THE
VIOLIN AND THE RED RIVER JIG
The violin is a stringed instrument whose sound is produced by rubbing four strings with a bow. It is built very precisely from some 80 pieces of wood. In XVIth century Italy, violin makers modified the viol making it into the instrument we know as the violin. It quickly found its way into the first rank of instruments in symphony orchestras. Its shape has not changed very much over the past four centuries. This violin was made in Czechoslovakia in the XXth century after a model by Guarneri and belonged to Andy De Jarlis (born André Desjarlais), a violinist of national renown. "Fiddler" means someone who plays folk music on the violin in the popular rather than the classical tradition. This tradition borrows from the Scots, the French and the Métis and traces its origins to the time of the fur trade in the Canadian West. Andy De Jarlis was born in Woodridge, Manitoba, in 1914. He comes from a family of Métis fiddlers. One of his ancestors, Pierre Falcon, was called the "Red River Bard". Andy De Jarlis was introduced to the violin at the age of 15. In 1934, he moved to Winnipeg and as of 1937, he was playing on Winnipeg radio accompanied by the Red River Mates. His career led him to Vancouver and then to Montreal where he appeared on television programs with his band, The Early Settlers. He returned to Winnipeg where he entertained at dances and festivals. In 1969, he was the first Canadian to win the annual Broadcast Music Canada Inc. prize. When he died in 1975, Andy De Jarlis had more than 200 musical compositions to his credit (jigs, reels, polkas and waltzes) as well as 38 records.
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