Love

Post Valentines in Celtic Land

/ mrbaxteria2008 / Leave a comment

Featured artists: John Breen, Brian Cunningham and Corncrow

john breen, irish,folk,singer,songwriter,ireland,music

Welcome to our post valentine edition. I made it a rule not to talk at the beginning of a post. I will just reserve the talk for our Huzzah! Section so see you there .

The attention turns to John Breen this week . He hails from County Wicklow which is check this out: the Garden of Ireland. I am sure the flora and fauna of Wicklow have provided an ample amount of inspiration to Sir John Breen to be able to perform those tunes with the grace of a blooming rose in hyper speed.

Fans of Ronnie Drew, Johnny Cash, Leonard Cohen and even Kenny Rogers will find something that will tickle their heart-strings. If you think his recorded songs are awesome, wait until you hear him live. His performance level will blow your socks off.

I think that ease of getting his feeling across is brought about by the fact that John is naturally a friendly fella. And you can’t fake that warm attitude. It will find its way around people who in turn responds to the same aura that you project. I felt that inner goodness and that’s what I feel the moment I heard his version of The Irish Rover and other songs. There is always that extra special you often find around Irish balladeers.

He signed up with Atlantic music group in 2004 and has two CDs to date. An interview is on the way but I wont tell you the exact date yet. I like suspense and I am sure you do too.

For more info visit: http://www.johnbreenmusic.com/

Video:

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Sean-Nos Dancer Brian Cunningham

Sean Nos dancing is catching fire and it is spear headed by the most prominent name in the scene: Brian Cunningham.  I am in the process of conducting an interview with the famous dancer himself and he is gracious enough to talk in between his schedules. There is really something good to be said about the majority of Celtic artists. They are so passionate about the art that it isn’t really about themselves but more on the exposure of the art. They give so much more and it is really important to keep in mind why their fans who are bloggers like are passionate in pushing their efforts to the front of Goggle search. We are all in the right scene!

He is currently performing in the Horseshoe Casino(Hammond, Indiana) so if you are around, don’t forget to see this one of a kind performer of traditional Irish dance.

Atlantic Steps’ is the inspiring epic story of Ireland’s oldest dance form (sean-nós), portrayed through the music, song, dance and Atlantic-Ocean-inspired energy of the Connemara region. For booking information, contact JRA Fine Arts at info@jrafinearts.com or 888.939.ARTS (2787).

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Corncrow – Meriasek

Tell me if this song doesn’t evoke something within you! If it doesn’t then you have the heart of a crow(pun intended) I think Corncrow makes a kind of music that brings out ancient mysteries . The music is haunting and transporting bringing you back to ancient lands, where gallantry was abundant and people wore long dresses. A little digging on the background of the song tells me about a 4th century Breton saint who was also a great healer. His feast day is the first Friday in June.No wonder the song has a very spiritual feel. Corncrow are a duo of Kim Guy -acoustic guitar, recorders, vocals and Steve Hunt – acoustic and electric guitars, bouzouki, vocals. Meriasek is taken from their new album Sweet Nightingale.

You can find them in facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Corncrow/90795758139

and Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/corncrow

About the video: Official video for Corncrow’s version of Meriasek (S. Lockley, N. Kennedy), which I shot in Polkerris and Charlestown, January 2013.

Canon 650D, Canon 50mm f/1.4, Fader ND.

Celtic Twist Game:

The Celtic Music Fan would  like offer a free copy of Twist in the Tale to the winner of a competition which will start now. This is how it goes. All you need to do is find an answer to a question which in the animated picture blow. all you need to do is go to their official website http://www.wix.com/hollandandpalmley/celtictwist to look for the answer. A winner will be announced at the end of this month.  Phil and Dave could send it directly to you with a short note of congratulations. How’s that? For those who are new to this album, here is the link to the review I did back in June 27 of 2012.

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Huzza!

Now that we are in the month of love, the focus this week is about the best love songs in traditional Celtic music.  My first introduction was by Windham Hill compilation called Heart of the Celts. From there the list of ballads about love simply increased. If you look at our musical culture in a macroscopic level, you will realize that each Celtic nation has its own love ballads and it will take so much if we do some research and post the songs here. However, I would just like to emphasize that the Celts know how to write the best heart break songs, I think much better than love songs. But we also need to give tribute to Robert Burns for giving us one of the best love ballads called ” Ae Fond Kiss ” which is close to my heart.

Clannad is known to produced the best ballads both traditional and modern. There’s also Connie Dover, Loreena McKennitt and Altan. Then there’s so much more that like I said would take so much to fit this edition.

Sorry if this section is short. I  have to be honest with you: I have nothing to write for now. All my thoughts were focused on the meteor explosion in Russia and for hour I kept on posting updates upon updates about the incident via facebook and google plus. So when morning came I felt so exhausted and I kept on thinking about aliens. So there you have it. I promise to write more content on our Huzzah next time. Take care and see you this Tuesday for our featured interview and it is with no other than Scottish singer/songwriter Ewan McLennan!

