X:1
T:Picassou Stepdance
N:From Eric Favreau, Maine Fiddle Camp 6.2019
C:Bertrand Déraspe (Magdalen Islands)
M:C|
L:1/8
Q:" "
Z:Transcribed by Andrew Kuntz
K:C
(EFG)c AFcF|EFGE FDDF|EFGc AFcF|BcdB cAGF|
(EFG)c AFcF|EFGE FDDF|EFGc AFcc|BcdB c2 cd:|
|:eage zAcd|eged e2 ed|eage zedc|BGAB c2 cd|
eage zAcd|eged ecde-|f2 fe fedc|BGAB- c2 cd:|]
PICASSOU STEPDANCE. French-Canadian, Reel. Canada, Magdalen Islands (Acadia). C Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB, AABB. Composed by contemporary Magdalen Islands fiddler Bertrand Déraspe [1]. A picassou is the name of a small fish, as the National Geographic Magazine reported in 1907:
1842 engraving of a Three-spined Stickleback
In the Canadian Annual Report on Fisheries for 1863 (p. 61) it is reported that the three-spined stickleback or picassou was "caught in great quantities in the small rivers, brooks, and barachois of Magdalen Islands, where it is used as food for cattle and as manure," and that "400 barrels were caught" in 1862 "in the barachois of Basque Harbor" alone.Four hundred barrels were also caught in 1866 and sold as manure at 25 cents per barrel, but in 1867 the catchwas smaller (150 barrels) and prices advanced to "is. 3d. per barrel."
