Shelly Campbell

Born and raised on West Bay Road, Inverness County, Shelly has been playing traditional Cape Breton music for almost 30 years. She was influenced by local fiddlers Stephanie Wills, Theresa MacLellan, Gertie Coffin and Alex Francis MacKay to name a few. Shelly plays at many local concerts, pubs and festivals and is a popular player for dances. Although she usually stays close to home, Shelly has taught and played throughout the Maritimes as well as in Ontario, Ireland, Scotland and Denmark. Shelly also has an avid interest in the Gaelic language and its preservation in Cape Breton and continues to work on her own fluency. She is currently teaching Junior High School math and science as well as Gaelic language grades 4-9. Shelly’s playing is powerful, lively and graceful, deeply rooted in the traditions she grew up listening to.