Musician joins fiddling wall of fame

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This article was published 28/05/2016 (2886 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A fiddler from Ile des Chenes is one of the newest inductees into the Manitoba Fiddler Association’s Fiddler’s Wall of Fame.

Denis Encontre, 57, was inducted into the Fiddler’s Wall of Fame at the Carman Community Hall last month.

“It’s kind of surreal in a way. When you get married—it’s the two of you. You plan this all out. It’s our evening, but when it’s solely directed towards you—it’s kind of weird. At the same time you go, ‘Geez. Am I that old?’” said Encontre. “It’s an honour, but it’s hard to put into perspective the feeling, because I’ve done it for a long time.”

Encontre was gifted his first fiddle when he was 13, after years of watching family members play it. He recalls from a young age watching his grandfather, uncle, and cousins play the fiddle—eventually wanting to join in on the fun.

“Growing up that was the environment we were in. I was so intrigued by it as a little kid. Especially at my grandfather’s place because he would put on the New Year’s dance in their living room,” said Encontre. “That’s what got me going. I wanted to play from then on.”

Encontre learned to play the fiddle by ear. Aside from a brief year and a half of lessons during his teenage years, Encontre said formal lessons just weren’t for him.

“I just enjoyed playing it, you know? I found out that I had an aptitude for it,” said Encontre.

Though he continued striving to get better while growing up, Encontre said his fiddling was put on the back burner around the time he was 16, because he got more involved with hockey and got his driver’s license. Things began to change when he started participating in fiddling competitions.

“What made a difference [for me]—when the Festival du Voyageur started out—the Knights of Columbus here in Ile des Chenes said, ‘Hey, why don’t you go into the fiddling contest at the festival?” I had heard of fiddling contests, but I thought that was a myth or something. I didn’t pay attention until then,” Encontre said.

Encontre came in second place in the Knights of Columbus category in his first fiddling contest. He went on to participate in hundreds more competitions, winning what he estimates to be 50 to 75 trophies. Notably, Encontre competed in the first Canadian Grand Masters Championship in 1990—a competition he has since returned to as a judge.

“It was a bit strange because all my friends were listening to rock ‘n’ roll [at the time]. This was the 1970s,” said Encontre. “They all listened to Fleetwood Mac and April Wine—which I did, too. I still listen to them, but my passion was with the old time fiddle.”

45 years later, Encontre still plays his fiddle about every second weekend, mostly at gigs like the upcoming old time dance in Richer. He also hasn’t competed in 20 years.

Encontre said the music landscape is changing and new fiddle players won’t fill halls the way they used to playing old time fiddle music. However, he adds there is never a shortage of old time dances across Manitoba where patrons dance all night to his music.

Encontre’s long career has taken him around the world. He was a member of Danseur De La Rivière Rouge and toured with them in France. After that, he was a member of the band, Folle Avoine, with whom he performed at many major folk festivals across Canada, including the Winnipeg Folk Festival. He also performed with them at Folkorama and went on another tour of France. Encontre adds he’s also performed in Mexico, the United States, and other parts of Canada.

In October 1984, Encontre performed for Queen Elizabeth II during her royal visit to Canada.

Encontre has released two solo albums on vinyl: Funtyme Fiddling and Denis Encontre Fiddling. He hopes to someday convert them to digital copies.