Ireland

Music is Therapy

/ mrbaxteria2008 / 5 Comments

His singing moved me to tears that I just lost it.

It is a somber day. I just finished breakfast and I listened to one of my CD collections. This song by Christy Moore came on. I had to drop everything . I can’t stop bawling like a baby. Something about the sentiment of the song hit me. It is a very sad song of Scottish origin. It took me sometime to recover and I thought I should write about it.

Writing is a good therapy. So is listening to music. There are emotions we refused to acknowledge so they stayed hidden. Not until one song unlocks them and everything is a catharsis. Sometimes the only friend we have until the end is music.  Songs help unravel our experiences within the chronology of our lives. They help us revisit the past and  we experience that old feeling. Music is precious. And musicians are also therapists that help us in the healing process.

I went through high school and college relying on the sustenance of my record collections. They kept me balanced and prevented me from doing drugs or getting into vices. In college, I had to set aside my allowance for clothes and shoes to buy albums. We do what we can to help each other. Friends are there but sometimes…just sometimes, people we care about can do damage even if they don’t mean to. It is just human nature I guess.

I remember the song Molly Ban which I also listened to a while ago. It has these lines:

Going home from her uncle in a shower of rain,

She crept under a green bush the rain for to shun.

Her white apron being around her he took her for a swan,

For he never intended to shoot his own Molly Ban.

O when he came to her and saw what he had done,

The tears from his eyes in great fountains did run.

Straight home to his father with a gun in his hand,

Saying “Father, dear father, I’ve shot Molly Ban.

“Her white apron being around her I took her for a swan,

In modern context, we can apply this story to words we say to one another. We might not have a gun like Molly Ban’s lover…but we have words. And words can wound..even kill.

I like this quote that my friend Christi once attached to her email signature:

Say little, and the little you say, say well.- Old Irish Saying

Yn Chruinnaght’s CD ‘The Gathering’

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Yn Chruinnaght’s CD ‘The Gathering’ is an exciting collection of Celtic music featuring twelve tracks donated by artists who have played at the festival over the years. The Gathering CD will raise vital funds for future events.

Those involved in the Manx music festival Yn Chruinnaght took a bold step with The Gathering. It is a compilation CD with 12 songs. These tracks were carefully selected and they all represent what is good, new and beautiful about the Yn Chruinnaght festival in the Isle of Man. Yn Chruinnaght (which also stands for the English word The Gathering)  was made up of tracks kindly donated by various artists who joined the festival throughout the years.

I have to be honest, it is hard to choose which is the best track. The Gathering is a CD that boasts wonderful tracks from bands that have been part of the festival through the years. From the enchanting hammer dulcimer of Cornish band Leski, to the perky accordion of Jamie Smith’s Mabon; everything in this album shines and enriches the soul.

The tracks and artists are:

Three spires/Tregajorran furry – Leski (Cornwall) Hammer dulcimer along with irresistible rhythm makes this the best choice as an opening track. Everything about Leski celebrates the beauty of Cornish music.

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Ah, que les femmes y sont betes d’obeir a leur mari – Trio Froger (Brittany) The tempo represents Breton dances. A trio of accordion, fiddle and lead vocals.

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Our ship did sail/If young men could swim – Sheear (Isle of Man) Meaning ‘West’, Sheear is an all girl band made up of musicians and singers who come together in between playing in other bands. Whistles, fiddles, piano, flute and vocals make this track a magical listening experience.

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Mae gen i fuwch – Never Mind The Bocs (Wales) The great thing about the Celtic language is that you don’t have to understand it, to appreciate the sound it makes. Such is the case of this Welsh track from this five-piece band. From Cajun to ceilidhs, via Blues and folk-rock, the contemporary approach of Never Mind The Bocs will charm lovers of Dougie McLean and Planxty.

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Just for Sean – Leo McCann (Scotland) What he can do with button box and tin whistle will find you tapping your feet and rocking your body. Leo has recorded over twenty albums. This track is an example of his fine musicianship distilled through years of playing in his own solo albums as well as other bands. Hands down! This is one of the great trad music I heard in ages.

