Yellowknife (Apr 03/06) - A fiddler channeling Jimi Hendrix, singers channeling Elvis, and a flurry of fast feet were on hand at this year's Tree of Peace Talent Show.

John Bonnetrouge won the Peter C. Fraser memorial award as the eldest performer at the recent Tree of Peace talent show in Yellowknife. Bonnetrouge, 73, from Fort Providence, placed third in the fiddling competition. - Adam Johnson/NNSL photo

Held at the Explorer Hotel in Yellowknife last week, the show featured a slew of competitors from around NWT. They competed for $500 for the best singer, fiddler and jigging pair. The $400 and $300 prizes went to the second and third place competitors in each category.

Yellowknife's Mike Auger won in the best singing category, but special honours went to Behchoko's (Rae-Edzo) Marcel Lafferty, who is known to many as the "Dene Elvis."

Lafferty was honoured with the Gene Mercredi memorial award, given to the night's best-dressed participant.

Adorned in a sharp black vest and a number of chains, Lafferty shared the award with Yellowknife's Malcolm Walsh in a crowd-pleasing moment. Walsh earned wild cheers for his Elvis-like dance moves earlier in the evening.

Fort Resolution's Angus Beaulieu won the award for top fiddler, but it was the second place contender who stole the show.

Donny L'Hirondelle, from Conklin, Alta., stepped up to the stage for the fiddlers' encore, and upon the urging of his friends, played most of the song behind his head. When he stood back up, he conducted the night's band, The Tone Rangers, and hit the cymbals with his bow to the cheers of the crowd.

L'Hirondelle, who was also entered in the singing and jigging categories, said he had "played all over the world."

The night's best jiggers were the pair of Peppy Beaulieu and Eileen Desjarlais, who performed with the capacity crowd gathered around the dance floor.

The night's final honour was the Peter C. Fraser Memorial Award, which is given to the night's eldest performer.

The winner was John Bonnetrouge, from Fort Providence, who was "73 years young," according to master of ceremonies Gail Cyr. Bonnetrouge placed third in the fiddling competition.

Before the show, Cyr said this year's show marked "23 years of sold-out singing, fiddling and jigging contests."

"The music is good, the playing is excellent and the jigging is fast, furious and colourful," she said.