January 16, 2009

Riverview violin sensation Samantha Robichaud may be a proud Canadian, but she's lent her talents to a piece of Americana music history, which is being dubbed as one of the most expensive projects ever recorded in Nashville.

Robichaud wrote and recorded a track for the recently released three-disc concept album "This is My America," which uses songs and spoken narratives to chronicle a timeline of significant events that helped to shape American history. It's a compilation that includes some of Nashville's legends, including Kathy Mattea, Billy Dean, the Nashville Symphony and Dolly Parton. Robichaud's song is used as the introduction for a Parton narrative piece, although regrettably she hasn't yet gotten to meet the legendary star.

While now a 21-year-old accomplished musician with dozens of awards, international touring experience and five acclaimed records, it was a relationship she formed much earlier in her career that Robichaud believes landed her the gig.

"I had met (Canadian producer and developer of the project) Douglas Hutton. I had called him when I was 14 just in regard to getting permission to play one of the songs he had the rights to on my album," she said. "I think he was a little impressed by a 14-year-old that was so serious and wanted to do everything the proper way, so we kept in contact."

Robichaud's contribution is a tribute to Daniel Pearl, a peace-promoting American journalist who was slain in Pakistan in 2002 and was also an accomplished violinist and fiddler. The piece was written last summer and recorded in the fall, with the compilation being released earlier this week.

Her song's topic is one that hits close to home, as in 2005 the Riverview High graduate was selected as one of two recipients of the Daniel Pearl Memorial Violin, which is awarded to promising violinists to use to spread peace and tell Pearl's story. It's a strong message Robichaud enjoyed sharing in 2005 and was more than happy to help collaborate on for this recording -- even though she's Canadian.

"It really was an honour to be chosen as a Canadian to write a piece for it. America is our best friend as a neighbour country and I'm there all the time to tour. There are such beautiful and wonderful people down there that I've met and I did believe in this project in that sense," she said.

Robichaud says the CD is "just the beginning" of the project, as there is talk of doing a movie, DVD and even a Broadway production.

However, no matter what levels of fame or acclaim she reaches, the Riverview native says coming home will never get old.

"My whole family lives in Riverview and everyone that is really close to me and I love the town. It's very cosy and people are warm and it's nice just to come back home. I love travelling and touring, but there's nothing like coming home," Robichaud said.

Although she's had an extraordinary amount of exposure and success for someone her age, Robichaud says it's easy to stay grounded.

"I'm really grateful for whatever I've received and any accomplishments. I've worked really hard for everything I've done and it's not hard to stay levelheaded, because I wouldn't have gotten this far if I had a big head and all that," she said. Robichaud will travel to Memphis for the Folk Alliance in mid-February, followed by the East Coast Music Awards in Newfoundland at the end February. What does the long-term future hold for this bright local star? That's anyone's guess.

"I hope to be doing this until the day I die. I just want to be known as someone who is very passionate about music and who is talented," she said.