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Celtic Valentines

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True love is when you put someone on a pedestal, and they fall – but you are there to catch them. Anonymous

He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven

Had I the heavens’ embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half-light
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.

William Butler Yeats, Irish, 1865-1939

Don’t even get me started about today. A lot of people get emotional. I wish they rename it as Dark Chocolate Day. But who am I to complain? This world is filled with lonely people looking for someone to fill that void. I think the problem here is that we look. Why can’t we just sit still and appreciate what’s already there? Sometimes we forget simple act of kindness because we are to caught up with our hangups and histories. We forget the people who helped shape our lives and who were there along the way.  It’s Hollywood that makes today depressing. Because if you think about it, it isn’t. I think if we just turn around we already have something. We just forget to take time to appreciate it.Think about it.

This video is like a light in the dark. I love the Spanish flavour.Nice design! Here’s that it says:

EP Available at http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/celtic-love-songs-with-ann/id418942189?ign-…

“Mahaday” is an Ann Malone composition that celebrates the Spanish and Latin side of the Celtic tradition. Expressing the joy of love, the song exudes the romantic spirit of Valentine’s Day.

Inner Splendor Media is a recording company that specializes in pure, simple, elemental and beautiful music found all over the world.

Produced by Vidura Barrios, Ann Malone, Alan Reekie and Rob Smith

Video Design by Jeffrey Main
http://www.jeffreymain.com

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Celtic Knot Heart

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Happy Valentines Day!

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This post is dedicated to my friend Paula O’Brien who lives in England. She sent me these items :

Some Celtic pieces stitched for my friend Jose Rommel Labatos who lives in The Philippines. Jose writes a Celtic music blog so the Celtic theme was ideal. He chose the bookmark aida fabric from a choice of colours, it’s the first time I’ve created a home-made bookmark. The card shows a Celtic bird.He received them yesterday. — at UK before being posted to The Philippines

About Paula:

MUSIC RULES…..I love the creative arts and working on music projects, warm weather,travel, exploring new and interesting places, fond of animals especially cats,pastel shades, birdsong, my synths and piano, beautiful synth sounds, recording studios, harmonious music and environments, historical sites/ruins, camel rides, Spring & Summer, Indian food ..vegetable korma and naan, mango chutney & mango lassi, fruit juice esp.cherry and also red orange, beautiful skies, democracy, those who play fair i.e. 50:50 , loyalty,courtesy, mutual respect and support, zany humour, easy-going & relaxed people, eating fruit..

Dislikes – sub-zero temperatures, England’s freezing weather….cigarette smoke, the colour orange, grapefruit, horrible spiders aaarrggh!, injustice, arrogance, dishonesty, disloyalty, egomania, insincerity, people who take others for granted, selfishness, teaching (my job), people who harm/hurt animals, intrusive noise, arguing, people who don’t honour their word, being let down..

Happy Valentines day to you my friend 🙂

Twin Power

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I find twins fascinating because both equally share the same amount of talent. One can’t be without the other. If you think about it, they have been in the womb for almost nine months and they share a circle on their own. I am featuring the Twin Thistle. The videos are from the past.

This post is dedicated to Jimmy and Nancie .

10 year old twins Michael and Lizzy are featured here, playing three different songs. Michael is an absolutely great bagpiper and Lizzy a very talented keyboard player, who also composes great music! Together they make up “Twin Thistle!” Listen to these wonderfully talented young kids, and see why we feel the “future of Celtic Music looks bright!” 

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For those not committed, you might want to go!

 

Shishonnah In Concert!!!!!‏

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Hi guys. I am posting a bulletin here about one of my fave Celtic groups Shishonnah. I hope everyone in the US gets to see and hear the amazing voices of Jenne Lennon and Liz Madden.

Here’s a little talk we had:

“Hi Jenne are you planning to go to Lorient this August?
I think it is a good way to promote your album!”
“Um, I think we are in talks about it. We won’t know for sure until Spring. Yes, we were in talks about an album launch party there, but won’t know anything for a little while yet. We just got our March gigs confirmed, but we haven’t heard from the venues about ticket prices yet, so I can give you the info once we know for sure how much tickets will be :)”

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Highwayman taken from the Shishonnah album Elysian Dreams. Written by Shishonnah and produced by Shishonnah and Roland Labana.

SHISHONNAH Launches New Album And Takes Chicago By Storm This St. Patrick’s Day!


