Celtsmith is a Welsh band led by Derek Smith . Looks familiar? Well that’s because he is directly related to Jamie Smith of Jamie Smith’s Mabon. He is also the Festival Director and chair person of Cwlwm Celtaidd, the voluntary organisation that organises the festival under the Porthcawl Interceltic Festival since 2002. Celtsmith is a band to watch out for.
Highly emotive and explosive as icicles in March Abagail Grey, a project by Scottish singer Claire Campbell takes a daring direction in terms of style and interpretation. Her music is very visual and listening to her is like looking at shifting scenes of landscapes when you ride a train long distance. She has perfected the command of atmosphere. Incorporating beats in her music creates a balance that teeters between introspective mood and popish excitement. Elegant as chandeliers on castles yet powerful in an arena rock glamour kind of intensity, Abagail Grey has capture my ears…and heart.
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.
I spend the rest of my afternoons looking for new music either on the web or through friends. I have a close knit circle that loves Celtic music. My taste is eclectic. That is why I run another site called http://www.spheremusic.wordpress.com. There are times when I think the the music is appropriate for this blog or on that blog. There are also times when it is hard to decide so it is either this or that. The point is: music speaks a universal language.
In the end it doesn’t really matter. Labeling is a marketing strategy to help consumers decide where they should look if their interest is specific. But you always know when you need to get that record regardless of the genre. You always know that there is somethings special about the songs that grab you. Such is what I found when I listened to the tracks of Brendan O”Shea. The guy is down to earth and he is sending me his newest CD in the mail. He agreed to have an interview as well.
I also realize that apart from maintaining this site and posting songs, I need to act like a disc jokey too. So therefore I need to talk to you my readers. It isn’t so hard after years of experience in customer service hahahahaha. Time is really precious. Once we have it, we can do a lot of things. I wish we have more time to discover new music. And I hope you all stay with me through this journey.
Jamie Smith’s MABON – Spring Tour / Taith y Gwanwyn
Tuesday, 6 March 2012 at 19:00 until Saturday, 24 March 2012 at 22:30
Tuesday, 6 March 2012 at 19:00 until Saturday, 24 March 2012 at 22:30
Milton Keynes / Reading / Powys / Solva / Somerset / Winchester / Bristol / Norwich / Cumbria / Caerleon
A perfect chance to catch the fearless five-piece on fine form as they prepare to record their new album in April.
New music will feature alongside established repertoire, songs alongside instrumental music, all bound together by consummate musicianship and joyful performance.
Dates are all in MARCH as follow:
WAVENDON, Nr Milton Keynes – The Stables Theatre – Tues 6th;
READING – South Street Arts Centre – Thurs 8th;
POWYS – Llanbedr Village Hall – Fri 9th;
SOLVA Memorial Hall, Pembs – Sat 10th;
BRIDGWATER Arts Centre, Somerset – Fri 16th;
WINCHESTER – The Discovery Centre – Sat 17th;
BRISTOL – The Thunderbolt – Sun 18th;
NORWICH Arts Centre, Norfolk – Weds 21st;
COCKERMOUTH, Cumbria – The Kirkgate Centre – Fri 23rd;
CAERLEON Town Hall, Gwent – Sat 24th.
Dewch i ymuno a ni wrth inni baratoi am albwm newydd eleni – cyfle gwych i weld y band mewn cyngerdd agos, personol. Fe ddwlen ni’ch gweld chi yno!
Come and hear what tunes are in the pipeline for this year’s new recording…!
Weaving a Celtic Past – Moya Brennan, Cormac De Barra, Edel Bhreatnach
Click
The Society welcomes Edel Bhreathnach and musicians Moya Brennan and Cormac de Barra to its headquarters for their presentation “Weaving a Celtic Past.” Through song, history, music and images of books and manuscripts protected by Irish Franciscans, Brennan, de Barra andBhreathnach weave a vivid portrait of Celtic history. Edel Bhreathnach is a historian of medieval Irish history and literature, and is deputy director of the Mícheál Ó Cléirigh Institute for the Study of Irish History and Civilisation at University College Dublin. Moya Brennan is the lead singer for Grammy award winning Irish band Clannad and Cormac de Barra is a traditional harpist. The program is a narrative lecture, interspersed with songs and music performed by Brennan and de Barra. Bhreathnach says the presentation is “the story of preserving and reviving the memory of Irish identity.”
