Do you happen to recall the first time you ever saw and heard an accordion? Were you frightened? I was. As a young child I was trying to entertain my family post Christmas dinner when halfway into singing “O Holy Night” into a candlestick, my uncle abruptly waltzed into the living room playing the large (and loud) squeezebox. His yell/singing of an old Hungarian folk tune while playing, as I recall, a keytar gone wrong (let’s remember, it was the 80s) taught me two valuable lessons:
1) If you are ever going to upstage someone, bring an accordion.
2) There is no audience more captive than a group of adults digesting a tryptophan and starch laden meal.
For years the accordion was synonymous with the sounds of my Uncle Arpad yell/ singing in another language, but, oh, how things have changed. Now Geoff Berner comes to mind, but also Arcade Fire, the sweet and hilarious Barbara Adler and even Finnish accordion wrestling! And if you are in Vancouver this weekend the squeezebox will be celebrated at the Accordion Noir Festival! There are two parades, and even an Underdog Instrument Grudge Match (accordion vs. ukulele vs. banjo!)
Do you like the accordion?
Who should be added to the Accordion Appreciation playlist?
Post your comments and suggestions on the blog or tweet @CBCRadio3
Related:
Finnish accordion wrestling takes on more than Finland
Bach’s Goldberg Variations open to interpretation
Geoff Berner on CBC Music