Folk music

J.P. Kallo and the Music of Sliotar (Interview)

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J.P. Kallo  gives us insights into the Contemporary Irish Folk Rock band Sliotar.

Members:

Ray MacCormac (whistle, pipes, vocals), Des Gorevan (drums and percussion), J.P. Kallio (guitars and vocals).
http://www.sliotarmusic.com
J.P. Kallo  is always in a chatty mood. He is one of the nicest fellows around. His sense of humor is amazing. One of the things I love about Sliotar is that these guys create music that’s catchy. They have this natural telegenic quality too.

This is an insightful interview. I reviewed their amazing album called Fine Friends last time. It’s one of those Celtic albums that can sit side by side with your other Modern Rock albums due to its fresh sound, yet still maintain that very Celtic sound.

What defines the totality of Siotar’s sound?

J.P. Yeah, I have tried to analyze that in the past and find it difficult. In the traditional music world there seem to be lot of these restrictions, where you are supposed to play the music in certain way and there are things you should not do. In Sliotar we always had lot of respect for these restrictions, but took them very lightly :-D. We do relay heavily on strong rhythm and the deep bottom end of the acoustic guitar, which I tune to dadgad. Also Ray’s whistle style is very unique! But over all, it is very organic process of three guys from very different musical backgrounds playing music that just feels right.

Tell us the inspiration behind the making of Fine Friends your new album.

Fans of the music

J.P. In summer 2011 we were touring in Europe and there seemed to be something falling in to place with our music. Many sound engineers and festival organizers told us that that was the best they have ever heard us. So when we got back from the tour we set up to capture some of that energy. In my opinion Fine friends is the closest Sliotar ever got to capturing the live sound and feel in the studio.

You guys have this style. I don’t really know how to put it exactly but it sounds a bit like North American compared to say, UK.

J.P. Really? 😀 It’s always nice to hear how other people hear our music. The funny thing is that we get lot of inspiration from our travels. We have been all around Europe, but never made it to North America, not yet anyway 😉

Wow 16 years in the music business! How did you  and the rest of the guys, maintain the passion of sticking together and releasing a total of five albums.

J.P. Well, I am the second Guitarist, and I’ve been in the band for 12 years. Des and Ray have been there from the beginning. I think again it has been that organic growth that has kept things interesting for us. But I must say that after our second album Bi liom bi we took control of things and for the past 10 years the band has grown a lot and we have built much bigger following by spending lot of time on the road and working really hard on the live show.

Ireland has  a lot of great  musicians! Thoughts?

J.P. Yeah, there is so much great music here. It is really inspirational place. And the fact that we are part of a tradition that has gone on for hundreds of years, it really makes you humble.

One of those random self shots

How do you think is the best way for fans to support your band in terms of getting the album out? What is the best marketing tool for you?  

J.P. There are many ways. You can order Cds or download our albums from our websitewww.sliotarmusic.com We worked really hard on making sure that when the fans do decide support us, most of the money goes to us and back in to keeping us on the road, instead of half of it ending up to some middle man. We live for the live shows, and we are so grateful that so many people come to see us year after year. That is definitely one of the best ways to support us. Also there are small things like sharing our facebook page www.facebook.com/sliotar with your friends, re tweeting our tweets on twitter @sliotarmusic. And sharing our youtube videos. Also you can join our mailing list on our website, we don’t spam you much just the most important things like new album and the tours. But if you want to stay on top of what we are up to, facebook and twitter are good for that.

As to best marketing tools, obviously all the social media stuff is really helpful and we had quite good success with our youtube videos. But still our website is our most important place of business and the good old word of mouth has been good to us.

J.P. from Sliotar

June, 2012

Update!!!

According to Jeremy of Poitin:  They’re coming to the Czech Republic in July.

Two amazing bands meeting and jamming together. You people in Prague are so lucky 🙂

From J.P. Hey man. Here is our summer European tour schedule. There are still some extra dates on the way and few private shows that are not on the list. We’ll have a video camera with us, so I’ll keep you posted through out the tour:-)
J.P.

