Back in 1989, many visitors to Nova Scotia (myself included!) were introduced to the music of such artists as the Rankin Family, the Barra MacNeils and Rita MacNeil, to name a few. Then in 1990, more visitors heard of these artists and others just starting out. This was all thanks to Stephen MacDonald Productions and the CDs Sounds of Nova Scotia, Volumes 1 & 2. These CDs have become bestsellers and are still available for purchase around the province.

The collections of various artists and songs were sold at gift stores all around Nova Scotia, in particular in Cape Breton. Since then, these artists have gone on to receive national and international recognition and music fans have been asking when a new volume would be released for the next generation of talent. Well, it's finally happened in 2001!

Sounds of Nova Scotia, Volume 3 contains some of the best new talent from the East Coast of Canada. The CD features artists such as Lennie Gallant, Cyril MacPhee, Rita & Mary Rankin, Sons of Maxwell, JP Cormier and the MacLeans, among others -- 14 tracks in all! You may just discover your next favourite artist on this CD. Put it in the CD player and you'll be in Nova Scotia, if only in your imagination.

The Nova Scotia theme is prominently featured in the song selection, from "The Pull of the Fundy Tide" by Lennie Gallant to "Oceanside Again" by Sons of Maxwell to "Nova Scotia to Me" by Cyril MacPhee. You can feel the Atlantic breeze blowing through your hair and smell the water. The different cultures found in Nova Scotia are represented on this CD as well, from the French "L'Acadie" by Cyril MacPhee to the Gaelic "An Innis Aigh" by Rita & Mary Rankin.

This CD is intended more for the new listener of this music or as a sampler of these artists that you may not have heard yet. This is due to the fact that all of the songs can be found on the individual artists CDs. There aren't any new releases just for this release.

The only downside to this CD, if it is one, is that there isn't much information provided in the CD booklet on each of the artists. All that is given is the album of each artist where the song can be found and their website address. So you're going to have to search for yourself to find out more about the artists that you like. Perhaps that was the idea?

If you're vacationing in Nova Scotia this year, pop into the local music or gift store and pick up a copy of this CD. It'll be a memory of your trip and you can pass it along to friends when you return and encourage them to make Nova Scotia their next vacation destination!