Denez Prigent

Classical Celtic

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Featuring: Emma Kate Tobia, Sue Aston, Noel Duggan, Karnataka, Denez Prigent(with Lisa Gerrard) and Celtic Tenors.

My dearest subscribers, welcome. It is raining while I am writing this and the weather can really change the mood. So we are going to go on a ‘softer route’ with classically sounding Celtic tunes-well, mostly- some old songs and and interviews I picked up off youtube. Weekend is here and August is almost over. It is amazing to see how the musical career of friends are starting to take off. This is probably the only site where you can find really eclectic stuff. I mean think about it: punk, traditional and new age all in one edition plus other interesting trivia along the way. But like I said, today we are going to go a little bit soft. I warn you though he next edition is going to be ear pounding.

Happy Birthday Sue Aston

http://www.sueaston.com

The Cornish diva of the bow is celebrating her birthday today. It was perhaps about two years ago when I invited her for an interview article. This woman is really down to Earth, intelligent and passionate about her culture. What are better tunes to celebrate her birthday than this beautiful Cornish dance tune which she performed and also one of her tracks from Between Worlds. Check them out!

Cornish Dance “Mazey Dazey” Sue Aston/Tros An Treys

Taken from the album ‘Between Worlds’ by Sue Aston Filmed in Cornwall UK

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Emma Kate Tobia

http://www.emmakatetobia.com

One of the songs by Emma Kate Tobia that you don’t get to hear in youtube so I took time to upload it for your listening pleasure. Have you observed that there are songs in any album by any artist that don’t usually get to be a single yet that song sounds really good? Next time I will have to find someone who works in the record industry and ask how they get together to decide which songs in the album become singles. This is the 11th track off her album Aisling na nGael. I recommend it if you are into classical type of singing and lush orchestration. I was raised in Classical music so I really dig tunes such as this one. And yes, the Irish part came a bit later. When you merge the two influences , the result is always amazing.

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Noel Duggan of Clannad Speaks About the reason why they got together again.

I was watching the Clannad performance in LiveTrad a couple of days ago. If you haven’t yet, you better subscribe to LiveTrad because they bring only the best in Irish music to the world. Try to read my interview with the people behind LiveTrad here: http://celticmusicfan.com/2011/09/12/livetradstreaming-traditional-irish-music-to-the-worldinterview/

Now going back to the video, Noel Duggan says here that they never really disbanded but concentrated in their individual projects. I think taking the time off from your band to hone your own musical styles can be a refreshing and creative thing would you agree? I am just so glad one of the best Celtic bands in the world is back!

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Featured ensemble: Karnataka

 ttp://karnataka.org.uk/music.php

That is a link to the track samples off the Celtic group Karnataka. Think of them as Riverdance, meets Gaelic Storm. They make big sounds and their live shows are always grand. Check them out if you like your Celtic music grand, big and theatrical.

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Flashback: Denez Prigent – An Hini A Garan

http://www.denezprigent.com/

Denez Prigent is one of the artists who introduced me to the music of Brittany. His voice has that haunting quality of a pinched pipe and the moving power of Gregorian singing. The subtle orchestration really highlights the beautiful singing between him and Lisa Gerrard. This language is Breton.  What is more compelling is the translation I found in this channel:

In English: An hini a garan (‘The One I love’) The one I love, before, when we were little at home when we were so near to each other My heart was loving only one When I was little at home, the one I love. The one I love, I lost forever Gone far away and will never come back And this is what I sing for the one I love. The one I love one day left me For a far away land A land that I don’t know Lost, lost one day, the one love

Wow I think this is one of the songs you would like to listen to in your room after a break up with someone.

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Curiosity:Facebook Celtic Tenors

http://www.celtic-tenors.com/

Wow curiosity brought me to this site. Frankly it is interesting to listen to how The Celtic Tenors talk. I was able to interview Matthew Gilsenan way back and I really expected him to talk that way. Here is the interview I did: http://celticmusicfan.com/2012/03/03/exclusive-interviewmatthew-gilsenan-of-the-celtic-tenors/

The Celtic Tenors are  on tour in China. Yeah, it is closer to the Philippines 😀

Great Big Sea, Need Fire, Denez Prigent and Future Events

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July 13 marks a big day for Canada’s  Great Big Sea as they released a new album Safe Upon The Shore celebrating their 18th year in the industry.  The album is composed of 14 tracks . It has a wonderful cover artwork! “Nothing But a Song’ is the first single. There is something wonderfully bouncy about the song that reminds you it is summer.  Check out somewhere around 2:15 of this video where the fun really escalates..

Texas-based Celtic Rock band Needfire is also in the middle of a hectic tour. Their music is a combination of  straight ahead rock, Americana and celtic styles. Traditional instruments like bagpipes, fiddles and even didgeridoo are utilized both in recordings and live shows.   Check out the following schedules here: http://www.needfire.com/news.htm

Christian Celtic band Iona are preparing for their September tour this year. This band is fronted by Joanne Hogg who has one of the most beautiful voices since Moya Brennan and Karen Matheson. Watch out for latest updates here . Iona disappeared from the music scene for almost a decade and now it looks like they will sweep the scene once more.

I have been looking for a Tri Yann site in English because their official site is in French. There is however this one helpful link in English which lists their discography and videos . Check out NME’s Tri Yann page.

Galician culture finally has a home in The Galician Way, an online magazine that covers  topics from films, books,tunes, art and shows. Everything you need is there.

The official site of Breton singer Denez Prigent is now on construction. One of his musical highlights was having two  songs   featured in a movie Black Hawk Down with Lisa Gerrard (Gortoz A Ran is one of them). This song is entirely in Breton as you can see in this video. This is one song that is simply perfect when sang as a duet with former Dead Can Dance other half Lisa Gerrard.

AlzheiMelilla of YouTube provided a translation for this song:

Teuio en-dro an avel c’hlas
[Will come back the blue wind]
– Da analañ va c’halon c’hloaz’t
[To breathe my wounded heart]
– Kaset e vin diouzh e anal
[I will be pulled away by its blow]
– Pell gant ar red en ur vro all
[Far away by its stream to another land]
– Kaset e vin diouzh e alan
[I will be pulled away by its breath]
– Pell gant ar red, hervez ‘deus c’hoant
[Far away by its stream, wherever it wants]

Hervez ‘deus c’hoant pell eus ar bed
[Wherever it wants, far away from this world]
– Etre ar mor hag ar stered
[Between the sea and the stars]

Celtic Music of Brittany

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Now that we have explored Brittany, let us look into the type of Celtic music and dance from that place. Link1 , link2

Now remember that Breton language is another Celtic branch of language just like Irish and Welsh. Look further here for more information.

Here’s Denez Prigent who is Brittany’s own pride in Breton Celtic music revival. Woooah! I feel like dancing.

And here’s his duet with Australian singer/composer and the other half of Dead Can Dance Lisa Gerard. This is  taken from the movie Black Hawk Down.