List of gigs for July and August:

12th Porter House, Kortrijk, Belgium
13th The Black stuff, Luxembourg
17th Zach’s pub, Plzen, Czech rep.
18th Vagon music club, Praque, Czech rep.
21st Keltska noc, Plumlov, Czech rep.
26th Kurim Celtic evening, Kurim Czech rep.
28th Teirisch Irisch Keltisch, Tieschen, Austria
August
4th Prázdniny v Telci, (7.30pm) Telc, Czech rep.
4th Lughnasad, (11pm) Veveri castle, Brno, Czech rep.
6th Prázdniny v Telci,Nocturna club, Telc, Czech rep.
9th Killarney, Zweibrucken, Germany
10th Dudel sack, Bad Kreuznach, Germany

I love the fact that this site is becoming more and more interactive 🙂

BALCONYTV.COM 2/09/2007
PRESENTED BY PAULINE FREEMAN

Biography
About SliotarAfter 16 years, 5 albums and over 2000 concerts, Sliotar is an institution. It all started on Paddy’s day in The Porterhouse, Dublin in 1996 when three guys were asked to play music for the day. This led to a residency that is still going strong. Sliotar has toured Europe extensively and continues to do so on a regular basis. They have played in hundreds of venues, brought their mix of Irish folk music from Finland to Italy, from County Clare to Bratislava and everywhere in between.In these times when the music business is struggling Sliotar has broken the mould and gone back to basics by packing a van, hitting the road and building a following one concert at a time. Quarries, castles, theatres, clubs and pubs, Sliotar has done it all (even a Tesco’s car park). Their live show is legendary and has become an annual event in many places around Europe. They work with the crowd to win them over. They give people permission to cast aside everyday life and just live in the moment with the music.
Ray McCormac’s piping and whistle playing has unmatched fluidity and dexterity. Backed by the rhythmic play between Des Gorevan’s drums and J.P. Kallio’s guitar, the band can lift the roof off any venue. The tunes are based on Irish tradition but more and more originate from the band. The songs vary from JP’s modern folk songs to Rays haunting acapella renditions of age old traditional songs.
Individually, from the soundtrack of “Waking Ned” to guesting on a chart topping Finnish rock bands album, the members of Sliotar have done it all. Collectively the band has broken the mould time and time again.Driven by the positive feedback from their 2011 summer tour, Sliotar returned to the studio and started work on their fifth album. “Something gelled on this tour and the feedback from the crowd and organizers was that Sliotar has never sounded better. We are excited about the new material and can’t wait to get it recorded”. Sliotars fifth album, Fine Friends was released on 25th of January 2012.
In 2012 Sliotar will be on the road once again to promote the new album. This is already mapping out to be busiest year in the bands history and there has been busy ones before. So whether it is on a big festival stage in front of thousands of people or a small Irish pub in the beautiful countryside in Austria, be sure to catch Sliotar live.
Description

Sliotar Irish folk band.
New CD out now and available at http://www.sliotarmusic.com/

Band interests

Gigging and Touring! Beer, Traveling, Sound, Good food, Pool and Swimming.

Listen to Clanú

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Irish musicians make great tracks with this band!

Clanú is a four piece band that needs your best audio speakers. They play slow and fast tunes. These musicians also add atmosphere to every track. Clanú combines Irish trad music and Bluegrass. You will  love the vocals too. Songs like the moving Bruach na carriage baine has cinematic appeal. The Outlaw Joseph Emmet sounds like something out of a Western movie. Into the Sun glides playfully into your mood. She Came To Me Softly is a ballad laden with beautiful vocals and excellent instrumental arrangement. The House Set is a jig rooted to the band’s love for traditional music. Slow Whiskey is a slow remake of Whiskey in the Jar which is refreshing to listen to.

They are based in Belfast.  I attached links below where you can get resources about these guys. You can contact the band through

clanu@mcilroyguitars.co.uk https://www.facebook.com/clanumusic http://www.myspace.com/clanu Download Ancient Walls from itunes: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/ancient-walls/id420714616

Biography

Clanú are a four piece band spanning two generations and the influences of each generation comes through in their music. From the fast paced modern Trad of Damian and Niall to the even faster contemporary folk and bluegrass sound (or greengrass as we call it) of Dee and Barry. With the wide range of instruments they play, they manage to produce a sound which enthralls crowds around the country and beyond. Add to this the song-writing and tune-writing capabilities that all the members possess and you have a unique yet familiar trad / folk sound that will have you dancing, singing or crying and sometimes all at the same time.

