Beoga

Album Review: Four Celtic Voices with Celeste Ray

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Good day folks! All you music lovers out there will love what I have brought today. An album review plus a facebook event that has been making waves!

New album:

If you like Broadway Style of Singing -or classical singing for that matter then you appreciate the Four Celtic Voices with Celeste Ray album. The singing is strong, pristine and emotional.fourcelticevoiceswithcel

As for the instruments, you will hear traditional as well as classical instruments. The mood is relaxing and it is overall magical.

Although the theme is not seasonal (or Christmas) the mood is suited for the contemplative spirit of winter. This is shown in one track called The First Noel which I am sure you know how to sing by heart.You can tell that the talents involved in this project have pipes that have undergone countless performance. There is the confidence that resonates in every track.

The style jumps from medieval, renaissance, folk and even country. There are even instrumentals. My favourite is Scotland the Brave / Psattery Dance. It has that spritely energy that brings a smile on your face!

The Blessing of the Three closes this album. The dramatic soprano reminds me of Loreena McKennitt. The vocal harmonisation is beautiful. There is a playfulness there that’s been evident all throughout the album.

This is a perfect holiday album which you can play in the background if you want to feel the spirit of the winter, which beautiful voices and instruments that will take your breath away! Thanks Anita Daly for bringing the magic around.
http://fourcelticvoices.com/

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Mental Health Awareness.
Notice: St. Patricks Mental Health Foundation in Ireland. Text “shoes” to 57802 to make a donation. You can visit the website at www.walkinmyshoes.ie if you are outside of Ireland.

Below is a video about a trad challenge which has been making rounds in Facebook like the ‘ ice bucket challenge’-remember that one lads? These musicians are nominating their friends to raise mental health awareness. Yes mental health is important. Take a look at Sean Og Graham and Niamh Dunne of Beoga.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10154846486390475&pnref=story

UPDATE!!!

Today, Blackie O’Connell also posted here own below:

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10203033252214061

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Flashback! Climbing Pendle by Celtic Twist:

I love this instrumental tune and would love to hear it from time to time. Here’s Celti Twist ( HOLLAND AND PALMLEY) for you:

http://hollandandpalmley.wix.com/celtictwist

Introducing Athrú

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Athrú

Members:

Michael Og McCloskey – Bodhran
Roisin McCloskey – Whistles/Flutes
Cormac Crummey – Fiddle/Banjo/Bouzouki
Niall McIlroy – Whistles/Flutes
Damian McIlroy – Guitar/Fiddle

Athrú:Another traditional Irish band from Antrim Northern Ireland. The exuberant tunes and brilliant musicianship are not to be missed by lovers of Celtic music.

The Last Pint which is the first track off their online debut  EP already tells you what this contemporary Irish trad group can create: beautiful melodies, exciting tunes and great instrumental renditions. I could not stop moving my head to the energetic rhythms. Bodhran,whistles,flutes, fiddle, banjo,bouzouki and guitar are all showcased each having its own spotlight in this wondrous carousel of instrumental fun.

The Inver Bank Set lights up the playlist with its own brand of rhythm and  partying of instruments. By the time you hear Marga’s you will be smiling because the tin whistle sounds joyful. All the instruments sound like they like to be with each others company. Athrú is another example of such wonderful outcropping of traditional Irish bands in Northern Ireland. It’s the same place that gave us talents like Cara Dillon, Déanta, Realta and of course our artist of the week Eve Williams. You’ve got to watch out for this band because they have more amazing stuff waiting to be unleashed.

They are influenced by such diverse music of Beoga, Flook, Patrick Davey, Lunasa,  John McSherry, Emma Sweeney, LA and Moxie among others.

Current update:

We’re playing at the “Trad for Rescue” concert tonight night in The Wild Duck Portglenone. Admission £6 and concert starts at 8.30pm. Niamh McGlinchey, Kask and Ioscaid will all be performing! If your free head on down :)-Athrú

Links: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Athr%C3%BA/473703262700632

https://soundcloud.com/athru-music

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Huzzah!

