Canadian culture

What is the central theme of Canadian writers?

Who was first English Canadian poet?

What is the Group of Seven?

LITERATURE

Canada has two great literatures, one written in French and the other written in English. One of the central themes of Canadian writers is the "idea of North". The literature helps link the vast nation.

Canadians have conflicting feelings about the U.S. - a country with which they have much in com­mon, but against which they defense themselves. This duality is a constant theme and Challenge for Canadian writers.

Early Canadian literature expressed an optimistic pioneering attitude toward the hew country. France Brooke wrote the first Canadian novel "The History of Emil Montague" in 1769.

The first English Canadian to be considered a national poet was Charles Sangster. His poem "The St. Lawrence'71856/ celebrates the beauty of the Canadian landscape.

Pauline Johnson was known for her poetry about Indian life. Her father was a Mohawk Indian chief and hr mother was English Isabelle Crawford. '

Margaret Attwood's novel Cat's Eye /1988/ earned her many awards and international reputation.

Michael Tremblay is the leading Quebecois playwright. Among the best known current Canadian playwrights are D. French and S. Pollock.

THEATRE

Canada's best-known theatrical event is the Stratford festival, held annually in Stratford, Ontario from May to November. Famous performers appear in the plays of William Shakespeare and other noted dramatists.

Another drama festival is the Shaw Festival in Ontario. The leading theatrical group in French-speaking Canada is Le Theatre du Nouveau Monde in Montreal. The National Ballet has featured many international stars as well as such outstanding Canadian dancers as Frank Augustyn, Karen Kain, and Veronica Tennant. The Canadian Opera Company in Toronto performs six operas during the season from September to May.

PAINTING

Early Canadian painters followed European trends. Paul Kane painted pictures of Indian life in Western Canada. A group of landscape painters called the Group of Seven developed the Canadian style of painting. Tom Thomson /1877-1917/ was of the best-known Canadian painters. His West Wind and the Jack Pine became two of the best-known works of Canadian art.

The works of the Group of Seven are exposed in the McMichael Canadian Art Collection. Robert and Signe McMichael gave their art collection to the Province of Ontario in 1965. McMichael Ca­nadian Art Collection has the special combination of Canadian architecture, Canadian landscape, and Ca­nadian art that makes it a unique national treasure.

. Emily Carr became famous for her painting of the totem poles of British Columbia. The best col­lection of Canadian Indian Art is in the Raven's Work Gallery. It contains masks, carvings, and paintings. The finest work of Canadian sculpture includes woodcarving of Indian artists. The McMichael Canadian Art Collection includes Inuit sculpture and drawing.

MUSIC

Canada's outstanding orchestras are the Montreal Symphony orchestra, he National Arts Center Orchestra, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. Solo performers who have gained fame include the pianist Glenn Gould and the singers Maureen Forrester, Lois Marshall and Jon Vickers.

Canadian stars in popular music include the singers Bryan Adams and Anne Murray. Robert Charleboi and Celine Dion became famous singers in French- speaking Canada.

Celine Dion was born on March 30^th; 1968, in the little town of Charlemagne, Quebec. She was the youngest of a 14 children family. Her first name comes from a song Celine that her mother was singing while she was pregnant.

She grew up surrounded by music in a piano-bar restaurant owned by her parents. The family held regular jam sessions, with father playing the accordion and mother playing violin. Everyone in this family is a musician.

She first stood on a table to sing a song at the age of 5. At twelve she decided to become a singer. Her mother wrote a song for her; it was recorded on a demo tape and sent to a manager Rene Angelil in Montreal. He cried listening to her voice, and agreed to work with her.

When her The Colour of My Love album was released in November 1994, Celine told the whole world who the man in her life was: "Rene, you are the colour of my love”.

In December 1994, she married Rene Angelil, 52, her manager, who is 26 her senior. It was the biggest event of the year in Canada.

Canadian singer Alanis Morissette is a world-wide success. Jagged Little Pill has sold 28 million copies, making it the biggest selling debut album ever. Her latest album, Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie, is her most recent success. She won an award for the best album at the American Music Awards.

Alanis began her show business career at the age of 6 when she took up the piano. She began writ­ing her own songs at the age of 9. By her early teens she had recorded her first single. She also starred in a TV show. It was hard for her to be two people- a pop star and a normal teenager. Her school used to play a recording of her singing the Canadian national anthem every day, which led to her being picked on by jeal­ous people.

When Alanis was discovered by Madonna, the last said: "She reminds me of me when I started out". Like Madonna, Alanis's songs are about her life. Music was a chance for Alanis to escape. She thinks that if she hadn't been a musician she would have been a psychologist to help others. She likes her music to make her fans think. She is happy when, they watch the show and go, "Wow, cool!" and then go home and kiss their dog.

Alanis has lots of plants and flowers in her dressing room. She also meditates and does yoga. When she asks man out, she suggests they go to a yoga class on a first date!

Alanis doesn't like awards. The whole concept of music being judged is strange to her. She thinks fame "can make you mad". These days she seems happy to live her life writing songs.