Cape Breton's International Singing Star - Rita MacNeilRita MacNeil sings from the heart - which, in her case, means from Big Pond, Cape Breton.
Since the first of her 13 albums came out twenty years ago, Rita has performed around the world. Today, she has her own TV show and legions of fans in Britain, Australia, and, of course, North America. But no amount of high-flying has changed the singer/songwriter. Her Cape Breton roots are evident as ever in her music - and her unassuming charm. The road to the top wasn't easy for Rita. She knows well what it's like to be a single mother on welfare stuck in a dead end job. She's also had to struggle along the way with painful shyness. In fact, Rita sang for the first time in public at a women's consciousness-raising group only because it was easier to express herself in song than speech.
And that still the reason her performs. Her clear, soaring voice and simple lyrics allow her to convey emotions in a way that words alone could never do. Over the years, she's written hundreds of songs but the one her fans always shout for is the inspirational Flying On Your Own. That song, in particular, reminds us that Rita MacNeil understands as well as we do the hopes, dreams and struggles of the Working Man. Although her lyrics speak to concerns that are common to us all, the places they describe can only be found in Rita's beloved Cape Breton. Songs about swimming holes, ghostly old bridges and small-town characters named Benny, Agnes and Duncan have made the tiny hamlet of Big Pond familiar to thousands.
Not surprisingly, they've also made it somewhat of a tourist attraction. All summer long Rita's Teahouse, the converted one-room schoolhouse in which MacNeil and her family once lived, attracts fans of her music - and her own special blend of tea. Just 25 miles outside of Sydney, Big Pong is a wonderful spot to relax and enjoy the view - especially, it seems, if you're an international singing star.