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In with the bricks – Pipedown (Scotland) I wrote about them in my previous article and hearing this track proves my point that they are a force in the Scottish folk scene. In With the Bricks applies the skillful ease of poly-rhythms and the mellifluous sound of the small pipes.

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Kishtey ny yindyssyn – Staa (Isle of Man) A little bit on the groovy side with the infusion of reggae, bossa and vocal harmonies reminiscent of The Beach Boys, Staa will warm you to their music right away.

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Sumach – Scoot (Cornwall) Trad driven with hints of jazz and funk this Cornish band will enchant lovers of traditional Irish and Scottish music. The undeniable command of skill and technique are displayed in this wonderful track which is a duet between acoustic guitar and flute.

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Bonny broom – Imrama (Ireland) After thirteen years of playing, this track shows the refinement of this band. Influences of Planxty, Sweeney’s Men, The Bothy Band, and Steeleye Span are evident in their recordings.

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Kilmartin sky – Rachel Hair (Scotland) I became a fan of her music and I wrote about her band in my previous post. Rachel is the best Scotland has to offer in terms of harp playing. Delicate and haunting, this track celebrates the power of Celtic music through nuance and grace. A truly enriching and perky listening experience that made me tap my foot as the track gathers rhythm when it reaches the middle part.

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Derriere chez moi, ‘y a un etang – Chal ha Dichal, with vocals by Lors Landat (Brittany); The reason why I am crazy about Breton music is because of the energy and passion all Breton performers give when they sing or record albums. This track shines with so much positive energy that I end up smiling after.

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Fiddler’s despair – Jamie Smith’s Mabon (Wales) Well, introduction is not needed when you talk about this band. Energy and skill are consistent with their every track. Despite the title, Fiddler’s despair is a joy to listen to.

I think everyone who loves Celtic music should get this album. It only features the best and the brightest from the Celtic nations. The album features a beautiful photo by Dimitar Pentchev with a nice album artwork by Adam Rhodes. It also boasts an informative liner notes. I think liner notes are very important. Dave Rowles made a great arrangement in this compilation CD.

Special thanks to Laura Rowles for this wonderful treat.

You can buy the CD here: http://www.ynchruinnaght.com/cd/

Yn Chruinnaght Inter-Celtic Festival – 14-21 July 2012

2012 marks the 25th anniversary of the death of Mona Douglas, the founder of Yn Chruinnaght Inter-Celtic Festival. Throughout her life Douglas was passionate about promoting and supporting Celtic culture, and she was respected throughout the Celtic world for this. Douglas had a vision of a Manx national festival, and this resulted in Yn Chruinnaght being started in 1977. However, unfortunately she did not live long enough to appreciate the huge success of her legacy.
Yn Chruinnaght aims to foster cultural relations between the Celtic nations, whilst also working to promote Manx culture, both on the Island and further abroad. The festival features performers from all of the Celtic countries in various venues throughout the Island. As well as music and dance performances, the festival also includes language events, lectures, workshops, art exhibitions, and fantastic sessions.
This year promises to be a particularly exciting festival, with the line-up so far including Scottish fiddle supergroup, Blazin’ Fiddles, mighty Breton band, Forzh Penaos, progressive Cornish group, Pentorr, and the extremely talented Rua Macmillan Trio. Manx bands that will be appearing include new Manx trio, Barrule, Strengyn, and Nish as Rish, who had the honour of winning the Trophée Loïc Raison at Lorient festival last year.
The festival offers much to keep visitors occupied throughout the week; however, there is still plenty of time to explore the beautiful Island. The Isle of Man boasts fantastic beaches, striking mountains, and picturesque glens, and has attractions to suit everyone.
For more information on the festival, see www.ynchruinnaght.com or email ynchruinnaght@manx.net
For more information about the Isle of Man, see www.visitisleofman.com

Interview with Fabien Guiloineau of Shelta

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 Lyon France is the home of Shelta, a band playing beautiful traditional Irish music. Fabien contributed one of their tracks for your download pleasure.