Tylwyth Teg’s Lively Welsh Fusion

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Cardiff  based band make a leap into the national Welsh folk scene.

Foot stumping music from a band that started in 2009,  an album and now gigs all over the country.  Tylwyth Teg(which is also the Welsh term for “Fair folk‘ or fairies) have joined the ranks of  Celtic bands that represent the “Welsh sound”. Sleepless Streets off their self title album grabs you with is fusion of musical styles and male vocal that calls Larry Kirwan of Black 47.

They maintained a balance between  eclecticism and  their folk roots. The  influences make the music exciting  but they maintained that cohesive aspect of songwriting that agrees with everyone’s background and respects it. There’s that developed  sound that will tell you right away it is Tylwyth Teg.

http://www.tylwythteg.co.uk

http://www.myspace.com/tylwythtegcardiff

email: tylwythtegcardiff@gmail.com

facebook :https://www.facebook.com/tylwythteg

Band members:

Sally Wooldridge, Jo Marriott – Flutey-Tooties
Katie Marriott, Heulwen Williams – Fiddlers
Andy Taylor – Guitar
Dave Francis – Bass Boi
Anna Fonge – Cello
Ed Millington – Drums

You can buy the new album here: http://www.tylwythteg.co.uk/Tylwyth_Teg/Shop.html
In a small lecture theatre in Cardiff UniversityHere is a helpful blurd from their website:

music department, a session of about 30 people
started playing what can only be described as
a shambles of folk tunes! From there the numbers
dwindled to 8 members that became collectively
known as Tylwyth Teg.

With members ranging from welsh dance group band
members to classically trained to heavy metal headbangers,
these musicians began taking traditional folk tunes, combining them with all these influences into a unique sound.

Since this rabble meeting in October 2009, Tylwyth Teg have played at the International Pan-Celtic folk festival in Ireland and Lowender Perran folk festival, along with gigs dotted all over Wales. With instruments varying from fiddles, Irish flute, Cajon and various saxophones this is a group with unrelenting enthusiasm, which guarantees dancing by the end of the night!

Azarbe-Taking the Spanish Folk Scene by Storm!

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I am blogging using other people’s computer. Don’t ask me how this happened but I am on the run right now. However I could not pass an opportunity to present this interesting band.

Azarbe are a  folk group from Spain that are going to take the cultural music of Spain by storm. The music is nostalgic and caped with pure energy. The musical style borrows heavily from flamenco with traces of Galician flavour. The group was formed in 1999 composed of  the following members :

Emilio J. Mateos

Spanish guitars, lute, mandolin, and vocals guitarro.

Oscar Esteban

Cajon square tambourine, djembe, tambourines, dabúll and choirs.

Peter J. Lopez

Spanish guitar, acoustic guitar, tenor guitar and vocals.
Collaborators
Teresa Fernandez
Voice and chorus.

Alvaro Martinez
Violin.

Constantino Lopez
Low.

Paco Botia
Shakers, bongo, sabar, cajon, congas, triangle, square tambourine, tambourines, claps, a gogo bells, bells, mortar and effects. Botia Paco plays with instruments Percussion Chambo .

http://www.azarbe.com

http://www.surefolk.es/

Let’s Hear it from Breton Recording Artist Dom Duff !

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2009-09-06_043210As always it is not the destination that counts but the journey. It is impossible to get into the center of ourselves when we have inhibitions, hang ups and the tendency for stereotyping. Music speaks in any language, be it Irish, Breton, Welsh, English or Latin. It is our emotional responses to it that really matters and I think that is the core of music-or certain kinds of music. There are those who create songs whose language becomes the secondary importance. There are even those who create vocal music that transcends language …when language becomes beautiful in itself not because of what it is trying to convey.

