How the Fiddle Flows

"Metis culture is alive and kicking, a fact eloquently celebrated in How the Fiddle Flows." Starweek Magazine

It's high summer in southern Saskatchewan and a rollicking tune fills the night. Four master Metis fiddlers play to the tapping toes of a lively crowd.

How the Fiddle Flows follows Canada's great rivers west along the fur-trading route of the early Europeans. The newcomers introduced the fiddle to the Aboriginal people they intermarried with along the way. A generation later, their mixed-blood offspring would blend European folk tunes with First Nations rhythms to create a rich and distinct musical tradition.

From the Gaspé Peninsula, north to Hudson Bay and to the Prairies, How the Fiddle Flows reveals how a distinctive Metis identity and culture were shaped over time. This DVD features soaring performances by some of Canada's best-known fiddlers and step dancers and is narrated by award-winning actor Tantoo Cardinal.