I am one of the staunch supporters of the belief that music heals the soul. I think as we help people recover physically, it is also important to look after their emotional and mental recovery. I am delighted to know that one of the bands I covered in the past is part of this charity project. The music of Ranagri is a fusion of traditional Celtic, World, Jazz and Classical music. The energy is irresistible which fills you with joy and makes you want to dance. Here’s the statement from the group about ‘When Music Speaks.’
We are very proud to be associated with this project for the great national charity Music in Hospitals (est 1948). ‘When Music Speaks’ will be released on May 10th for Mental Health Foundation awareness week. 100% of the proceeds from this song will go to MIH enabling fantastic free concerts in a variety of health care establishments. Please support them by pre ordering ‘When Music Speaks’ here https://itunes.apple.com/…/when-music-speaks-si…/id977780090
Plus: Manau, Jeremy King,The Levellers,Dead Can Dance New Album Anastasis,Rachael Mccormack,Dom Duff and the spirit of the Olympics!
Be ignited or be gone
-Mary Oliver
Life is about passion. It is inspiring to see people doing something again and again despite being ignored. There are those who do art because for them it is an outlet-or a sickness however you want to see it 😀
folkbyfarr.co.uk
Today, CMF highlight’s the talent of bouzouki player Eamon Doorley. Those who own records of Danu and Julie Fowlis already recognize his name in liner notes. His sound is warm, luminous with the delicate playing style that is his own.
Hearing him play is like listening to a pouring water. Eamon Doorley and Julie Fowlis had little Aoibhe born on Christmas eve last 2009. 2012 is a good year for the couple. After taking part in the big animation The Brave, they are back on stage for more musical performances.
Here is a video by Julie Fowlis. The song was used in the movie The Brave. This time, Eamon Doorley gave his bouzouki a rest in favour of a guitar.
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New album by Manau
Fans of Celtic rap artist Martial Tricoche who created Manau have the reason to celebrate. This year is the release of the new album Panique Celtique. It has been a while since the release of their last album that spawned the hit La Tribu de Dana. That song features a sampling of Tri Martolod by Breton harpist Alan Stivell.
The video of the carrier single La Rumeur is medieval by design, inspired by the burning of heretics. The new video is a follow up single called Le curé et les loups is now available for viewing. I don’t know if it is just me or the theme of the video La Rumeur borders on S&M?!! Anyway I am glad the Breton rapper is back. It has been years and he is surely missed by fans.
Happy Birthday Jeremy King of Poitin. May you have more birthdays to come. May you always touch listeners with your music and also inspire young bands to do more and be the best. Slainte!
Listen to The Congress Reel by Poitín
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Flashback: The Levellers
Remember the good old 90’s and this band? We are back to Doc Martens and of course the Celtic folk/rock band The Levellers. I think I got into their sound at the same time I got into The Paperboys. Back then, Celtic rock was new to me- having been exposed to New Age music and traditional folk. Great tune. Nice memories.
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Dead Can Dance Are Back!
Dead Can Dance isn’t exclusively Celtic, but they blend Celtic elements to their Gothic/Medieval inspired World Music. I bought my first DCD album on cassette tape in the early 90’s following Everybody Else is Doing it So Why Can’t We by Cranberries and Banba by Clannad. What can I say? The early 90’s was cool for Irish music and everything unique. After listening to insipid and forgettable music of my high school years, college was an exciting stage in everything musical. Dead Can Dance made a huge wave in my musical taste. How can one forget the haunting quality of Lisa Gerrard’s vocals as she delivered”The Wind that Shakes the Barley”? I think Brendan Perry’s “I Am Stretched on Your Grave “ is still my favorite Halloween music.
I really jumped with joy when I heard that they are now touring and has released a new album called Anastasis after 16 years! Wow 16 years. A child born after The Spirit Chaser would already have relationship issues by now! Or a dog would be so old it would have passed away by this time. 16 years….Did you know that they have a track available for free download? All you need to do is sign up for their newsletter through their official website.
Tracklisting for Anastasis 01 – Children Of The Sun 02 – Anabasis 03 – Agape 04 – Amnesia 05 – Kiko 06 – Opium 07 – Return Of The She-King 08 – All In Good Time
“I can think as far back as 6yrs of age when I’d be tugging at my mams jumper saying I want a guitar, or I’d make one out of a shoe box and shoe laces hahahaha. So Dublin to me is one big song with many choruses. Let’s face it, us Irish know how to party, so adding the music element is like water from a tap: It comes naturally I guess,we’re a nation of storytellers and the songs are there to guide us along the way”.
