Hi friends. It looks like yours truly is building momentum for 2018. So expect more posts. I am also keeping busy with my other blogs but I will make sure this one deserves the first on the list as this is first blog I ever built. Yeah that was almost ten years ago. Time flies! So many things happened. Life has altered direction. Perhaps you find yourself in a strange place. It takes time getting used to-like a pair of brand new shoes, but hey we will always find a way to live through many changes. I guess that is what being human is all about. Being hopeful in the midst of adversity. Having faith in the a world of darkness. Is it our DNA? Ir is it something higher? We don’t know fully the mystery of the universe or the forces that draw us to one another. How gravity becomes our death or life-it depends on your perspective.
So March is a busy month. I got these press release from my good friend Anita of Daly Communications. I will just paste them here as I am still creating ideas for the next post. It will be something to look forward to 😉
THE CHIEFTAINS – 55th Anniversary Tour!
“55 years, wow, where have they gone as we’re still going strong”, says Paddy Moloney, leader of the six-time Grammy Award winners,The Chieftains. The Chieftains have been highly recognized for reinventing traditional Irish music on a contemporary and International scale. The Chieftains were formed in Ireland in 1962 by Paddy Moloney, one of the top traditional folk musicians in Ireland and around the world. Their ability to transcend musical boundaries to blend tradition with modern music has notably hailed them as one of the most renowned and revered musical groups to this day. After more than fifty five years of making some of the most beautiful music in the world, The Chieftains’ music remains as fresh and relevant as when they first began. So now The Chieftains are set to embark on their 55th Anniversary Tour in the US beginning in Califonia on February 17th making their way across the US to the east coast with a final show on St. Patrick’s Day in Jacksonville, Florida. Paddy Moloney says,“This tour will have all the musical force of what we’ve accumulated and achieved over the last 55 years, with a few extra gemsthrown in for good measure”.
LUNASA – MARCH 13TH at The City Winery –
with singer Natalie Merchant – second show added due to popular demand! Tickets at
www.citywinery.com/newyork/
Music is one of Ireland’s most celebrated exports and Lúnasa, a band like no other, has been at the forefront of that musical migration. Since the release of their 1997 recording debut ‘LÚNASA’ and the band’s first tour of the U.S., when word-of-mouth led to SRO shows and rave reviews, “This is the hottest Irish acoustic group on the planet,” said The New York Times, the all-star quintet has become one of the most popular bands on the international Celtic music scene. In the years since those early concerts and albums catapulted the band to the forefront of traditional Irish music, the members of Lúnasa have gathered a long list of credits and honors in addition to the legion of fans that spans the globe, fitting achievements for a band that takes its name from the old Celtic harvest festival in honor of the god Lugh, patron of the arts. Lúnasa have sold more than quarter of a million albums in the course of the band’s career and boast an impressive back catalogue of 9 highly acclaimed and award-winning studio albums.
Now Lúnasa is back with a new studio album “Cas” and a tour of the US starting this February to celebrate their 20thAnniversary. It is their first studio album in seven years and it is also their first recording with vocals, including guest singers who are prominent artists in their own right, that the band has recorded and toured with over the years. These include Natalie Merchant and Mary Chapin Carpenter, top bluegrass singer/songwriter Tim O’Brien, Blues recording artist Eric Bibb and Daoiri Farrell, a young Irish folk singer star who recently won the BBC Radio 2 Folk contest. Band member Cillian Vallely says, “We took a break from the studio and when we came back, we wanted to do something a bit different. We were becoming increasingly involved in live concert collaborations and from these projects we invited some of our favorite singers to guest on the album.”
CELTIC NIGHTS: OCEANS OF HOPE – 12 night run from
March 27th- April 9th at The Sheen Center tickets at
https://sheencenter.org/
Celtic Nights-Oceans of Hope is a production of Ireland’s GFD Promotions who have toured Irish musical shows in more than 30 countries worldwide since 1997. GFD’s Executive Producer, Michael Durkan, says that Celtic Nights-Oceans of Hope departs from previous theatrical productions they have created, among them the successful Gaelforce Dance, by centering the production’s music, dance and narrative on the specific historical theme of the Irish who had to leave their homeland during the Great Hunger and seek out new homes in new lands. Celtic Nights-Oceans of Hope, captures the very essence of who the Irish are and where they came from with their dreams of a finding their freedom in new lands. It’s the story of the Irish Diaspora in America, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. It’s the story of people moving across oceans to free themselves from hunger, war and religious persecution to start anew. Celtic Nights-Oceans of Hope expertly weaves together the lilting melodies and plaintive lyrics of the rich Celtic Heritage
to tell an epic story of a people through song, music, dance and narration.
Since its debut, global musical sensation Celtic Woman’s concerts continue to touch the hearts of a huge audience that spans the globe. Both an accomplished recording ensemble and a world-class performing collective, Celtic Woman celebrates Ireland’s rich musical and cultural heritage, while continuing its remarkable legacy of introducing some of Ireland’s most talented singers and musicians onto the world stage. Celtic Woman successfully melds the traditional and contemporary.
Following its debut on PBS in 2005, the group has achieved massive success encompassing twelve chart-topping albums, eight DVDs and nine public television specials leading to sales of over ten million albums, with platinum success in nine countries. Each of its CDs – including 2016’s Destiny, which was nominated for a Grammy in the World Music category, has debuted at #1 on Billboard‘s World Albums chart. The group has been named Billboard Magazine’s #1 World Albums’ Artist six times.
There you go. See you soon.
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rewarded with an eclectic collection that sound so fresh. But the track that really stands out is this one called Ages past, Ages Hence. Although this is not her typical sound, it is not surprising given her theatrical background. It has a vivacious operatic melody accentuating her vocal gifts. Dark in its subject matter yet playful in its delivery; it’s probably her best track in years:
A good singer knows how to use the voice to achieve an effect. She knows when to use nuance and her phrasing is always on point. Apart from that, a good singer possesses a good timbre. Although we know that our concept of ‘beauty’ varies from culture to culture, we do know a remarkable voice when we hear one. Kyle Carey is one example that deserves a mention. When you hear the way she sings, you respond to it right away-the way you respond to singers like Sarah McLachlan, Connie Dover, Janis Ian or Moya Brennan. It is not the fireworks and volume that count. It’s the intelligence on how such instrument-the voice- is used to tell a story or to express a sentiment.
Celtic Music Fan 