Re-articulating Canadian popular music through a local lens: Examining “Great Big Sea” and issues of locality, regionalism and nationalism

Historically, the definition of English-Canadian popular culture is problematic and the concept itself paradoxical because of its physical and cultural proximity to the tremendous influence of the United States. One solution to combat this influence of American popular culture may be to embrace and encourage “local” and “regional” Canadian sounds. Through the deliberate fostering of “local” expressions, the Canadian state can still promote national popular culture, while at the same time resisting the effects of globalization. Specifically, Canadian popular culture can challenge “Americanization” by employing local and regional Canadian identities that transcend global concepts of the “popular.” The popular music band Great Big Sea will provide a case study of Newfoundland popular music for an examination of regional and local expression. Their interpretation of folk tradition and music-making creates a distinct and positive regional identity for the province of Newfoundland, and can be utilized to further the theory of “national” popular music.