Shelta has already gained prominence as a  band that jumps into our discussion once in a while. This happens when I talk to my friend Jimmy who lives in France. The Antidote Pub is one of the great places that are very accommodating towards musicians of Celtic music. A year of drifting in and out of discussion(plus youtube posts), it was an honor  to finally  talk to one of the members of the band. Fabien Guiloineau lives in Lyon France. He plays the guitar and acts as the spokes person for the band. He has various side projects. Some, I  already featured in this site. It is great to hear first hand information from someone who is involved with the Irish music scene in France.

 

 

Shelta released two albums. One was in 2006 and latest one was in 2010. Is there a new album in the making?

We are not recording albums currently, but we are working on new tunes.

 Your band plays gigs around Lyon. Being the food capital of France, tell me what is the state of Celtic music in Lyon?

There are a lot of Irish pubs in Lyon and big Irish/Anglo community. So there are a lot of sessions (4 times a week). Irish music is very present:
You can get some news here:
http://www.afil.fr/index_eng.htm

How do you describe the music of Shelta.

 

We try to play Irish music as it is played usually in the pubs in Ireland.
So our music sound like traditional Irish, but we try to arrange it for the concert and make it accessible to the French audience.
We spend a lot of time making the best set of tunes !

 The band met in 2002 because of the common love for Irish music. What inspired the group to choose the name Shelta?

 

Shelta is the language of the Irish travelers. In Ireland the Irish travelers made a lot for Irish music (Johnny Doran, Paddy Keenan…).
And it sounds good for the name of a band 😉

After 10 years, what has remained and what has changed in terms of the band’s vision and also in terms of the music.

With time, we understand that the most important in traditional music is to have the swing !
You can have a lot of arrangements but if you don’t have the swing your music, it will be flat.

Being part of the group, how do you describe the individual playing styles of each one?

Each member has it own style but try to be the best for the collective aspect.
Guitar and bodhran try to be in the same mood, violon and accordion are very close and the flute can blend with everyone.

What have you learned in the past years playing live? 

Playing Irish music in France seems to be difficult but French people really like Ireland, so for us it’s also easier.
We try to explain our approach for the Irish music and to play it with sincerity! People like to see musicians as sincere; we don’t play just for the sake of playing music.

 

Do you know other bands/musicians in Lyon playing Celtic music with the same passion?

Yes there are other musicians, professionals or simply those  with the same passion for the Irish music !
For example: Davog Rynne, Sebastien Luthers, Julien Cartonnet, Simon Boddy etc…

What can we expect from Shelta this 2012?

We are working on new tunes and new concerts! Please watch out for our future performances.

What is the best Irish bar in Lyon?

Johnny Walsh’s Pub is the most famous, but for me the one I prefer is the Antidote Pub-both are in St Georges street in Lyon (5th).

Have you met other Irish music enthusiasts in the Antidote ?Do they have their own bands or just listeners.

We play regularly at the Antidote, every Thursday night from October to June. These are not concert types but intimate sessions or gigs. Sometimes we are just 3 or 4 musicians but there are cases when there are more than 10 of us. It usually depends on who is available.There are now some listeners who come regularly too.

Please add Shelta through facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shelta/125419444161088?ref=ts

also check out:

http://www.shelta.org
http://www.myspace.com/musicshelta

Lincoln Center Lights Up This 2012!

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Wow check this out. Got this from a press release by my friend Anita Daly.

 

Sunday July 29, Lincoln Center Out of Doors presents

OurLand: Celebrating Irish Culture in America!
The Music, The Bards, The Magic!

Artistic Director Joe Hurley

Presented in Association with The Consulate General of Ireland

 

A day of Irish Music, Poetry, Literature, Theatre, Dance and more!