Friends are in Scotland today. Weekend is here and it’s time to keep the ball rolling. Julie Fowlis is embarking on her US tour from October 26 to November 11. Music of the Scottish Isle will begin on Hillsdale Michigan and that falls on a Wednesday. I haven’t confirmed with My friend Christi if she will be there. But I am sure all lovers of Scottish music will not surely miss this one out. More of this news here: http://www.juliefowlis.com/
Welsh band Jamie Smiths MABON are about to sep up their UK tour next month. I have confirmed this news with their Manager / Sound Engineer John Eelles whom I am going to contact for a possible interview with lead man Jamie Smith. Listen to the new tracks posted here: http://www.jamiesmithsmabon.com/ http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=62149346341
Jamie Lawson – @ The Thatch Rahan Tullamore Today at 23:30 – Tomorrow at 02:30 .Don’t miss this event. The album ‘Wasn’t Expecting That’ is now out! Here’s the press release:
The title track ‘Wasn’t Expecting That’ jumped to #1 on iTunes after a rush release in Ireland following radio airplay on Today FM. The YouTube hits accelerated to 85,000 views and are now over 194,000 views. And Jamie has since performed on RTE The Late Late Show as well as appearing on TV’s Ireland AM (and that’s just the beginning).
Born and raised in Plymouth in what was he says a resolutely non-musical household, Jamie asked for and received a guitar when he was 8-years-old. Experimenting with covers band while at school, it was only when Jamie was 17 that he started to discover his own voice – and that voice proved to be something very special indeed. No-one who has heard him sing live would disagree (and in addition to his own regular schedule of gigging, he has played with artists including The Frames, Martha Wainwright and Damien Rice, as well as having been chosen as opening act for outdoor gigs by both Van Morrison and Katie Melua). Even-keeled, even undemonstrative offstage, he comes alive in front of an audience and in the service of his songs. “American Music Club’s Mark Eitzel has been a big influence, in the sense that he sings with his whole body and puts so much into his performance. The difference is that my voice is sweeter and more pure.”
Currently residing on the north coast of Cornwall, Jamie spends most of the year living in a caravan overlooking the sea. “I like the freedom it provides. There aren’t as many of the distractions of modern life, so I have the space to write songs. I’m not Bon Iver, though!”
Before settling in Cornwall, Jamie spent two years working and playing in the clubs of Ireland, fully immersing himself in the music scene and performing alongside the likes of Mundy, The Four of Us, Glen Hansard of The Swell Season, Tom Baxter and Gemma Hayes.
The colors of Autumn are here. And so is the music that fits the season. Don’t you just love it when after a long day you can finally sit down , relax and listen to your favorite Celtic tunes? Right now I am listening to The Battlefield Band, Jamie Smiths MABON, Cleghorn and The Gothard Sisters.
Jamie Smiths MABON are a group I am keeping my ears on lately. They have this contest for listeners to name the new tunes. That’s interesting. The band have been busy with so much musical stuff that it will take so much space if I mention them here. They also have amazing photo shoots and the band have been on the top list of my best computer wallpapers. I’d recommend you visit their website www.jamiesmithsmabon.com
The Gothard Sisters remind me of Pre-Raphaelite models who stepped out of Rossetti’s paintings to charm mortals. They are photogenic that it’s lovely to stare at their album covers. Heard about them when my friend Jimmy posted a video on facebook and he got a lot of comments for that. It’s nice to know that Celtic music has gotten more and more hip and fashionable. The amazing Scarborough Fair video is beautifully conceived and the rich sophisticated playing of the sisters are sure to captivate more ears. I’d say they’re the bomb and everyone needs to listen-and look! http://gothardsisters.weebly.com/
Cleghorn are a band everyone’s been passionate about . They performed at Pirate Days of Texas at Stewart’s Creek Park. I hope you’re able to catch this father and son musical act. If you look at the right widget section of this blog, you will see that I posted the Cleghorn player for fans to have a listen especially this wonderful new track Windswept Girl. It will surely sweep you off your feet. http://store.cleghornmusic.com/
The colors of Autumn are here. And so is the music that fits the season. Don’t you just love it when after a long day you can finally sit down , relax and listen to your favorite Celtic tunes? Right now I am listening to The Battlefield Band, Jamie Smiths MABON, Cleghorn and The Gothard Sisters.
Celtic Music Fan 