A native of Rustico, Prince Edward Island, folk singer-songwriter Lennie Gallant is a passionate representative of Canada’s East Coast, and his forthcoming work Searching for Abegweit: The Songs & Stories of Lennie Gallant demonstrates that affection.

Abegweit is the name used by the Mi’kmaq for Prince Edward Island, and is translated as “cradled on the waves.”

“The Mi’kmaq creation story holds that the Great Spirit Glooscap, after he created the world, took all the most beautiful colours of the world… and painted Prince Edward Island into existence,” Gallant says.

“I chose to do this because I’m from PEI, my history goes way back here, my family history, and over the course of nine albums and various other projects, I’ve written a lot of songs that had something to do with PEI.”

A Google search reveals Gallant to be listed at 34 years-old, but the artist told The Uniter that he’s actually over 50 and that the fake age is probably a joke.

Regardless of his birthday, he clearly uses his time wisely.

Gallant has released nine albums, seven in English and two in French. A member of the Order of Canada, Gallant has won 16 East Coast Music Awards, has received three Juno Award nominations, has performed at events in Washington, D.C. and Trafalgar Square in London, England and had his album When We Get There in space aboard the Shuttle Endeavour.

Gallant’s French performance at the Centre culturel franco-manitobain (CCFM) on Saturday, Feb. 15 as part of Festival du Voyageur and will be recorded for Radio Canada’s series, Pour un soir seulement.

Gallant will also perform a mostly English show at the West End Cultural Centre on Sunday, Feb. 16.

For his Winnipeg dates, Gallant will be joined by a few accompanists, including his nephews Jeremy and Jonathan Gallant, on keys and drums respectively.

The singer says he’ll likely perform some songs from the record Searching for Abegweit at the WECC. The full piece will be performed at the Charlottetown Festival this summer.

“This year coming up is a big anniversary for Prince Edward Island. It’s the 150th anniversary of the big Charlottetown Conference, which is the birth of the idea of Canada,” he says. “There are a lot of celebrations going on.”

Published in Volume 68, Number 20 of The Uniter (February 13, 2014)