Fun Loving Frankie, the accordion player, is inspired by Frank Maher, a NL musician. Frank began his musical career playing harmonica for US Navy ships in the St. John’s harbour, and later was taught by his mother to play the single-row diatonic accordion. A visit by the Mummers always includes music and dancing. Musical instruments often played by Mummers are the ugly stick, the fiddle and the accordion. Fun-Loving Frankie represents those who play the accordion or squeeze-box to provide the music for “plankin ‘er down”, a line from The Mummer’s Song (1983) by Simani. The song describes the visit by the Mummers to a typical Newfoundland outport home and can be viewed at
http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/community-stories_histoires-de-chez-nous/times-times-times_le-temps-le-temps-le-temps/gallery/the-mummers-song-by-simani/