The Celtic Music Fan mourns for the passing away of someone close to a dear friend. He is flying to Scotland for the funeral of his grandmother. He helped me make this site what it is now. My heart goes to him and his family.
Canadian Celtic musician Oona McOuat is very active in giving back something to the community. Whither it is about saving whales or bees, she continues to make something happen. Teaching is part of her passion. According to her website: Oona teaches children these sacred values at her unique Faerie Camps and her singing & harp lessons: Honour the wild and her creatures; protect the elements that provide Life for all beings, and honour the Spirit of all these things. A lesson we all need to embrace at this crucial juncture in civilization. Last time, I featured One World One Heart Beating project. I think it is one of the best videos I have seen this year! This time I am posting a video about Bring Back the Bees Faerie Camp. Oona has interesting workshops and you can check them out in her official website:
I was eating dinner while looking at my site. I know, it isn’t a good habit to have your laptop on your dining table along with your food. I know I am already risking something by telling you about my personal habits. Anyway, I kept looking, chewing and thinking. I was asking myself, what people could possibly want from my site apart from getting the music news. I know that bands will peek every now and then to see if I have written something about them. I know that fans will check to see if I have written something about their favorite bands. Yes there are videos, but these videos are only appealing as far as the musical preferences of my viewers permit. I have interviews scheduled as a weekly thing. My reason for this is to give bands and musicians the opportunity to have more exposure. I do have pending interviews but I need to stick to my schedule to provide everyone the same opportunity.
I am sure you don’t come to this site for the following reasons:
The weather forecast
Fashion trends
Health tips
Romance counseling
Stock market reports
Tips on how to get even with your neighbor who plays the same annoying album over and over again.
Self defense advice
Recipes. Hmmm…No.
Something occurred to me. People like to visit websites not just for information, but they do appreciate being offered freebies too. It’s nice to be able to have visitors leave my site with something they can keep. I think digital downloads are a gift that is always appreciated. I will have to ask the bands I have already interviewed to see if I can do this as a part of a weekly freebee give away. I can’t commit to doing daily updates since I am working on this alone and committing myself to something that might be too hard to carry out might tarnish my reputation in the blogosphere. I think that this download offer will work. A weekly free mp3 (I don’t know how many I can give away) is what I will be offering you.
This idea isn’t new. Marc Gunn has been doing this way before I launched this site. But you, my readers, are important to me and I think you should have something you can keep with you when you come and visit this site. In return, I would like to ask from you to share the word about the bands you download especially if you like their music. Please spread the word about this website too, so that it will get more traffic. The more traffic it gets, the more we can help expose our favorite musicians. So what do you think? It’s fun to share together!
My choice this week is Mike Vass whom I had the honor of featuring before. This track is taken from his album String Theory.
Winner of the inaugural Neil Gow International Composition Award, Mike Vass is fast gaining a reputation as one of Scotland’s foremost tunesmiths. His compositions frequently appear in the recordings and performances of some of the UK’s top name acts; most notably luminaries such as Brian Finnegan, Corrina Hewat, and Mairearad Green.
Mike is regarded as one of Scotland’s finest fiddle players, in great demand as a performer, composer and teacher. He has toured extensively in the past few years with leading Scots Song band Malinky, in a duo with twin sister Ali, and with International super group Fiddle Rendezvous, featuring Bruce Molsky, Maryann Kennedy and Gerry O’Connor.
Mike’s New Voices Commission ‘String Theory’ debuted at Celtic Connections in 2010, and was described as ‘the most direct and honest since the idea was first conceived … precision, subtlety and attention to detail’. One of the highlights, the avant-garde piece ‘Man’s Search’ inspired by Viktor Frankl’s best-selling book, was described as ‘utterly compelling’ and ‘one epoch-making composition’. ‘Man’s Search’ was subsequently featured by the Victor Frankl Institute in Austria to commemorate Frankl’s birthday.
Mike was nominated as ‘Best Up and Coming Act’ in the 2007 Scots Trad Music Awards, along with pianist/singer twin sister Ali, and won ‘Best Folk Band’ with Malinky in 2010. A runner-up in the 2007 BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year competition, Mike was subsequently invited to tour with the 2008 finalists as an accompanist. Although barely 5 years into his career, Mike has already featured on more than a dozen recordings, including Volume 1 of The Complete Songs of Robert Tannahill, produced by Dr Fred Freeman, and Malinky’s acclaimed fourth album Flower and Iron.
Celtic Music Fan 