This Past November, International duo Shishonnah released their new album, “Elysian Dreams” on I-Tunes and other online music stores worldwide.

The album “Elysian Dreams” is an eclectic blend of world, classical, contemporary, Native American and Irish/Celtic Folk sounds. Two songs taken from the album were released in late 2011. “I Will Carry You” and “Dance With the River” met with immediate positive responses from live audiences and the broadcast community with both songs play-listed on radio all over the world. This incredible new album also features a narration by Choctaw elder, Gary White Deer.

The Ladies have the following performances scheduled for St. Patrick’s Day in the Chicago land area:

Thursday, March 15th 8:00 p.m. Ballydoyle, Downer’s Grove, Illinois

Friday, March 16th, 7:00 p.m. Trickster Gallery-American Indian Center, Schaumburg, Illinois

Saturday, March 17th, 2:00 p.m. Pre-concert Performance ”Paint The Town Green” Dirty Nellie’s, Palatine, Illinois

Saturday, March 17th 7:00 p.m. St. Paul U.C.C. Church, Palatine, Illinois.

 

HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL THERE!

SHISHONNAH, formed in May 2010, is a merger of the talents of Irish artist Liz Madden and US artist Jenne Lennon—both accomplished musicians, performers and songwriters. They blend their Irish and American musical heritage with their Celtic and Native American traditions, essentially creating their own distinctive and innovative sound.  Their original songs will take you to a place that defines the human experience and uplifts the soul.  With incredible vocal arrangements, their sound reflects a canvas as diverse as the lands of their upbringing. The album is as much an instrumental as vocal with the ladies playing piano, harp, bodhran, whistle, Native American flute, keyboards and percussion.

Madden and Lennon have performed and headlined individually in venues worldwide, including the renowned Festival Interceltique in Lorient.  As Shishonnah, their most recent performance with the renowned Elgin Children’s Chorus under the direction of Jay Kellner for their Isle of Song concert which received superlative reviews and ovations beyond all expectations.  Their first two singles “Dance With The River” and “I Will Carry You” can be heard on The Celtic/New Age Hour every Saturday at 9:00 a.m. Easter on Women of Substance Radio, Indie Castle Radio, Vents Music Radio, Celtica Radio Ltd., Radio Crystal Blue, Underworld Mix Radio, Celtic Roots Radio, Music You Can’t Hear On the Radio, and many more! They are currently finalizing dates for their 2012 tour, which will include the United States, the U.K., Ireland, and Europe. They kick of St. Patrick’s Day 2012 with a number of performances in Chicago!

www.glencoerecords.com

www.healingsunproductions.com
www.myspace.com/shishonnah
www.facebook.com/shishonnah

Glasgow: Celtic Connections 2012

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From January 16 to February 5, musicians flocked  to Glasgow.  This video shows you why.

For more info read The Celtic Connections Blog

Also, check out http://www.celticmusicradio.net/

The McDades:Pure Vibrations!

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The McDades:The fusion that works like potion.

My friend Christi introduced me to this band yesterday. And since then I could not get rid of these headsets off my head. Whither you are listening to large surround speakers or the intimacy of your earphones, you could not stop your  feet from shaking and tapping.

Throbbing bass, hypnotic hand drumming, high-octane playing; the things that make the sound of   siblings Jeremiah, Shannon and Solon – The McDades. I am writing this article while  moving my head and smiling. I couldn’t help it. Theses guys are sugar and pepper. All the more reason for  listening and collecting Celtic music we now know as  hip and refreshing. Forget your mediocre top 40 radio and college campus music, this is it! This is high energy , the thing that  new Celtic music should be like.

The band are another export of the burgeoning Canadian Celtic music scene. The fusion of Jazz, World music and even some of that French folk makes their music sound like a buffet . Yeah after a full listen to Bloom it’s like having that full meal surrounded by a garden of exotic flowers…makes you  feel the good vibration.

Musical style: Celtic, World, Jazz

Origin: Edmonton, Alberta

Achievements: Bloom – Free Radio Records 2006 (2007 Juno Award Winner – Best Roots/Traditional Album (group), 2007 Independent Music Award Winner – Best World Album Traditional [1], two time Canadian Folk Music Award Winners Best World Group & Best Instrumental Group)

http://themcdades.com/

http://www.myspace.com/themcdades

 

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