Lyon

Young Trad, Sweet Trad.

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Featuring: Moxie with the music video What Lies Behind the Wall, JP Trio and Last Track from Lyon France.

 

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Perhaps the title of this post might come as a surprise but I took this line from an old mushy song from the 60s simply because youth is indeed a sweet time to experiment and to be insanely in love not just with people but with music. Yes this is not a post about love or love songs but about the love for traditional Irish music or any forms of music in the same musical culture.

January is not over yet but we have a huge batch of artists whose flowering talents are just waiting to be plucked and savoured to your satisfaction.  We start this off with the world debut of What Lies Behind the Wall by Irish trad band Moxie. Just go to the search bar on the upper right of this side beside the header and type Moxie or Cillian Doheny and I am sure you will have links to interesting articles I wrote about this band.

What Lies Behind the Wall by Moxie.

Cillian Doheny Tenor Banjo / Nylon & Steel String Guitar / Mandola
Jos Kelly Button Accordian / Keyboard
Darren Roche Button Accordian / Nylon String Guitar
Ted Kelly Tenor Banjo / Tenor Guitar / Mandolin
Paddy Hazelton Percussion

Shot by Peter Clyne;
https://vimeo.com/user6079776

Energy, style and craft: These are things that make any song captivating. Moxie made an electrifying debut with the music video to their track What Lies Behind the Wall. The track is already stunning on its own. Add a stylish black and white video and what you get is a great package of visual and aural treat. This is what a good trad video should be. Straight to the point, elegant and the focus is the music. Peter Clyne’s artistic vision captures the band at their most stunning: playing live music. I like that part in 0:50 when percussionist Paddy Hazelton starts tapping. It is like a build up of suspense only to be consummated when the band  dips into heavier playing at 2:20. The whole ‘rain of notes’ element is brought about by Ted Kelly’s Tenor Banjo. Jos Kelly, Darren Roche all deliver exceptional playing along with their telegenic talents. And Cillian Doheny is rocking!  I will quote from my previous review I wrote about this track:

What Lies Behind the Wall has notes tapping with suspense at the beginning of the track. It is like watching a flower bloom in hyper speed. Like all remarkable Irish bands playing traditional music, Moxie offers fresh approach to a tradition that has been around and is determined to stay.

Their sound is vibrant and the arrangements are intricate. This is traditional music with a cool twist. Sophisticated style blends with rustic simplicity making them one of a kind Irish band.

Band Bio:

Formed in late 2011 as part of the annual folk festival, Sligo Live, Moxie are a Sligo and Limerick based band that formed through years of musical friendships from playing together at certain festivals around Ireland. The band incorporates Irish music with other genres such as folk, rock and new age bluegrass. A vibrant new band playing an exciting mix of traditional based compositions with richly developed layers of fantastic harmony. The band includes JPTrio members, Ted Kelly (banjo, tenor guitar, vocals), Jos Kelly (button accordion, keyboard, vocals), Paddy Hazleton (percussion, vocals) and Limerick based musicians, accordion and melodeon powerhouse Darren Roche and virtuoso banjo & guitar player Cillian Doheny.

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/moxiemusic-1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Moxiemuso?ref=tn_tnmn
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Moxiemuso

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Introducing: JP Trio

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Fresh, hypnotic and amazing. The JP Trio is definitely you need to listen to. They describe their sound as Celtic roots funk. According to Cillian Doheny who recommended this trio: “They are so talented. Some of the members are in Moxie but its a totally different type of music. ” So let is get to know them better. JPTrio is composed of  brothers Ted ( on banjo, tenor guitar and vocals) and Jos (button accordion, keyboards and vocals) Kelly, Paddy Hazleton (percussion and vocals), joined by Niamh Farrell for the lead vocals. JPTrio amazing fresh trad sounds incorporating their personal influences. According to their bio, all three musicians are founding members of Spraoi. They claim to be  influenced by jazz along with traditional music. These influences result to a fusion  which is described by critics as  unique and exciting. Trivia: They recently won a Danny Kyle award at Celtic Connections.

More: http://www.jptrio.com/

http://www.facebook.com/JPTrio?fref=ts

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Last Track from Lyon France

Last Track: Jean Damei and Jean-Christophe Morel

Last Track: Jean Damei and Jean-Christophe Morel

http://youtu.be/XJOAirpOKko

From Ireland, we move to Lyon which is the place of good Irish music in France. Lyon is also the hometown of the band Shelta. More and more French Celtic musicians are making this huge impact in the trad scene for both old and young. Last Track is one of them. The duo are comprise of Jean Damei and Jean-Christophe Morel. Their meeting created a very strong bond of friendship and musical partnership. They are influenced by different styles including jazz and funk. Looking and listening to their live performances will tell you that they are musically matured and sophisticated.  You can listen to their tracks and watch videos via their official website : http://lasttrackmusic.com/

The Celtic Music Fan would like to thank Cillian Doheny for this post. He’s the one who recommended these bands and for that A big thank you to him!

