Isle of Man

Barrule:The Flowering of Manx Music

/ mrbaxteria2008 / 6 Comments

It is a great year for the Isle of Man. The Celtic telescope points that way. A huge effort has been place in getting the music and art of the people into the scene.  I am always glad to receive updates from anything  Manx. Let me tell you that there are two sites now which I consider as best references for anything you need. And if you are a band, it is the best time to collaborate with musicians from this region because the best sound always comes from these collaborations. For instance, Jaime Smith of Jamie Smith’s Mabon has been working with local musicians and they are able to come out with something interesting. The new project is Barrule. I will let the video do the talking for you and later on you can talk among yourselves ok?

Members: Jamie Smith – Piano Accordion, Tom Callister – Fiddle, Adam Rhodes – Bouzouki.

Hometown: Isle of Man

Description:

During the Manx festival ‘Shennaghys Jiu’ in 2011, musicians Jamie Adam and Tom came together to play a one-off concert in Ramsey. It soon became apparent that they enjoyed playing together and the audience really enjoyed listening to them, so they decided to do it again!

Playing a mixture of traditional and new Manx music, Barrule hope to bring music and songs from the Isle of Man to new audiences across the globe.

The trio are currently in the process of writing and recording a new album, scheduled for release later this year. The CD will feature guest musicians from the Isle of Man and further afield.

Fiddle player and multi-instrumentalist Tom Callister has established himself as one of the leading Manx musicians, despite being only nineteen years old. Tom has spent the last year studying traditional music on Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides and has just finished recording his debut solo album, produced by the renowned Scottish musician Matheu Watson.

Here are the best sites for Manx Music:

http://www.manxmusic.com/

http://www.ynchruinnaght.com

Moot: Manx Fusion At Its best

/ mrbaxteria2008 / 3 Comments

Moot welcomes you to the Manx landscapes…

It like trekking on a landscape of Sarah McLachlan, Delirium and Bjork. But Moot is actually a trio that have made music since the early part of this decade. The first time I stumbled upon them I am awed by the stage presence of the singers and the spare instrumental intervention. This is elevating music!  Details about them have been sketchy and I am still haunting the cyberspace for things I can get. But here’s is Moot singing gloriously from a sound that can only come from the Isle of Man.

According to youtube:

Song: Baiht

Baiht is an original love song in Manx Gaelic written by band’s flute player, Breesha — its chorus
translates: ‘I am drowned in your rays/I am full of light/I am at one with the world’
Moot is made up of three friends from the Isle of Man, who draw
inspiration from the Manx music that they were brought up with; Gaelic
songs of fishing and farming, love and loss. Their music does not
remain in the folk tradition – not initially a conscious decision – just the
result of drawing inspiration from somewhat eclectic record collections.
Aalin’s ‘soaring, jazz-tinged vocals’ are complemented by Breesha’s
mellifluous flute, driven along by Robert’s dub-tinged looping
soundscapes and random percussion!

Moot enjoys performing and meeting musicians from other cultures
and has featured at various music festivals such as the Festival
Interceltique de Lorient (2002&2003) and the Liet-Lavlut international
song contest for minority languages, Sweden (finalists 2006).

In 2006, Moot’s second CD, Holdfast, appeared. It features original and traditional songs in Manx and
English. Moot can also be heard on the compilation of contemporary Manx music The Lighthouse,
and on the debut album Uprooted.

For more information on booking this band for your festival please contact mhfmusic@mhf.org.im.

Filmed by the Manx Heritage Foundation for the promotional DVD Manx Music & Dance/ Kiaull as Rinkey


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Shhhh! Listen to Skeeal Music

/ mrbaxteria2008 / 5 Comments

From their MySpace witten in Manx:

she possan dy wheig ‘skeeal’ jannoo ymmyd jeh feddanyn mooarey, gitar as coraaghyn. tayrn veih stoo tradishoonagh as bunneydagh, t’ad cummey reaghysyn sheiltynagh as smooinaghtagh, gleashaghey eddyr ny tree chengaghyn gaelgagh. t’ad voish mannin ny keayrtyn.

Another reason to off the lights: Skeaal has arrived coming from the sunny Isle of Man. This band has brought with them not only the Manx identity but also the ancient spirit of the culture by singing in Manx Gaelic which I and the rest of my readers will also like. When one speaks a foreign language …and turns t into a song, it really doesn’t matter if you don’t understand a thing. How the words and the infliction merge with each other becomes a music on its own. And it is not difficult learning the language this way. In my research , the last native speaker of  Manx died in 1974. But I know the language is making its revival with the help of bands like these. You can’t  force people to learn the language…you have to coax them into it. And this is how you do it.

The music is rich in melody and the instrumentals stand on their own. Relaxing yet has the flavor of Jazz, Rock and Folk. The band has been together for five years and the new album Slipway is out.

http://www.myspace.com/skeeal

Yn Chruinnaght ,The Manx National Festival July 11-19

/ mrbaxteria2008 / 3 Comments
Never Mind the Bocs

Never Mind the Bocs

If you are travelling to the Isle of Man this July then something awaits you.Yn Chruinnaght (meaning ‘the gathering’)  has been held in its original form in 1924. Manx is another Celtic language just like Welsh and Gaelic and it is spoken widely in this island. Since this is to celebrate the Isle of Man’s relationship to the rest of the Seven Celtic Nations then we will be expecting visiting artists . The Isles of Man has its own unique tradition. While still being Celtic, its music, language and art are different from the rest . That is why this gathering is one of a kind because this will showcase the brand of music from that island which is really beautiful.