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Windtalker:Peace, Love and Tranquility (Conversations with Jenne Lennon)

/ mrbaxteria2008 / 4 Comments

If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.  ~Mother Teresa

Peace cannot be achieved through violence, it can only be attained through understanding.  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Victory attained by violence is tantamount to a defeat, for it is momentary.  ~Gandhi

We challenge the culture of violence when we ourselves act in the certainty that violence is no longer acceptable, that it’s tired and outdated no matter how many cling to it in the stubborn belief that it still works and that it’s still valid.  ~Gerard Vanderhaar

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You are what you eat. I read this statement from Jim Corr a couple of years back in Time magazine when an article about Irish musicians making it big came out. True. What we watch, what we listen to and the kind of friends we hang out off-line and online speak about our personalities. So you might ask: is there a chainsaw in my horizon since I love to watch gory flicks?

I got an interesting discussion with artist Jenne Lennon yesterday. As much as I want to keep it for myself, I think she has many points that are interesting. So I am putting some of them here. She is launching Windtalker radio podcast and they talk to artists, activists, media, etc. and really anyone who is making a positive impact in the world around. According to her my having 120,000 hits on this site in support of good music is making an impact .

L to R:Liz Madden and Jenne Lennon

L to R:Liz Madden and Jenne Lennon

Listen to Jenne’s “Anam Spirit” song here:http://jennelennon.com/

CMF:I told her that I am “just a  vessel of something much bigger 🙂 We are all part of this pattern and we do what we can to make that pattern work.”

Jenne: “I would definitely have to agree with that statement. We are all vessels of something bigger. Here to send a message and make an impact. My hope for the world is that everyone would want to make a positive impact and that people would realize the potential within themselves to create a bigger impact than they believe is possible. We sell ourselves too short as humans. We do not give ourselves enough credit. We believe we our powerless over our own destiny and we accept mediocrity because we think we should. But, we always long for something greater. That’s why I created windtalker radio, with Liz’s help and the help of my producer Roland Labana, and then created the windtalker blog. And, that’s why I create this music along with Shishonnah. longing for something greater.”

“With what is going on in the world, we need more positivity. We need to believe on something. And I think that the more people like you who are doing this project, the more we will make this world a safer place to live. Kudos to you and Liz and the people involved in this project. This is a milestone…and personally? I think this is the best part of being alive today . Making an impact and knowing kindred spirits!”

“Absolutely. Life as difficult and as complex as it can be, is really that simple. We as humans bring an unnecessary complexity to it and in our journeys here on earth, must find our paths to bring us back to the loving simplicities of life. And, I suppose it only happens through impact and suffering. But, that is something we all share, and I hope all of us can learn this in the new century and I would hope many more people will make an effort. Yourself included, you are doing great work too! 🙂 and thank you for the well wishes. They are always appreciated!”

“Who would have thought that I will come face to face with amazing people when I created that blog out of loneliness. But yes , the little things we do, we will just be surprised that one day, like a seed it is going to bear fruits. And the greatest fruit of all is knowing that what you do is not for yourself alone but for others , and making it easier, making it better…connecting to that bigger source where all things come from.”

“I suppose we all seek creative endeavours of loneliness…huh? Bono said it best, that the artist always feels a sense of emptiness that needs to be filled. Or, in one of Anne Rice’s novels, a lead character says that strong people always feel a depth of loneliness. We create in an effort to create a better world around us, without even knowing that is why we are doing so. Basic human psychology. It’s kind of funny if you think about it. I understand loneliness, definitely. But, I hope you don’t feel alone anymore. It is a different world now. A different century. People are getting better though the media would have you think otherwise”.

“We are actually launching the second single “I will Carry You” on Friday. I think you will like this one. Very different from Dance With The River. A slow ballad talking about loss and knowing that one day things will get better. We are already getting a great response from listeners. A lot of people identify with the lyrics. Maybe, you might too. :)”

“I think I can relate to that. I parted ways with someone very dear recently because long distance relationships don’t work. So this song will have meaning to me. One of those “soundtrack of your life” kind of thing. I know I will love this song.”

“Something similar happened to me a little over a year ago, but it does get better. The universe can be very kind. When you bravely take a big step in your life such as a breakup or a career move, or even grieving a death, it changes the energies around you and steers the positive your way. Taking a big step like that can actually bring something greater your way. A few months later I had an incredible experience on top of St. Michael’s Mount in Cornwall. A few days later stepping off a plane, Liz found me in the U.S. and so did my husband. All of that suffering brought great new changes”.

  “I agree with you. The universe is kind. All you need to do is take it easy, step back and wait a bit longer. Something will turn up.My big congratulations to you and your new life. We are blessed!”

“Yes, definitely we are blessed. A lot of people forget that. That’s why I work so much with the Native Americans. They understand this and they accept pain and suffering willingly. A lot of world religions preach this, but don’t execute it. The Natives do and find happiness and contentment in so much. Working with them saved my life.”

Going back to my interview with her in 2009, she has been very outspoken in her work with the Native Americans. In this spirit I will let you listen to these wonderful videos.