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

The Enchanting Luascadh

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Music of the elves…

We think of festive and loud sounds when we talk about the music of Brittany. This association is brought about by the popularity of the bombarde and the biniou. After looking further, I found this unique artist by the name of Alicia Ducout. She goes by the moniker Luascadh. Originally from Rennes, Bretagne, she tours around France with the medieval Celtic ensemble Gaimalis.

She mostly makes music using the harp. The vocals will delight you. It feels like the forest of the elves has suddenly opened up to draw one in. The music of Luascadh can be described as medieval Celtic. There is something hypnotic about the harp being played in such fashion. The sound it makes reminds me of the branches of trees that grow and surround you. She conjures images of fireflies dancing upon the leaves. When the sun sets and crickets start chirping their evening tune, it is time to play Luascadh.


http://www.myspace.com/luascadh

associated with

http://www.gaimalis.net

http://www.myspace.com/gayemalis

After studying drama at Lyon, and after 10 years of piano practice, I have evolved in several medieval ensembles, the journey opened the doors of Celtic civilization and ancient traditional music . .. These doors are engulfed  with wind and the breeze  and of the tale of the Celtic harp!-Luascadh

Kitus:Folk / World / Celtic

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Something to make you boogie with your kilt!

Kitus are a French group  based in Lyon France composed of  Yannick Guyader (diatonic accordion), Sylvain Vuidart (flute, wood and metal), Luke Roche (violin) and Fabien Guiloineau (acoustic guitar, bouzouki).  They play a brand of jazz influenced Celtic music combined with waltzes, mazurkas and even Latin rhythms. The album called “Après l’After” was released in 2009. One of their notable performances was in Gannat Cabaret Festival in 2011. They are on tour and you can check the details through their reverbnation page : http://www.reverbnation.com/kitus and details for purchasing the CD are found in their official website where you can also listen to the  tracks for free.

 

Festival of Lights and Other Videos

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The Festival of Lights (French: Fête des lumières) in Lyon, France expresses gratitude toward Mary, mother of Jesus on December 8 of each year. This uniquely Lyonnaise tradition dictates that every house place candles along the outsides of all the windows to produce a spectacular effect throughout the streets. With over 4 million tourists coming to Lyon for this event,[1] the festival includes other activities based on light and usually lasts 4 days, with the peak of activity occurring on the 8th. The two main focal points of activity are typically the Basilica of Fourvière which is lit up in different colours, and the Place des Terreaux, which hosts a different light show each year.-Wiki

Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière during the Festival of Lights in Lyon

Today our post takes us to the Festival of Lights in Lyon France. My friend Jimmy handpicked all the videos in this post. You see, his choices are really interesting and refreshing. It’s nice to have him on board with us as we share the journey to Celtic music.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xmwpfv_faut-qu-ca-brille_music

First of all I didn’t know if this video would work in wordpress. I tried but the embedding doesn’t work. You need to click the link to go to dailymotion. Out of these pipes those I found interesting are on the right side. Those big drones really enhance the deeper sound and softer quality of the melodies.

Sarah Jarosz, Alison Krauss and Jerry Douglas team up to perform SJ’s original tune “Run Away” at the fifth Transatlantic Sessions in rural Scotland, spring of 2011.

Who is Sarah Jarosz? And why is she making this warm airy acoustic sounds that borrow a lot from Bluegrass and Celtic music? I dug up info about her and found the following:

Home base: Texas

Date of Birth: May 23, 1991 (1991-05-23) (age 20)

First CD: Up ion Her Head

Other info: nominated for a Grammy Award in the category of Best Country Instrumental Performance for the track “Mansinneedof” from that album

Second album:  Follow Me Down, was released by Sugar Hill Records on May 17, 2011.

Instruments: Mandolin, Bouzouki, banjo, guitar, vocals

Official site: http://sarahjarosz.com/

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Some brilliant traditional Irish music from the TV series Geantrai at the pub Cruises Co. Clare.

Ok they look like they’re in a trance. I have to admit I remember the times when I used to comment in facebook a lot. But this time I will let you readers do the commenting. Well, if shyness does not prohibit you from saying something interesting.

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The first of two JSM tracks filmed for the television programme Horo Gheallaidh on BBC Alba during Celtic Connections 2011 in Glasgow.

Broadcast date: Saturday, 1st October 2011. Tunes: Hello Poppet! (Jamie Smith) / The Hustler (Jamie Smith). Musicians: Jamie Smith (Accordion); Oliver Wilson-Dickson (Fiddle); Calum Stewart (Uilleann Pipes); Adam Rhodes (Bouzouki); Matt Downer (Bass); Iolo Whelan (Bodhran/Drums).

Permission was given by the makers of Horo Gheallaidh for this footage to be used by the band.

Been a fan of Jamie Smith’s Mabon for more than a year now.  What can I say, this band from Wales have the capacity to put listeners under their spell.

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Ok apart from the amazing music I have to admit, that hairstyle and pair of glasses are interesting.

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So I hope you enjoy our little trek into the wild side. This is with the help of my friend Jimmy.  I also want to thank Tim for telling me that the first video is available. My appreciation for his editing too .  So OK guys, take it easy, enjoy the rest of the evening. Hope to see you soon!