Peter Arsenault
Louis Leger
Peter Arsenault comes from a long line of Acadien fiddlers in the Evangeline region of Prince Edward Island. He started playing fiddle when he was 28 years old and followed in the footsteps of his father, the legendary Eddy Arsenault. As Peter says, “I kind of picked up the old style from dad. Everything is evolving all the time, so if you don’t kind of carry that old stuff and try to hand it to the next generation, it’ll go away with the old timers.”
Finally found out what "mocoque" means, thanks to the Facebook page of Le Français Acadien. It's an aboriginal term that refers to a swampy land where wild cranberries and blueberries grow.
Le mot "mocoque" est emprunté de l'amérindien et désigne un "terrain marécageux propice à la croissance des airelles», «fruit de l'airelle (bleuets et canneberges).
For more information on Peter Arsenault, including photos and recordings, go to Bowing Down Home, a great website devoted to Prince Edward Island fiddlers.