for MacLeod to define her niche in the field and develop her own distinctive style. Given her first entry into the market, I believe we'll be hearing a lot from her in the future.