Keweenaw Heritage Center to host ethnic music, book signing July 6

Dave Bezotte, at keyboard, leads the Maple Sugar Folk Band in singing a French Canadian tune during a Calumet Heritage Days celebration. They will perform tonight, July 6, at the Keweenaw Heritage Center at St. Anne's. Pictured with Bezotte, from left, are Barry Pegg, Marcia Goodrich, Janet Wieber, Barbara Lide (seated), Karin Schlenker and Deb McDowell. (File photo by Keweenaw Now)

CALUMET -- "Hear Your Heritage -- Ethnic Bands" will be the "Musical Mondays" performance at 7 p.m. tonight, July 6, at the Keweenaw Heritage Center at St. Anne's in Calumet. Three groups will play a variety of music commemorating the ethnic heritage of the Copper Country: the Thimbleberry Band with Oren Tikkanen (Finnish); the Maple Sugar Folk Band with Dave Bezotte (French Canadian); and Bob Norden's Band (German).

Another feature of the evening will be a book signing by Deborah K. Frontiera, author and speaker, of Houston, Texas. Frontiera is originally from Lake Linden, where she now spends summers. Known primarily as an author of children's books, Frontiera, a retired teacher, will be signing her most recent publications -- Living on Sisu: The 1913 Union Copper Strike Tragedy, a book of historical fiction for children (mainly grades four through eight), complete with historical photographs, and Copper Country Chronicler: The Best of J. W. Nara, a book of historical photographs for adults, suitable as a gift/coffee-table book.

The Keweenaw Heritage Center also welcomes the community to its 2009 Summer Exhibit titled "From Foreign to Familiar - Keweenaw’s Music Heritage" -- a photo display of the Copper Country’s musical legends.