Chuck and Albert Arsenault are well known as remarkable showmen and emcees, delivering absolute entertainment in both of Canada’s official languages: French and English – and both of Canada’s un-official languages: music and laughter. As members of the Acadian group Barachois, a mainstay on the Folk/Roots touring circuit for nearly a decade, they helped develop a distinctive brand of traditional Acadian music and showmanship and performed roughly 2000 shows. Their music was considered to be at the forefront of the genre- a rhythmic, high-voltage style born in the heart of a culture kept alive through 2 1⁄2 centuries on Prince Edward Island.

Multi-instrumentalists, fluently bilingual and consummate showmen, Chuck & Albert have been performing together as a duo since 2004. Their show features music and dance from the Acadian repertoire blended with visual comedy that finds its inspiration in the day-to-day collective experiences of their Acadian heritage providing audiences with an authentic and engaging panorama of Prince Edward Island Acadian culture. A variety of instruments is used to achieve Chuck & Albert’s sound with the material they present being learned from local singers, fiddlers, and historians; as well as original choreographies instrumental and vocal compositions in the traditional style.

The fiddle and feet have always been the primary instruments of choice at a dance or house party in the Evangeline region, but in recent years, more modern instruments such as the acoustic guitar and electric acoustic base have become staples in all kitchens. As the duos fiddle player, Albert Arsenault comes by his talent naturally and continues the fiddling legacy of his father Eddy Arsenault. A talented singer, Albert’s vocal interpretations are one of a kind. His other musical roles are as a bassist and percussionist- that is to say an Acadian percussionist: spoons, guimbarde (jaw harp), knives and forks, saw, and the rhythm bones.

Chuck Arsenault plays the acoustic guitar, harmonica and vocals. Chuck’s vocal abilities are well suited to handling ballads and harmonies as well as anchoring a capella arrangements. Prior to meeting Albert, he had learned to speak French after completing his studies at UPEI specializing in the brass instruments and music education.

Physical comedy is another love of the duo as well as that of the Acadian people of PEI. Audiences everywhere have come to treasure and expect this in their performances. It is this spirit that Chuck & Albert skillfully and tastefully carry to the concert stage vibrant characters, stories and traditions of their Acadian background. Offering up clever banter in English or French by way of explaining the unique charm inherent in their songs, Chuck & Albert draw on one of the oldest forms of entertainment, laughter, to hop over any language barrier.

Artistic and Audience development goals:

• To act as a conduit in renewing and adding to the musical traditions of the Acadian people.
• To present music, dance and humor that is instantly accessible to a universal audience.
• To use live performance as a vehicle for giving new life to cultural anecdotes combining music and comedy into a visual experience in addition to an auditory one.
• In addition to performing for general audiences, to have the capability and depth of repertoire to present performances that are specific to the following settings: folk music festival, comedy festival, school shows, television and film.
• To continue to build, define and focus the Acadian musical sound for audiences, thereby reinforcing the foundation of this distinctive genre of traditional music.