We have a guest this weekend. His name is Dom Duff. Since we are in our Breton Odyssey, why not get someone here who is both musician and native speaker  from that region? His music is vibrant, percussive and a totally different experience. If you love World Music in general then you will like what Dom Duff is doing. You can read his biography on the main site as well as check his releases. So far he has three albums out ! (Photos coutesy of domduff.com) dom

Dom Duff Music Sampler: Click on the titles to be directed to vox.com

Arzur

Sesihieo

Straet

I initially told him that I lost my initial questionnaire and that I had to do it all over again over coffee.

-Welcome to our interview today Dom. How are you doing?

I am fine, having a cup of coffee too, and working hard, after buzzy summer, strumming my fingers back on the guitar.

-Every year, Festival Interceltique  de Lorient draws a ,of people as well as musicians from all over the world. Tell us about this phenomenon that has become an international phenomenon.

Yes, it’s a great event here in Brittany, a real amazing spot to share music with an international audience, and to hook up with musicians from all over the world.
That’s started 39 years ago, and the aim as always been keeping Celtic links as strong as possible.2009-09-06_042423

-This event has become a sort of United Celtic colors of the world. Countries from Nova Scotia Canada up to the British Isle have their own special festivals. What’s the importance of keeping these events alive ?

Many efforts were done in the past years to expose every Celtic culture, bringing in artists from different countries and giving them exposure to the audience here, which is varied and wide. It comes from French families discovering Brittany during holidays to an all music addicts coming from Italy, Germany and America. The mix in the audiences is really interesting. Despite the music styles-which swings from drinking bands playing drinking songs at the fringe, to real international headers playing in another venue. It is the main place to put under the spots our cultures.

-Bretagne or Brittany is part of France, and yet uniquely Celtic. What do you think makes Brittany proud in keeping that tradition alive?

Mmmmm… You have a lot of time to spent?

Brittany is an old nation coming from pre-roman Celtic natives. Then, Brithonic migrations started about 5th century. Mostly Brithonics (Welsh, Cornish) and Gaels also (Irish) came over here. It was a kind of Celtic clans coming back in another Celtic land, so the Roman influence was out of the game. And all those ways of life remained strong, powerful (language, legends …).
And this way of life is still strong. By now there’s about 300 000 Breton speakers; they were about one million in the early twentieth century. The reasons are: France has done everything to eliminate the language, and also the decline increased with the two wars.

But at the same time,  I am not a kind of strange Breton speaker. The language was strong at home, and a lot of people which are not fluent in Breton, keep the imaginary structure of the language when they speak French. It happens, I think, in every country where both languages are spoken.2009-09-06_042625

-You are a musician composing your own original Breton music .How is your material different from other artists going through the traditional road and how is it similar as well ?

The main difference for me,is that my stuff could be sang in every language. You know, I compose with my guitars, adding chords and licks as I want. Then, the language comes in. I like to use Breton syllabs beating the music, and that’s the way I do.

In the meantime, I think the rhythm of the words and accentuations remind the traditional material, of course. But, to be honest, my north Breton accent is stronger than the other one maybe.

-Tell us about your former band Diwall. How is this music you are creating now different from the band?

Diwall was a band for dancing music, playing Fest-Noz (Breton ceilis). We played mostly tunes, traditional ones, or our own tunes written on traditional scheme. I used to sing three or four songs only, it was a kind of frustration for me.

-I read that your music has been classified as “power folk”. Thoughts?

Yes, I’ve heard about. Someone in UK reviewed a gig using “power folk”. I think, power was about my guitar strumming, and my broken strings? I like that : playing powerful acoustic guitar , using two or three open tunings; but I need at the same time two or three instruments around me.

-How did you get into music and chose to lead this path? You could have gone into straight ahead rock and roll but why this style?

I’ve started at 15, playing folk and rock stuff in the mid 70′. But, quickly I joined friends of mine starting a band playing Breton dances, and the line up was bass, drums, etc. They asked me for playing guitar. It was a great occasion for me to perform, and I teamed up with this village band.
I’ve always been a real rock ‘n roll fan, but in my area they were no real rock ‘n roll band. North Brittany is not Manchester or Glasgow, ha ha !
The only good thing we’ve been able to do at this period, was organizing festivals in Brittany with folk and rock bands from abroad.

