Lennie Gallant

Lennie Gallant (born in Rustico, Prince Edward Island) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. His music crosses into the folk, Celtic, rock and country music genres.

Origins

Lennie Gallant was born in Rustico, Prince Edward Island, Canada. Both his parents sing and his sister is an aficionado of the violin, his brother Danny forms part of the band “Big Tilda.” [Canadian Celtic Music Website. Lennie Gallant, profile and interview by Kimberly. http://members.shaw.ca/kimberleyw/canadacelticmusic/lenniegallant/] He was gifted his first guitar at age 13 and wrote his first song in the same year. [ Gabriel Bélanger. Lennie Gallant re-embraces his Acadian roots, http://www.socan.ca/jsp/en/news_events/feature_stories/Gallant.jsp] Gallant performed alongside his family at numerous community fundraisers as he was growing up. During his teens he participated in a number of bands and duos playing celtic and folk rock. Alongside his musical activities, Gallant has held a number of jobs and been involved in social activism in the Middle East and Latin America. [Lennie Gallant Official Website. http://www.lenniegallant.com/index.html] He draws upon these experiences for his song-writing. Lennie Gallant finds inspiration for his songs in the sea, male-female relationships and times of crisis. Three of his four grandparents’ first language was French, and although Gallant did not hear much French growing up, he has reconnected with these roots in the past few years through his touring and has become one of the foremost proponents of Acadian music. [Gabriel Bélanger. Lennie Gallant re-embraces his Acadian roots, http://www.socan.ca/jsp/en/news_events/feature_stories/Gallant.jsp]

tyle

Gallant calls himself a “Neo-Cunnuck” [Gabriel Bélanger. Lennie Gallant re-embraces his Acadian roots, http://www.socan.ca/jsp/en/news_events/feature_stories/Gallant.jsp] and although his style transcends classification, celtic, folk, rock, and even a touch of cajun and country [Lennie Gallant Official Website. http://www.lenniegallant.com/index.html] are the most obvious influences in his music. He is known for his deeply moving lyrics that speak of desperate times, and for customizing his performances to suit an audience; performing in French, English or both, urban, rural, young or old. [Canadian Celtic Music Website. Lennie Gallant, profile and interview by Kimberly. http://members.shaw.ca/kimberleyw/canadacelticmusic/lenniegallant/]

Awards

Three Juno Award Nominations:
2007 - Roots & Traditional Album of the Year: Solo for “When We Get There”
1992 - Most Promising Male Vocalist of the Year
1992 - Country Male Vocalist of the Year

Lennie Gallant has won to date 15 East Coast Music Awards, and received 37 nominations.

- Album and Artist of the Year for “La Vent Boheme” Gala Prix de Etoiles
- SOCAN Songwriter of the Year for “Peter’s Dream”
- Order of Canada 2003

Gallant has also been commissioned to write theme songs for:

- Halifax’s 250th anniversary; sung by a 2000 voice amassed choir on the MacDonald Bridge spanning the Harbour.
- “History is Happening Now” was sung in a live global broadcast from PEI durng the Millenium New Year’s Eve Broadcast.
- “Land of the Maya” written for Oxfam
- “Acaadie de nos coeurs” written for the 1st Acadian World Congress
- co-wrote the Pier 21 National Theme Song.

Discography

* 1988: "Breakwater"
* 1991: "Believing in Better"
* 1994: "Open Window"
* 1997: "Lifeline"
* 2000: "Lennie Gallant Live"
* 2002: "Le Vent Bohème (The Gypsy Wind)" (French lyrics)
* 2005: "When We Get There"

External links

* [http://www.lenniegallant.com/ Official site]

References