Episode 2: Marg Raynor of the Red Hot Stove Pipe Band

Today we are going to be talking to Marg Raynor, founder of the Metis folk band the Red Hot Stove Pipe Band. Marg joins us to discuss the Metis cultural connection in Ontario.

The name of the band came from the fact that, in their practice area workshop, there was a wood stove. The name just stuck. The band began when two distant cousins, Marg and Basil, met for the first time and shared music with each other. The feeling was comfortable, like being at a kitchen table. The band itself is those two cousins at its core, with the occasional guest appearance by other musicians.

A large contingent of the Metis people had worked with the British in the war of 1812 and made their way to the area as one of the earliest groups of people. The main influences in Metis music are sounds like the fiddle and hand drum from the French influence and drumming on the Native side.

When it comes to special venues, Marg recollects when the band played at the home of Louis George Labatte, built in the 1800s and standing at Thunder Beach. The band held an event at Thunder Beach, a rendezvous, in the area and were able to arrange for that house to be open to the public.

The pandemic put a halt to the lineup of summer gigs the band had lined up in the summer of 2020, but throughout the crisis, Marg and Basil have continued to create. They were able to participate in virtual live events and also have appeared on multiple French radio stations. Looking to the future, the band has begun performing again and is looking to spread the word through the Metis community.

Find out more about the Red Hot Stove Pipe Band:

Website: https://www.redhotstovepipeband.com/