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Druids

/ mrbaxteria2008 / Leave a comment

Celtic languages are fascinating and really beautiful. The problem is trying to learn all of them ,.I should know that because I am still struggling with learning Gealige.Based on articles I’ve read, trying to be a Druid is a high order. It demands a lot and in ancient times,students have to study up to 20 years just to become one.druids

I also found this  wonderful artwork about St.Patrick and Cromm Cruach: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3656/3304360222_78cb55deda.jpg?v=0. For those of you who don’t know,Cromm was actually a feared Deity because he demanded solely human sacrifices. It was St.Patrick who introduced Christianity to Ireland and thus ending the old Celtic beliefs.That’s why now we have the so-called Celtic Christianity.

Druids have always been the source of fascination among scholars but very little is known of them.This is due to the fact that ancient Celts rely on oral traditions.If you want to read more on the subject matter(not only covering Irish lore ) then you might want to check out this link: http://www.geocities.com/rainforest/1669/druid1.html and also http://www.innerlight.org.uk/journals/Vol24No3/druidrel.htm

In modern literature the pure embodiment of a Druid is nothing more, nothing less represented by Gandalf in Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien.He’s a wizard and he embodies the trait that is surely Druidic.I don’t know why Howard Shore is taking for granted the Celtic elements of the story but oh well that’s his own opinion.

Jenny Mulvey:A Luminous Voice on the Rise

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Celtic music is hip.Answering to my Cara Dillon blog post on liveireland.com,Traditional Irish singer Jenny Mulvey posted this:

Jenny Mulvey

Jenny Mulvey

 

 

At 1:58am on 29 May 2009, Jenny Mulvey said…

Hello! My name is Jenny Mulvey. I’m a folk singer from Ireland. You can hear me on www.myspace.com/jennifermulvey I hope you are doing well! 

 

  I wasn’t disappointed. Actually I am very  pleased. I think she has a bit of Mary Jane Lammond and Karen Matheson on her.There is  poignancy in her voice that recalls to mind Ireland’s lush and misty landscapes; the battles fought and won .

When I listen to music like this I shut my mind from any distraction. I avoid looking into the computer and just close my eyes. I can really feel her passion and the dedication to what she does. I think with the diversity of her style and interesting influences , it is by consequence that her album will have a cross-over appeal. She has a bit of Punk, Classical and Traditional Irish in her. She will please  lots of ears and tickle  many hearts.

 

There are four tracks on her myspace page:

 

Maire Mhor: Featuring a Bodhran and electric guitar.

Lullaby of London: A short lively tune.

Cuaichin Gleann Neifin:Voice, harmony and piano.

Brid Og Ni Mhaille: We have low whistle ,keyboards and fiddle accompanying her haunting voice.To check out the Gaelic lyrics and English translation,click this link:http://www.itsligo.ie/heritage/alt8/alt8a.htm

The Gypsies: Beautiful trickling of the piano keys glide across this hymn  that is striking in its simplicity.

I am sure Ms Mulvey will see a lot of venues for her wonderful voice and fantastic arrangements .

Articles from the Web

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dara knot

dara knot

 

 

 

 

http://www.muse.ie/  is a web zine based in Ireland  and it features Irish and international acts.The site however focuses more on rock and mainstream music.Check out the Reviews section: http://www.muse.ie/music-ireland-features.html   for more information.And wow I didn’t know Evan Dando has an album out!

 

Check out http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/music/ where there is an article about the RTE National Symphony Orchestra.I have been subscribing to The Irish Independent for over a year now and I really like how they present the site and how easy it is for me to navigate through topics and latest news.The fonts are also user friendly.

 

For hardcore Celtic music lover then this site is for you: http://www.irishmusicmagazine.com/news/  .There’s an article about De Dannan worth reading about.You can also check out  tours and festivals, current and back issue. Very user friendly  navigation tabs take you in all places. 


Marc’s Free Blog is also something you might want to add to your favorites. Personally his blog is something I really want to emulate. Not only that the design is beautiful, it is also very informative. There are so many topics to choose from  including a showcase of his records.Check it here: http://www.marcgunn.com/articles/2004/07/celtic-irish-music-news-reviews.shtml to know more about this Celtic American Musician and Podcaster.

 

I am also adding The Irish Music Box on my list because it has a lot to offer in terms of notable bands. However, I don’t think it’s updated. You can click for more here: http://www.dojo.ie/musicbox/news.html


The last but not the least, don’t forget to purchase your music here:http://www.dararecords.com/


So far that’s it for this time. I will be posting more reviews of good sites and bands. In the meantime,keep your Leprechaun to yourself!

Breaking the Silence at Prop 8

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  Just finished gardening after having coffee.It’s getting hot here and we had to cover a skylight in our dining table to prevent a lot of noon sun from getting in .Light is good but too much of it is not really something you’d want especially in the middle of summer.There’s this one song which I think is the perfect soundtrack to today’s situation.It’s called Breaking the Silence by Loreena McKennitt. Taken from her sophomore album ‘Parallel Dreams”,it has been used as an Amnesty International theme.  The song tackles the human condition:War,discrimination,violence,povertyi184247_forum and in the middle of them, the author’s unfaltering hope for something better to come from these.

Parallel Dreams(1989)

 

 

I think it’s a perfect soundtrack while I was listening to NPR  News  through KWMU . They’re  discussing about Prop 8 . I think it is really something I must raise in this blog. As a member of the gay community I feel that my very existence is threatened when something like this happens. It is sad that a lot of the visible majority, not only in the United states but also in the local shores have to be push in hiding just because law considers  us ,second class citizens.

  But I think this is not the end.To quote from George Clooney (A niece to Irish crooner Rosemary Clooney) “This just should invigorate people to get it back on the ballot in 2010 and 2012 and every two years until all people are allowed a basic civil right.”

From Gov.Arnold Schwarzenegger::I believe one day CA will recognize gay marriage but I will uphold decision. Made right choice allowing 18K marriages before vote to stand.

  As a blogger, I think it is my responsibility to help build bridges instead of fences.

  To view the lyrics of Breaking the Silence click here

On planting Shamrocks and Being Passionate

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Passion comes in many forms. Blogging is a passion. Collecting records of Irish bands is a passion,playing an instrument, going to concerts, planting shamrocks-oh boy I could think of hundreds of lists.

I have been growing a shrub known as purple leaf shamrock (Oxalis triangularis ). Actually it is not hard to grow.It doesn’t require such high maintenance.  I tell you there is this phase in it’s cycle that’s truly weird.

It sort of dies on you. It looses it’s leaves. But don’t you panic. All you need to do is keep it and it will grow back after a week or two. I am posting a picture here so you will see it.

.1291962657-96bc959ddb

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More from a fellow Enya and Celtic music listener.TreeCat is our site mod at the

Unity forum. I could say that I have been blessed to have met wonderful people who share the same

passion (hence our theme for this post). TreeCat’s website is http://enyabookofdays.com/