[FA Worldmusic] Michele Choiniere Wins Governors Heritage Award for Outstanding Artist

[chris rottler]

Michele Choiniere, a Franco-American singer and
songwriter, has won this year's Governor's Heritage
Award, an annual honor presented by the Vermont
Folklife Center and Vermont Life Magazine. 

Michele won for her work as an outstanding
traditional artist in her role as a master musician. 
Jane Beck, Executive Director of the Folklife Center
said that Micheles application stood out for her
artistry as a singer, her musical arrangements, and
her creative song writing, making her an ideal
choice. The Vermont Folklife Center is an
organization that preserves the folk arts and cultural
traditions of Vermont. Each year, an artist and an
educator receive the honor, which is presented by the
Governor in a ceremony at the Statehouse. 

Michele is a Franco-American, who grew up in Saint
Albans, Vermont. Her ancestry is Quebecois and she
spoke french as her first language. Her household and
community were steeped in traditional music, and she
learned Quebec and Franco-Vermont folk tunes from her
family and friends. While many in the Franco-American
community are losing touch with the culture, Michele
is an exception to this trend, as she actively carries
on the traditions, while also creating new music.
Michele has appeared in concert with well known
world/traditional music performers such as Le Vent du
Nord, Matapat and Barachois, among others and
currently performs in concert with ensembles from both
Montreal and Vermont. Her performances feature a blend
of traditional music, along with original
compositions, together with an occasional standard,
such as songs by Edith Piaf.

Among other accolades, Michele and her Montreal group
of Sabin Jacques and Rachel Aucoin, performed at last
year's American Folk Festival in Bangor, Maine that
was attended by over 163,000 people. This year, she
will appear at the Great Lakes Folk Festival in
Michigan, as well as other events in the northeastern
U.S. and Canada. For more information on Michele,
including a video clip of her recent performance at
the Vermont Legislature, you can visit her website at www.michelechoiniere.com.