 

**Notice! JUST ADDED! Performance from the cast of ONCE, winner of 8 2012 Tony Awards including BEST MUSICAL!***

On Sunday July 29th, for the first time in NYC, Lincoln Center Out of Doors will present a day long, multifaceted festival of Irish culture. “Our Land” will celebrate the artistic, literary and musical heritage of Ireland, the mark it made on America and the continuing cross-cultural ties that bind the two countries.

An all-day (2 pm–10 pm) extravaganza of music, spoken word,  and traditional arts, OurLand  will  explore how  the Irish helped to build NYC, with ‘Nothing But Their Genius’, while  shining a light on Irish and Irish-Americans continuing contribution to the American Songbook and  culture.  Featuring stars of pop, rock, punk, folk,  theater , film,  literature, and more, ‘OurLand’ takes place at multiple spaces on the Lincoln Center campus, culminating in   Damrosch Park   with the All Star Irish Rock Revue!

Commencing with introductions by Irish Consul General Noel Kilkenny, and Artistic Director Joe Hurley, OurLand will move through the fair and into the night with song, dance, poets, authors, artists, street performers, exhibits, book and CD signings.

Day – starting at 2 pm – on the Plazas of Lincoln Center

 

Gathering The Bards: From Galway to Rockaway – 2pm, Hearst Plaza aka “The Bards Stage”

Weaving the art of storytelling with original works and classics, Irish-American culture in verse and song.

The performers include Oscar winning Director Terry George (Hotel Rwanda), Actors Cara Seymour (Gangs of New York), Angelica Page (Sixth Sense), Geraldine Hughes (‘Belfast Blues’), Barbara Feldon and Aedin Moloney, Malachy McCourt, Alfie McCourt, Best-Selling Novelists Peter Quinn, Tom Kelly, John Swenson, Thomas Bahler, and Mike Farragher, Musicians Cherish the Ladies, Kirk Kelly, Niamh Hyland, New Orleans Fiddler Gina Forsyth, Celtic Tenor David O’Leary; Poetry and A cappella singing from the WB Yeats Society of NY, Gerard McNamee, The NY Rose Of Tralee Anne Marie Lynch, Salina Mailer, Faith Hahn,  and more in a wildly eclectic and interactive parade of The Jewels of Ireland’s Bards.

Irish Consul General Noel Kilkenny and Artistic Director Joe Hurley

Irish Consul General Noel Kilkenny (left) with

Artistic Director Joe Hurley (right)

The Auld Triangle – “Nothing but my Genius” – at 5pm, Josie Robertson Plaza

Josie Robertson Plaza is re-christened “The Auld Triangle” for the audience to take a wild, magical stroll on Raglan Road with buskers, poets, painters, and dancers that will stir your soul. Behan to Beckett, Christy Moore to James Joyce – Bring your voice– for sing-alongs….Alive-Alive Oh!

 

Evening – Damrosch Park – from 6 pm to 10 pm “The Sailing Stage”

Thousands Are Sailing – But we dance to the music…And we dance…

We begin with A Parting Glass: Celebrating the legendary ALAN LOMAX’s work preserving Ireland’s Musical Heritage. Alan Lomax’s extensive recordings in Ireland are a shared musical treasure. They will be honored with Round Robin-style Irish-Americana performances led by Lomax archive director Don Fleming, Cherish the Ladies, Lianne Smith, Marni Rice, and very special friends. Complete with the original two-track recorder onstage that Lomax used to capture these historical Irish recordings!.

At 7:00pm we roll on as Joe Hurley and The Gents take the stage!

The New Yorker called Hurley “One of the city’s deepest pop singers, both in his vocal range and the level of his soulfulness… mesmerizing.” Their set will include a performance of Hurley’s CD Let the Great World Spin, created with and inspired by Colum McCann’s National Book Award Winning novel. The Gents feature Tony Garnier (Bob Dylan Bandleader) Ken Margolis, Megan Gould, James Mastro, & special guest Flogging Molly’s Matt Hensley.

The grand finale at 8pm will rock with a performance by Joe Hurley’s All-Star Irish Rock Revue!

