Brenda Wootton.This voice still haunts and reminds us that there is this thing called continuity and immortality when we talk about this type of music. Previously unreleased live recordings of her performance in Paris has been discovered and will undergo professional production for public release. Learn more about this news here: http://www.livingincornwall.com/index.htm
According to Living in Cornwall website:
John, my husband, had a recording studio back in the ’80’s and was Brenda Wootton’s sound engineer and co-producer during the peak of her international recording career. He came across two tapes from that time and written on the labels was, ‘Brenda ???’. These have transpired to be unique for two reasons; firstly, these live tracks have never been heard, and secondly, that the tapes are still in a playable condition!
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Fiona J MacKenzie..the Voice!
Listen to this beautiful performance in Scots Gaelic.
I have listened to Brian Boru and Tri Martolod by Alan Stivell these past few days. What a surprise it has been to receive a letter from his website about Emerald , the new album. A coincidence! I would like to share the news to those who love Breton music and the talent of the one and only Alan Stivell. According to his official site:
It’s been almost 40 years since Alan Stivell released “Reflets” (Reflections), his first album featuring him singing. An Emerald anniversary, one could say. It’s definitely a return to the roots, a return to the violin and to folk-rock (“Chemins de terre”), much as he did with “Brian Boru”. But it’s also an album for 2010. It fuses electric and acoustic bagpipes – like his latest acoustic and electric harp prototypes – in musical arrangements that are as eclectic as they are original. Alan, the singer and the Breton of today: with his Gaelic, Anglo-Saxon, Indian or African influences and his very distinctive vocal and writing styles, he effortlessly blends Breton, French and English (along with Gaelic and Welsh). In addition, Alan wanted to present songs that were popular in the Brittany of yesteryear as well as in English-speaking and other Celtic countries … songs of his youth that are today forgotten. He brings them back to life and hopes others will love them too..
It is also in the chapter nostalgia that he invited the very beautiful Ensemble choral of the “bout du Monde” for “Mac Crimon” (a homage to Gwennole Ar Menn, Eliane Pronost, Roger Abjean, Paul Ladmirault and to Scotland).
He invited his stage musicians to join him on this disc, and also invited Dom Duff (song) for “Brittany’s” and “Tamm ha tamm”, Solenn Lefeuvre (song) for “Lusk”.
An album with much of emotion and festive.
Tracks
1 – BRITTANY’S – Ar bleizi mor – 5:56
2 – LUSK – Skye Boat Song – 4:08
3 – MARIONIG – 3:29
4 – TAMM HA TAMM – Rennes, Nantes & Brest – 3:16
5 – GAEL’S CALL – Glaoch na nGael – 6:07
6 – HARPLINN – 4:13
7 – GOADEC ROCK – 5:17
8 – EIBHLIN – Eileen A Roon – 6:52
9 – AQUARELLE – Er penn all d’al lanneg – 3:44
10 – AN HIRAÑ NOZ – Noël, espoir – Ar hyd y nos – 4:41
11 – MAC CRIMON (part I) – 2:23
11 – MAC CRIMON (part II) – 4:51
11 – MAC CRIMON (part III) – 2:58
Alan Stivell : vocals, harps, bagpipes, bombarde, flutes, percussion, synthesizers, piano, arrangements, production and composition. Loumi Seveno : violins, alti, viele, bodhran (1,2,4,5,7,8,9). Christope Peloil : alto (2). Gaetan Grandjean : acoustic and electric guitar. Nicolas Méheust : Hammond organ, melotron, piano and bass. Marcus Camus : percussion, drums. Iwan Ellien du Bagad Gwengamp : Scottish soldier drum (3). Dom Duff : vocals (1,4). Solenn Lefeuvre : vocals (2). L’Ensemble choral du Bout du Monde directed by Christian Desbordes (11,12).
Samples of the tracks can be heard when you go to the official site:
The Clannad Newsblog has confirmed the appearance onstage of the world-renowned band from Donegal. According to the Newsblog:
It has just been confirmed that Clannad will be performing in Trieste Italy at the 2010 edition of the Triskell Festival Celtico Internazionale. The concert takes place on saturday July 17th 2010, 9PM at the Rossetti Opera House. Tickets will be available at http://www.ticketone.it/EN/ soon. More later.
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I have been re- reading the Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice and I remember clearly Stuart Townsend who played Lestat in The Queen of the Damned. Before I created this blog I saw him on a video campaigned to save Tara. I am going to repost the links here so that it will bring back memories.
Thanks to Christi, my head is once again turned into the Rankin Family direction. Jimmy Rankin has an official video out in YouTube so you might want to check his site out. This is country tinged with that unmistakable Cape Breton echo. Slipping Away is a warm track that simply makes your head sway and spread a warm sensation all over I realize how bitter-sweet the song is. I like the part when he sings: ” I hear you calling, a thousand light years away”. That voice is awesome. The new album Edge of Day is out!
Just when we thought the singer with the golden voice has deserted us and left us riddles in Gaelic , she is back and is going around doing some shows. It seems that the foremost representative of Cape Breton’s Gaelic culture is back with more surprises. My foray into this lady’s music was actually due to an accident. I walked in the record store when I was in Makati, when I saw Làn Dùil. I knew the music would e something I like. The packaging says it. The colors red and gold expresses the sentiments. When I opened the liner notes I got a big smile. All songs are written in Gaelic! Though I am not a Gaelic speaker, I love the sound of it. I asked the sales person to play it in loud speakers. It was like going home. From then on I followed her career, and was really surprise when I learned she performed in Ashley McIsaac’s tracks like Sleepy Maggie. Miss Lamond is not the type of artist who releases an album every year. She takes her time doing intensive research. It is after all her academic background that brought her to Celtic music. Now she is really back and we hope for a long long time.
Celtic Music Fan 