Six String Nation

When was the last time you literally rocked this fair nation of ours? The Six String Nation guitar, Voyageur, is made from sixty-seven pieces of Canadian history. Pierre Trudeau’s canoe paddle, for instance, is a tone bar. At the launch of Six String Nation (Douglas & MacIntryre), veteran broadcaster Jowi Taylor will deliver a multimedia presentation about the creation and travels of this remarkable instrument. Ariana Gillis, Donne Roberts, Madagascar Slim and Toronto Mayor David Miller will join Taylor on-stage. Marc Glassman, Executive Director of This Is Not A Reading Series and Proprietor of Pages Books & Magazines, will host the evening.

Six String Nation: A musical quilt, this unique guitar becomes a passionate metaphor for Canada.

The Six String Nation guitar, Voyageur, is made from sixtyseven pieces of Canadian history: Pierre Trudeau’s canoe paddle is a tone bar, the Grey Nuns convent in Winnipeg—once a classroom to Louis Riel—makes up the back and sides, Paul Henderson’s hockey stick from the 1972 Canada-Russia Summit Series is a detail on the pickguard, the sacred Golden Spruce of Haida Gwaii forms the top face and gold from Maurice Richard’s 1955–56 Stanley Cup ring adorns the ninth fret.

Thanks to a crazed determination to share this guitar and his impassioned vision of Canada with as many Canadians as possible, Jowi Taylor has taken the guitar to festivals, conferences, schools and community events, from sea to sea to sea. Along the way, countless citizens have added their own definitions of what it means to be Canadian, either through music or the very act of engaging with this object that is at once artifact and living instrument. Six String Nation allows them to, literally, hold history in their hands—and add a little harmony of their own.

Illustrated with documentary photos and gorgeous portraits of the people that Voyageur has encountered, Six String Nation chronicles the journey of one special guitar, from conception through construction to the road it still travels across our land.

Jowi Taylor is the Peabody Award–winning freelance writer, host and producer behind such CBC Radio projects as The Wire, The Nerve, Global Village and “Invisible Cities.” He currently hosts the Radio 2 program Nightstream. He lives in Toronto, Ontario.

Ariana Gillis is a musical force of nature. She is adorned with funky hair, questionable taste in fashion and enough charisma to knock the plaid socks off your feet.

David Miller has twice been elected Mayor Of Toronto. Among his many accomplishments as mayor, securing a New Deal for Cities with senior orders of government is one of his proudest. In addition to advocating for the city of Toronto, Mayor Miller has also become one of the dominant voices for the national urban agenda.

Donne Roberts is a singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is a member of the Juno award-winning world music group African Guitar Summit. Roberts also released an acclaimed solo album, Rhythm Was Born, in 2006.

Madagascar Slim is a member of the folk music band Tri-Continental and the world music group African Guitar Summit, as well as a solo artist and a regular collaborator with blues singer Ndidi Onukwulu. He is a three time Juno Award winner.