There are amazing stuff going on in my news feed again so I want to share some of them with you:

This was originally shared and posted by 67 Music:

Pacific NW singer/songwriter, Colleen Raney is underway with preparations for a new album. It wasn’t to long ago that we caught up with her on the release of “Lark”.
http://youtu.be/aNY32KeLtf8

You can get involved with this worthy project!
Go to http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/new-album-from-colleen-raney and contribute. We wish Colleen the best of luck and look forward to the new release!

Irish singer Colleen Raney has a wonderful new album entitled “Lark”, and held several CD Release Parties to celebrate. 67 Music caught up with her at The Secret Society Ballroom in Portland on Jan. 22nd, 2011, two days after the official release.
SkOt talks with Colleen prior to her show about her new record and other topics.
Learn more about Colleen, her music, tour dates and news at:
http://www.colleenraney.com
http://thesecretsocietylounge.com
http://sixtysevenmusic.com

More Celtic Music Updates!

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I have always loved Scottish music – all sorts of Celtic, Gaelic music.

—Carter Burwell( American composer of film scores)

Clockwise: Colin Grant, Fribbo, Ryan McGiver's Troubled in Mind, Fonn Aniar / Tune from the West

Clockwise: Colin Grant, Fribbo, Ryan McGiver's Troubled in Mind, Fonn Aniar / Tune from the West

Laoise Kelly is  in my previous article regarding her captivating harp playing. Now fans will be googly -eyed to know that our energetic harp player is back on stage with Breanndán Ó Beaghlaoich, vocals, button accordion and Tommy Peoples on  fiddle. Fonn Aniar / Tune from the West is going to captivate lovers of Celtic music as the trio of trad music are going to put a spin on traditional tunes with their grace and style . Tour dates here:

http://www.musicnetwork.ie/events/details/fonn_aniar_tune_from_the_west/

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Fribo is that point between Scandinavian and Celtic music. Fribo (Open House) is a unique collaboration between Norwegian singer Anne Sofie Linge Valdal, Scottish fiddler Hannah Read, Liverpool born Ewan MacPherson on guitar and tall Swedish percussionist Magnus Lundmark. I have heard the preview of the album and I can say it’s a very interesting work. You should check it out and decide for yourself.

Visit the official site:http://www.fribo.co.uk

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Get connected in Canada!

http://www.irishmusicottawa.ca/  aims to connect musicians and audience within the Ottawa region.  It is mainly focused on traditional Irish music. Fans and musicians can now share their opinions about CDs , DVDs and MP3 downloads by getting connected to this site. The main highlight of this site is the calendar which features current players and the venues of these sessions. There are also postings of concerts and workshops that will point you tot he right direction. I think you need to check this site out and be part of your musical community.

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Beoga in New Zealand

I love this band! I covered them before and I think they deserve more with their brand of music. New Zealand welcomes them in this wonderful video.

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Fiddle Workshop with Colin Grant:

Fiddle Workshop
Thursday August 25, 2011
1:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Instructor: Colin Grant
Price: $30.00 + HST

Who wants to go? Please raise your hands! I am sure you all do. Colin has been a shining star recently as he captivates the audience world-wide with his fiddle playing. He has this style which can only be described as pristine and lively.  He is the pride of Cape Breton and I am sure it would be a pleasure having him as an instructor.

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Check out Ryan McGiver’s Troubled in Mind. It is a great album with beautiful tracks which are “imaginative musical interpretations of old Appalachian ballads”.

