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Fiona J McKenzie’s Highland Enchantment

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I was listening to my favorite radio station LiveIreland.com andheard this wonderful singer from the East Coast of Scotland , Fiona McKenzie. She recently got Special Merit of the Year from Live Ireland Award 2010:

“Scotland and the Greentrax label gave us Fiona Mackenzie and, A Good Suit of Clothes—Songs of the Emigrant Gael. Between the liner notes and Fiona’s beautiful, beautiful voice, we have an album that has everything. The songs! The information!! Best of all, Fiona!!!! What a voice, and what a talent! The album is important history. But, forget all that. It IS important, but forget all that. Focus on Fiona. Total talent, total beauty in the songs and a total winner. Special Merit, indeed. VERY special, indeed!! Fiona, you are just wonderful!”

Her approach is more stripped down and fresh. Her song Taladh Chriosda is simply shimmering. I know it is past Christmas but I think a beautiful album is worth a listen to the whole year round.

http://www.myspace.com/fionajmackenzie

http://www.fionamackenzie.org/index.html

Canadian Raging Fairy: Miranda Mulholland

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Summer. The sun rages down unmercifully in this side of the globe. Far away, beer bottles clink as St. Patrick’s anniversary moves on. This is the time of the month when everyone turns Irish. This is also the time of the year when the music from the seven nations remind us that everything is connected:the ancient and the modern. And this is reflected in the songs of Canadian lark Miranda Mulholland.

  Her songs give an atmosphere of Cabaret bars and ancient countryside. There’s a lot for everyone. Ok, I got tickled with her version of Army Dreamers originally done by Kate Bush. I love listening to a trained voice. It’s like a violin-only better. And mind you, miss Mulholland is also a trained violinist.

Oh Canadian singers…don’t you just love them?  

http://www.myspace.com/mirandamulholland

St. Patrick’s Day

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There is something really touching about the story of St. Patrick. As a teenager, he was held captive by Irish raiders where he worked as a shepherd for six years. Guided  visions, he escaped and went back to his native Britain. But there was this voice telling him to go back to Ireland. And so he did.

This video shows Michael Flatley on a theme called St Patrick  from Celtic Tiger.

The Pride of County Cork: North Cregg

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It pleases me to know if a band has a female vocalist. And when that vocalist sounds like her throat is fashioned after an angel’s wings , then it becomes an obsession for me. Not since Capercaillie has a band been so tight , so sure and so haunting. So much of Ireland’s ancient spirit inhabits this band from Country Cork. Go Your Way has that gradual marching tempo that resonates with beaty amidst this heartbreaking piece. In contrast, Crehan’s Reels is infectious capturing the atmosphere of taverns and the merry folks having a toast and dancing .

I have been bewitched!

http://www.myspace.com/northcregg

http://www.northcregg.com

Athas from Milwaukee

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Athas is a four-piece band that hails from Milwaukee . Composed of Heather Lewin-Tiarks: fiddle, viola Kathleen Bremer: flute, vocals Amy Richter: bodhran, percussion Jeff Ksiazek: guitar, bouzouki, flute, the band executes vibrant playing and fresh approach to traditional tracks. Their myspace page mentions the band to be composed of  four individuals but this video shows only three members. Anyway if you are curious, you can check their tour schedules right of their MySpace, listen to music or watch videos. They will be in Country Clare this 17th just in time for St. Paddy’s Day.