Do you know this band?
Originally posted by Matthi Clarke in the Pan Celtic Festival. The song is in Cornish. It is called ‘Yth yw hi byw’. I am extending my help in posting this for the general public. If you know more about this group and if they are still recording, please share your info by posting on the comments section.
Two great Celtic bands are performing together. I have reviewed their excellent albums here. In terms of technique and stage presence, these guys are the best. Please don’t forget to watch them live together. I am talking about Poitin and Sliotar. They will be at Zach’s Pub, July 17,2012 Czech Republic! More info here: http://www.sliotarmusic.com/?page_id=10
Please don’t forget to read this amazing review of Bofiguifluki from Celtic Music Magazine. http://celticmp3s.com/2012/bofiguifluki-by-poitin/
My essay about why we listen to music and the importance of the people behind the artist.
Gary Paczosa was Altan’s sound engineer for the album The Blue Idol(2002)
Dear readers. I have just finished my second cup of tea for the day. Would you care to join me for a little reflection? I have questions in mind. And I have conclusions of my own. How about yours? What’s your take on this article?
What makes listening to music fulfilling? Is it the speed of how the tune is being played? Is it accuracy? Technique? Style? We can go on and on rambling about what makes music interesting. I am sure we have our own sets of prejudices when it comes to other forms of music. Elitism after all exists in all forms of persuasions be it aesthetic, intellect or economic. We are snobs!
Jeff Wolpert: engineer, mixing, assistant producer for Loreena McKennitt albums and live recordings at work on her Mediterranean tour.
I think there are those who chose a particular form of genre based on the fact that very few listen to it so that makes it cool. Yes, it is the foundation of cool that keeps the business going round and round. Sometimes it is not so much on the beauty of the music than the fact that it is simply COOL to own such albums or listen to bands which your COOL friends approve of. Peer pressure?
I know I am not innocent. I have given up my biases years ago to put balance in this site. It is after all one half me, and the rest belongs to the people who contribute to the traffic of this site. Sometimes I feel my preferences are just one fourth of what this site is all about. Honestly, I also listen to other types of music. That is why I have a secondary blog which caters to indie musicians where genres like Rock, Electro and Jazz apply. But Celtic music was responsible in turning my world around which in turn gave birth to this site. Writing has been a source of joy for me.
Enya and Nicky Ryan inside old Aigle studio(picture from enyabookofdays.com)
Sometimes, miss the old days when I used to let people listen to my records to cite an example. I even went as far as making my own mix tapes so I can inject those recordings on buses and bars where people are found. And I can talk for hours how a particular note can gain different colors based on the effects that you put on a sound, making you travel inside the music and marvel at the wonders of the recording technology. I can write an essay how clarinets sound so good when played sonorously, gaining a haunting quality.
There are also times when I just listen to make me feel good at the end of the day. We all listen to music for different reasons. But I think the best music is that one where you always get satisfied in all aspects. Something that makes you think of how the arrangements of the instruments were done, the album artwork, the people who worked in the photography, the liner notes, the sound engineers, mixers and finally those who do the mastering process.
Richard Dodd: engineer and producer of The Magical Ring, the legendary album by the band Clannad
Have you ever wondered how the musicians and people involved in the album making worked hard in the studio to give you the finished product? Somehow these are things that got ignored in the world of fast mp3 downloads and not having too much time to REALLY listen. Do you really listen?
Thoughts and a little bit of book review for you.
The United States still posses the biggest chunk of my readership. The UK ranks the second. I am amused by the fact that my American readers seem to prefer that I write about artists from other countries. To cite an example, the Russian band 208 Talks of Angels got a lot of traffic when the article was published and 96% of the readers were from the US. Yesterday, Marc Gunn, the Celt father topped the number of readership. Yn Chruinnaght CD review ranked the highest, the day before yesterday.
Thunderstorm! This weather is enough to drive someone into spiritual reflection.Which, was the case when I took a week off from the Internet. That included turning the phone off and avoiding people. This doesn’t happen often but it was a great experience. It feels good to realize that there is a big world out there outside cyberspace. I was able to finish reading four books and started mixing tracks for a future project with a friend who asked me to mix his next album. I am not really confident that I will do good but it is nice to be asked. He actually recorded 7 instrumental bits for me to assemble using effects. It was quite an experience.
There is a great book I finished reading. It is called Walking the Mist by Donald McKinney. The author put a lot of himself in the book. It also glimpse into the history of the Druids. Like me, Donald McKinney was also influenced by the music of Enya and that got him started into the whole thing. Just like myself. I never knew about Celtic music until I heard the uilleann pipes and whistle in Watermark. It was also my first taste of Irish Gaelic after hearing her song “Na Laetha Geal M’óige”. I think I have to credit her influence on my desire to be a music journalist. It is that feeling you get when you hear something so beautiful. You are at loss for words, but you want to describe that experience because it is that moment in your life when you reached an epiphany and you realize: this is something I want to do!
Here’s what he wrote(page 6)
Another indication was the music of Enya. Like many people, I had thrilled to the sound of “Orinoco Flow” and it even inspired me to have a Celtic Christmas that year-my partner bought me lots of Celtic items. It is almost embarrassing now to recall how powerful Enya was for me.
The author further expounds on the power of music in general(page 149):
To the Celt, music was a powerful tool. Perhaps accompanied by poetry, it was the key to the heart of man. The harpists that wandered the roads of Ireland were treated like lords and it was a great honor, well into the late Middle Ages, to have a bard attend your house.
Donald McKinney has other interesting topics covered in this book especially about meditation and maintaining the balance of mind, body and spirit. My big thanks to Paula who mailed this book to me all the way from England.
The author recommends the following albums:
Karen Casey-The Winds Begin to Sing
Anuna-Invocation
The Chieftains-Tears of Stone
Enya-Paint the Sky with Stars
Loreena McKennitt-Elemental
Loreena McKennitt-The Visit
Mary McLaughlin and William Coulter-Celtic Requiem
Aine Minogue-The Mists of Time
Paul Mounsey-Naboo3:Notes from the Republic
Gary Stadler-Fairy Nightsong
Various-Celtic Voices
You can purchase the book using this link: http://www.donaldmckinney.com/walkingmist.html
The word merrow or moruadh comes from the Irish muir (meaning sea) and oigh (meaning maid) and refers specifically to the female of the species. Mermen – the merrows male counterparts – have been rarely seen. They have been described as exceptionally ugly and scaled, with pig-like features and long, pointed teeth. Merrows themselves are extremely beautiful and are promiscuous in their relations with mortals.
-From Irish Fairies http://www.irelandseye.com/index.htm
I am glad I stayed home tonight and did my usual ‘research’. Just to let you in on my secret, I have over 2000 bands/artists in my data base and I only explored around 5% of them. I want my site to be like a directory of Celtic artists around the world. This will help bands who want to jam with other artists when they travel. This will benefit listeners to hear things they don’t usually get on their platter. Yes I want to be the only one who does this!
Let me tell you about this wonderful band from Sao Paolo Brazil. You might think that Brazil is all about Bossa Nova and Jazz. Well, after writing about Athy the blue harper, I realized that Celtic music is more prominent in South America more than ever.Think of Merrow as The Corrs meets Alanis Morissette with a bit of Goth fashion, which I dig by the way. There are two contrasting female voices here. One which is high and perky, the other one, is a lush contralto. The fiddle is the defining sound coupled with the band’s preference for hooks and catchy melodies. With more albums and production backing, this band will really win more fans.
I don’t have more information about the band but if you know them please step forward.
http://www.myspace.com/merrowcelticrock
Celtic Music Fan 