Last night, Prince Edward Island’s Vishtèn won Album of the Year at the East Coast Music Awards (ECMA), an achievement and a first for an Acadian and francophone band.
In 2022, Vishtèn suffered an immense loss with the death of group co-founder Pastelle LeBlanc. In the wake of this tragedy, the other two band members, Emmanuelle LeBlanc and Pascal Miousse, launched Vishtèn Connexions, a project dedicated to completing and sharing Pastelle’s unfinished compositions. This project honored her musical vision while opening the door to new collaborations and artistic evolutions.
As her twin sister and band member Emmanuelle LeBlanc explains, “the Expansion album is a project of the Connexions collective. It’s a tribute to Pastelle’s creativity. We carefully selected tracks from over 150 compositions we found on her cell phone, songs that offer a touching testimony to her musical heritage”.
In this collaborative project, each artist brings the unique energy of his or her own sound universe to complete the creations. The musicians who collaborated on the album are De Temps Antan, Catherine MacLellan, 6 Hearts (featuring members of Vishtèn and The East Pointers), Cédric Dind-Lavoie, Julie Pellissier-Lush, Seckou Keita, Catrin Finch, Rowen Gallant, and Jesse Périard.
Other artists nominated in this year’s Album of the Year category were Classified “Luke’s View”; Jah’Mila “Woman of the Sun”; Maggie Andrew “DAY JOB”; Quote The Raven “Map The Dark”; and The Irish Descendants “The Irish Descendants Christmas”.
Vishtèn
For over two decades, Vishtèn has been a mainstay of Acadian music, fusing deep traditions with contemporary innovation. Hailing from Prince Edward Island and the Magdalen Islands, the group has gained international recognition, performing at renowned festivals around the world and receiving a Juno nomination, several ECMAs and Music PEI awards, as well as SPACQ’s Prix Édith Butler.
Today, Vishtèn enters a new chapter by welcoming back pianist, dancer and singer Megan Bergeron. A childhood friend of Emmanuelle and Pastelle, Megan was part of the group’s early days, appearing on their first album. Her deep roots in the Acadian tradition and her expressive playing breathe new energy into the group’s signature sound.
Driven by resilience and a spirit of expansion, Vishtèn continues to evolve while remaining true to its heritage. With thousands of concerts in North America, Europe and Australia, their electrifying fusion of traditional French songs, powerful instrumentals and driving rhythms is spreading Acadian culture around the world.