 The album includes guest appearances by an all-star cast of musicians including Jolie Holland, Doug Wieselman (Martha Wainwright, Antony and the Johnsons), Susan McKeown, Cillian Vallely (Lunasa), Stephanie Coleman (Uncle Earl), Jason Sypher, Cleek Schrey, Eamon O’ Leary, Cassandra Jenkins, Nick Reeb (King Wilkie), Jefferson Hamer, Pádraig Rynne, Patrick Mangan, Clara Kennedy, Matty Mancuso, Will Orzo and Howard Arn. Two beautiful horn and string arrangements were composed by Dana Lyn as well.

More info here: http://ryanmcgiver.com/

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The first time I saw their interesting video, I was like ; oh no! Full Monty does trad? But they were just joking around promoting their album Wrapped Up. These are serious musicians playing great tunes. Yes they look like wrapped gifts for Christmas. Only you’d get a lot of traditional music along with that.  Check out their website for more updates on tours and latest news. http://www.therapparees.com/

June 11 Celtic Music News

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Good day Celtic fellas. I have loads of news again. These days I’m in the mood to just write news without the usual commentary or features. They can wait. What is important is to update you with what’s new and what’s hot in Celtic music. It is my responsibility to inform you because I know this is what you want to hear. Let’s get the ball rolling:

Canadian quintet The Paperboys has a new album out this July. Callithump will fulfill the promise to deliver great music! We are expecting a blend of folk rock, irresistible fiddle playing, zapping instrumentals and the young Tom Waits kind of vocals. If you enjoy The Great Big Sea then you will love The Paperboys   www.myspace.com/thepaperboys www.paperboys.com…………………  The Brennan Sisters (No this is not Clannad or Enya known as the Brennan family) from Connemara has been sweeping audience across the Atlantic with their beautiful renditions of traditional materials. According to a review “The girls four part natural harmonies add diversity to every show that they perform and their vocal ability continues to surprise audiences everywhere’ “The girls have developed their very own unique style of performance, incorporating beautiful and intricate harmonies with a very distinctive but unmistakable Irish resonance” . The girls performed the well known song “Hand me down my bible” on Sharon Shannons new dvd/cd live from Dolans! Earlier this year the girls performed on The voice Within cd/dvd. Filmed at the INEC, Killarney in front of a live audience, it is the most expensive production ever filmed in Ireland for broadcast on American television   www.myspace.com/thebrennansisters ………………………The former band of Dougie MacLean the  Tannahill Weavers are compose of Roy Gullane – Lead Vocals, Guitar Phil Smillie – Vocals, Flute, Bodhran Leslie Wilson – Vocals, Bouzouki John Martin – Fiddles, Vocals Colin Melville – Bagpipes, Vocals. They have been creating distinctive and amazing music in the heart of Scotland. More updates from  www.myspace.com/tannahillweavers and www.tannahillweavers.com …………………..Who is Sean Og Graham? Well, he makes up one of the five people of the amazing Irish act Beoga. Sean is from

Portglenone, Northern Ireland and he plays the Accordion and Guitar. Check out www.myspace.com/seanoggraham and www.beogamusic.com ……………………..Former amateur boxer turned singer/songwriter Damien Dempsey, and who has brought us the moving ‘Colony” has his first acting debut in an Irish film called “Between the Canals: North Inner City”, directed by Mark O’Connor. The film has been accepted into the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival . There is also a charity single made with Shane MacGowan and friends. Since is debut in 1995, Dempsey has been hailed as he Bb Marley of Ireland with fervent response of audiences and devotion to his music. According to Billboard Magazine: “To Hell or Barbados is folk and roots rock with substance, with the sound of Ireland mixed in for good measure. A most intriguing cocktail.” – Billboard. Check out his upcoming shows