A Beloved NYC institution, “that receives rave reviews every year” NEW YORK MAGAZINE The All Star Irish Rock Revue celebrates Ireland’s musical gifts to the world as guests dive into “The Great Irish Songbook,” performing the timeless classics of Thin Lizzy, U2, Van Morrison, The Undertones, Pogues, Elvis Costello, Stiff Little Fingers, John Lydon and more.

Co-hosted by critically lauded performer Edward Rogers, early confirmations include fiery rocker Willie Nile, Tony Winner Michael Cerveris (Evita), Ellen Foley, soul-legend Tami Lynn (Dr. John, The Rolling Stones) Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Dennis Dunaway (Alice Cooper Band), Film Star Antonique Smith (‘Notorious’), The New York Dolls’ Sylvain Sylvain, Uk’s Stephen Frost, Tish & Snooky, Mary Lee Kortes, Sam Bisbee and members of Flogging Molly, Rogue’s March, Lez Zeppelin, The Mekons, Cracker, The Ian Hunter Band and Blue Oyster Cult. Musical Director is Chris Flynn.

Artistic Director for the ‘OurLand’ celebration, Joe Hurley has sung and recorded with artists ranging from The Chieftains to Judy Collins and Shane Macgowan, Sam Shepard to Flogging Molly, Jimmy Webb to Maude Maggart. His collaboration with Irish Novelist Colum McCann, on The CD ‘Let The Great World Spin’, led to sold-out tours of Europe together.
In 2011 Hurley, Johnny Depp and Keith Richards won two Audie Awards for their narration of Richards’ international Best-Seller LIFE, including the prestigious ‘AudioBook of the Year’ Award.

He  leads the NYC groups Rogue’s March and Joe Hurley & The Gents and has released many critically-acclaimed CDs. Hurley’s  ‘Amsterdam Mistress’ is featured on SONY MUSIC’s ‘Whiskey In The Jar-Essential Irish Songs’ alongside classics from The Pogues, Dubliners, and Clancy Brothers.

Hurley and 75 authors entered the 2012 Guinness Book of World Records for their 24 hour live-broadcast global readings on peace, with www.AuthorsForPeace.org

‘OurLand’ is an outgrowth of the annual All-Star Irish Rock Revue Charity Concerts that Hurley has held at sold-out venues around New York, since 1999.
http://www.facebook.com/JoeHurleysAllStarIrishRockRevue

www.roguesmarch.com/press

Lincoln Center Out of Doors is one of the largest free performance festivals in the U.S.  Over its 41-year history, Out of Doors has commissioned some 95 works from composers and choreographers and presented hundreds of major dance companies, renowned world-music artists, and legendary jazz, folk, gospel, blues and rock musicians. It has highlighted the rich cultural diversity of New York City and partnered with dozens of community and cultural organizations. Since 2008 the festival has been produced by Lincoln Center’s director of public programming, Bill Bragin, with associate producer Jill Sternheimer.

ALL EVENTS ARE FREE and take place on the Lincoln Center campus. Visit LCOutofDoors.org for a complete schedule of events or call 212-875-5766 to request a brochure.

Lincoln Center Out of Doors 2012 is sponsored by Bloomberg and Pepsico Foundation and SofTrek Corporation.

Media Sponsors The Irish Echo, The Irish Examiner USA, Murphguide.com

More Press Releases to come with updates of artists, performances and events, so stay tuned!

Like our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/JoeHurleysOurLandFest
Follow us on Twitter: @OurLandFest
https://twitter.com/OurLandFest

https://Facebook.com/JoeHurleymusic

Follow Joe on Twitter @JoeHurleyMusic

https://twitter.com/joehurleymusic

Web: http://www.roguesmarch.com/

MEDIA:  Anitadaly@yahoo.com  //   ourlandfest@gmail.com

Web:  http://www.roguesmarch.com/irishrevue/

CD’s at http://JoeHurley.bandcamp.com

Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Hurley

Photo ids: Irish Consul General Noel Kilkenny (left) with

Artistic Director Joe Hurley (right) -photo by James Higgins

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.