Month: May 2010

Manx Music:King Chiaullee

/ mrbaxteria2008 / 2 Comments

Got this from their MySpace profile:

King Chiaullee are an acoustic Celtic music group from the Isle of Man. They have been playing together since they met up at High School in 1993. Their repertoire is made up mostly of original compositions mixed in with traditional Manx, Scottish, Irish, Welsh, Breton, Cornish… Basically, if they like the tune, they’ll have it!

“an intoxicating mixture of traditional Manx, original compositions and tunes borrowed from the Irish and Scots repertoires”

Everyone in the band has a slightly different taste in music, which is reflected in their tune sets which can comprise of a lot of weird and wonderful ideas.

“audacious, intelligent and very exciting!”

The bands ambition is to take Manx music to the masses and to be a little bit different.

KC play mostly on the Isle of Man, however the band have also performed all over the world at Lorient Festival Interceltique (Brittany), Montreal Celtic Festival (Canada), Bethlehem Celtic Classics (USA), Chicago Celtic Fest (USA), Cwlwm Celtaidd (Wales), Lowender Perran (Cornwall), Derrygonnelly (N.Ireland), and even Dubai!!

http://www.myspace.com/kingchiaullee

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I love Manx music as well as the language itself. The words oddly resemble a cross between Icelandic and Welsh to me…well that’s just me. I was first introduced to Manx music by Emma Christian.  Isle of Man is an Island between Ireland and Britain. It boasts a unique Celtic culture of its own.

Jean Butler and Colin Dunne in the World of Irish Dancing

/ mrbaxteria2008 / 5 Comments

It is hard to grasp the intensity of the impact made by these two artists in the world of Irish dance.  They made Irish dancing such an irresistible art that young people are getting into it hoping to be the next Jean Butler or Colin Dunne.

Celticmusicfan  salutes these two artists for setting the trail on fire, making Irish dancing a sought after form of art for generations to come.

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I could not put into words my reaction upon seeing Irish dancing for the first time. Without any background or reference, I was left with nothing to compare it to. I know tap dancing originated from this. I also know that it is like ballet only with minimal hand movements. There is something regal about this form of dancing…somehow ominous and even victorious in nature. This is how faeries should move like. After seeing this, I know I will never be captivated by any for of dance the way it has captivated my mind and soul. I never cared for Michael Jackson dance steps or Madonna’s choreography. Somehow they look pale in comparison to this.

A good reference about Irish dance: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_dance and  http://www.irishcentral.com/ent/irish_dance/