Upcoming Shows ( view all )
Jul 2 2010 3:30P
Paddocks Wood, Kent Kent, UNITED KINGDOM Find Tickets
Jul 3 2010 8:00P
Reebok Festival Bolton, UK
Jul 30 2010 8:00P
Belfast Festival Belfast, UK
Jul 31 2010 8:00P
Helium Festival Longford, Longford, IRELAND
Sep 18 2010 2:30P
Navan Live Navan, Navan
…………………..Naked with Friends is Maura O’Connell’s Grammy nominated album. Expect exquisite vocal materials that has been arranged to highlight her beautiful contralto. In this album, she invited singers Dolly Parton, Alison Krauss, Kate Rusby, Paul Brady, Mary Black, Jerry Douglas, Tim O’Brien, Darrell Scott, Aoife O’Donovan (Crooked Still), Sarah Dugas (The Duhks), Mairéad Ní Mhaorigh, Moya Brennan, Liam Bradley, Declan O’Rourke, and O’Connell’s sister, Áine Derrane. Blurbs from the official website: engineer and co-producer Gary Paczosa with riveting clarity and focus, Naked With Friends is a disarmingly intimate experience. In the absence of instrumentation, the usual trappings and signposts that often define a song’s style and mood dissolve. It is O’Connell’s burnished alto — a full yet vulnerable and aching sound — that is charged with conveying everything the song has to say. “My intention,” she explains, “was just to sing the song clearly. I just wanted to be there to serve the song, rather than to show off a particular vocal style.” Originally from Ireland, Maura now makes her home in Nashville Tennessee http://www.mauraoconnell.com and  www.myspace.com/mauraoconnell
…………………………Since the release of ‘The Well-Tempered Bow’ in May 2002, The Kane Sisters have been making waves all over Ireland and Europe. Originally from Dawros on the outskirts of Letterfrack, a village in Connemara along the West coast of Ireland, the got their musical talents from both sides of the family. Most of their musical contributions can be heard in recordings of Maighread and Tríona ní Dhomnaill (Idir Dhá Solas) , Steve Earl’s Transcendental Blues and The Girls won’t leave the Boys Alone by Cherish the Ladies  www.myspace.com/thekanesisters and www.thekanesisters.com ………… Galwayman Declan O’Rourke hits the German towns this July for the  presentation of his new album to be released soon. Declan capitalizes on his velvet-tinged baritone and killer falsetto to deliver his interesting songs. In the Big Bad Beautiful World (2007), according to his official site : It consists of 12 songs, recorded and performed live at Grouse Lodge studios in West Meath with Declan and his band. Driven, as expected, by Declan’s acoustic guitar, along with the piano this time, and decorated with some beautiful Brian Byrne and Declan O’Rourke string arrangements performed by the RTE National Concert Orchestra, this record is musically very rich and has much depth of field for the discerning listener as well as the casual. ‘Big Bad Beautiful World’ was released in Ireland alone in September ’07 and hit the ground running with a top 5 position in the charts. It has been growing in popularity since with the help of two singles, the catchy title track ‘Big Bad Beautiful World’ and the touching ‘Whatever Else Happens,’ both of which continue to receive regular airplay on Irish radio. The record is well on the way to achieving platinum status, a feat that its predecessor ‘Kyabram’ took a year and a half to reach.  www.myspace.com/declanorourke and http://www.declanorourke.com/ ……………………….An appointment with Mr Yeats is a new Waterboys show in which the poetry of WB Yeats is transformed into a song. It already garnered rave reviews since its debut this March. The Grand Canal Theater in Dublin will the venue for November 7 show. Click here for the tickets. For the complete Waterboys discography, please refer to this link http://www.mikescottwaterboys.com/releasesnew.php ……………… According to Wall Street Journal : “…the most exciting new traditional band to emerge from Ireland this century”. Although the band Beoga is rooted in Irish traditional music, flavors of New Orleans Cajun music and other world influences can be heard in their sessions. Inventive and always crowd pleaser, Beoga is one of the bands not to be missed this year. Beoga are: Liam Bradley Seán Óg Graham Damian McKee Eamon Murray and Niamh Dunne .

Clockwise from the top: Tannahill Weavers , Sean Og Graham, Damien Dempsey and Beoga