-I noticed that there is this distinctive vocal style in Brittany. Can you elaborate how it is different from say the style of singing in Ireland, Scotland or other regions?

The reasons are the language I think, an also the accent. The Breton accent is stronger than Irish, because Breton accent is closer to French accent. And at the same time, Irish pronunciation is closer to English, perhaps ? Breton words use more P, K, T, sounds than the Irish. Irish is more sweet, to my ears.
Breton tunes are also high tempo sometimes: listen to the “Kan ha diskan” style, it’s a kind of rap. I am sure you could find on the web pages speaking about.2009-09-06_042703

-Who are your influences upon growing up?

Influences? mmmm … difficult.

I can mention: from Led Zeppelin to old fishermen and farmers in my village.Lol.Especially charismatic artists like Kevin Coyne, Horslips, Luka Bloom, Pogues, Stivell, and an unknown band from Brittany STORLOK, crazy people! Worth a listen . Their EP was in every jukebox pub in 78. It was rock in Breton, awesome.
But I’ve always been listening rock, folk, Irish, Scottish, etc. And Breton of course…. African singers too. I love listening guitarists from Africa, they sound great. It’s hard to answer you know.

-Most of the traditional instruments in Brittany can get really loud. How loud can a bombarde get?

It’s a dog bawling, the tail stuck in the door.

-I am listening to the great Alan Stivell while I though about the questions to ask you. He also spoke fondly of you and your  music.You contributed two tracks on his album which will be released on the 22 of October based on your blog. What did you enjoy about this project?

I’ve been really impressed with Alan Stivell when I was 13. I discovered my culture could be really as good as others cultures. When he spoke about me, I’ve been, to be honest, touched. I’ve just launch the second album, months before, there were good feedbacks with the media, but not real success. It was quite difficult for me to keep going on. I said to myself “kick in the ass now and straight ahead !”.
Last May he asked me to sing for his new album. It was great for me, as I respect those people who are still going on, after years . Nice.2009-09-06_042751

-You are also involved with the animation Brendan and The Secret of Kells. I think it’s is a beautiful animation with an interesting story line. Tell us more about it.

No, I just add a few voices for dubbing movies in Breton. They need different voices for that, so I am aboard the dubbing boat, but I am not a real character. There’s a lot of others people around. I can be a doorman in Columbo, a drunk fellow in an American pub, etc. But, there’s a lot of fun.
Brendan and The Kells is good, because it is quite a new movie which is amazing for children and adults. Also my Irish friends Kila released the soundtrack.

-What bands/music are you listening to these days?

If you need a few names : I could mention Luka Bloom, a US band call 2 Dragons, WovenHand, African bands also (Tinariwen, …), Calexico, the Levellers, …2009-09-06_042844

–  You have a blog http://duffdom.blogspot.com .As a blogger myself, I really admire artists who take time to write their own thoughts for people to read. .How and why did you decide to put up a blog?

I needed to add news to the website, that is accessible for comments. I don’t need another page for that. But the blog is part of the website and it’s easy to keep connections.
You can also access lyrics & translations by clicking the label SONGS, at the top right of the blog. There’s a few translations in English, Flemish, Welsh, Irish and Icelandic.

-I know this interview has taken a lot of your time and I am really happy to get to ask you these questions. What’s your message to our bloggers and readers who love Celtic music?

Feel free to listen Breton music and to share it all around the world !

-And how to you say “ I wish you love and peace in Breton?”

That is : “Hetiñ a ran deoc’h, karantez ha peoc’h !”

-Anything you wish to add?

I am just starting to work on a 4th studio album (the last one was Live and Solo) I’ve asked my friend Dom Bott (bass) to join me. We were both in Diwall 15 years ago. Nicole Hayes, an Australian fiddler-also based in Brittany is also playing and David Seité (percussions).

Well that’s it folks. Don’t forget to visit his official site : www.domduff.com and his twitter address is www.twitter.com/domduff