Ok the sixth episode of my radio show on www.radio-happy.com is up with lots of Celtic music goodies. I apologize for the bad sound quality when I speak . I had no idea the there was electrical grounding when I started the show. But never mind my speech. Listen to the music because I featured the best and the brightest in the world of Celtic music!
Brian Cunningham is in the middle of his Atlantic Steps tour. It is definitely gaining momentum as more venues are filled and more dances performed for the pleasure of the eager crowd. It is doing great that reaped a positive review from The Boston Globe. The Irish and the whole Celtic music scene are excited as something fresh is making its way into the mainstream consciousness. Yes fresh but actually taken from something ancient. This is the beauty of Sean Nos dancing. It is definitely Irish all the way. It is also a kind of dance that has become obscured but now found a new audience in both young and old. I first got acquainted with the term after reading Dark Dealings by Karen Victoria Smith. At first, I thought Sean Nos only referred to the type of singing which also translates to “Old Style.
An observer of Sean Nos dancing who is new to this art would notice similarity to American tap dance. But remember that American music and dance are both influenced by the Irish culture. Brian Cunningham answered these question between sessions. He was prompt friendly in getting back to my questions. The thing about real artists is that they are both eager to perform the art tell the world about it.
There is a huge resurgence of Sean Nos dancing not just from Ireland but also from the whole Irish diaspora. How to you feel being in the middle of it all?
It’s great to be in the middle of this huge revival of an ancient dance form sean nos dance. It’s a well minded and respected art form, so it’s important that it’s revived in a special way.
So tell us more about Atlantic Steps. You are in the midst of a tour I believe? How’s it going so far?
We just finished our USA tour with Atlantic Steps, and it’s flying high thank God! More info about the tour available here :www.atlanticsteps.com
How did you develop the love for traditional dancing?
I developed my love for sean nos dance at the age of five. I love the freeness and excitement it brings to me and the people I perform to.
Can you cite the dancers who influenced your desire to follow this path?
I learned how to dance from my father, and he learned from his grandfather. I was also influenced be the great Mairtin Beg O Griofa and Seamus Devan. It all comes from the heart and our culture in Connemara.
If someone who is new to Sean Nos dancing asks you ‘what is sean nos dancing,’ what’s your answer?
If someone asks me what sean nos dancing is, I would say it’s not just ‘steps of a dance.’ Sean nos is a story, and the oldest dance story we have in Ireland. It’s the feeling you get and the passion you feel. When you do sean nos dancing, the rhythm is coming from inside.
What will happen this year in terms of Atlantic Steps and side projects?
My plans for the next year is to keep working on atlantic steps and most of all to keep trying to take part in the revival of sean nos dance. My biggest goal is to tell the story and as it was not just dance.
Points to remember when someone as old as 38 gets into Irish dancing?
When someone is getting into Irish dancing, the thing to keep in mind is, there are no rules or regulations with sean nos. People of 60 years and up, werethe best dancers. They had the style mastered even back in the day when it was danced in country kitchens around the open fire.
Brian Cunningham is performing in Boston this weekend.
Video:
‘Atlantic Steps’ is the inspiring epic story of Ireland’s oldest dance form, 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).
***
Huzzah!
Here we are again with our fabulous edition of the Huzzah! following the Brian Cunningham interview above. I am dizzy while writing this because it is past 11. Sometimes I think I am getting old due to my ‘punctual’ sleeping habits. So what’s up? Well I want to touch about amusing pictures on top of our usual musical recommendation.
I want to say that The Folkalists made amusing pictures via their fb page. Take a look at these:
Click to enlarge
If you want to know how they sound like, then just try to imagine, Simon and Garfunkel with a good dose of The beach Boys and Planxty for the good measure. The sound is characterized by tight harmonies and lush instrumentation. Can’t wait for an actual album from The Folkalists. Here is a link to their demo: http://soundcloud.com/stubbornassmusic/i-will-always-be-around
Sliotar is preparing for their march and April gigs. For those who are new to the band, this video gives you an idea about the music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=939HwEOslR8
Scottish piper Fraser Fifield is in Holland performing with The Nordanians. Here is a video of the music for those who are curious: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5WiGLCIeKs
This entry originally appeared in The Celtic Music Magazine . I have Marc Gunn’s permission to re post it here. I think this is an interesting essay about how Celtic music found a home in the Czech Republic. I remember the first time I went online(after discovering the Internet), I met a couple of friends from over there. They are from a band called WMV Trio. After 2000, life took over and we all drifted apart. But memories are precious and I still recall the great times we had sharing music, poetry and everyday things.
Robots, bagpipes and Celtic music
by Jeremy King
Here’s a little quiz for you. What do the following have in common? Skoda cars, robots, pistols, and Vaclav Havel. Got it? They’re all Czech. Really? Mr.Havel and Skoda cars, sure, but robots and pistols? Both are Czech words which have been completely assimilated into the English language. Now, if I were to add to this list of things Czech ‘bagpipes’ and ‘Celtic music’ you might start to question my state of mind. Too much strong Czech beer, perhaps. Nope, not at all. Bagpipes have been used in the Czech lands since time immemorial and Celtic music, well, the pipes and Celtic music are inseparable aren’t they? Find more about Czech bagpipes here And, unlike those Czech words which have been assimilated into the English language, Celtic music hasn’t been assimilated into Czech culture; it’s always been here.
Central Europe has long been known to have nurtured the Celtic tribes which later migrated across the rest of Europe, taking their bagpipes with them, to end up in the Atlantic coastal areas of Spain, France, Wales, Scotland and Ireland, and then finally, much, much later, in emigrant ships to America and Australia. Of course the music and culture and the bagpipes of the Celts changed, adapted and diversified as the tribes spread out on their millennia-long journey, taking on influences from the tribes and lands that they passed through and inhabited. So here we come back to the idea of assimilation. It’s always been a two-way thing, this cultural exchange between peoples living in close proximity. It’s something us humans do well. It’s a way of showing off, but it’s also a way of making friends. Let’s take a modern example-just think about that song by Aerosmith and RUN DMC- ‘Walk This Way’.
You may not like it, or you may love it. That’s not the point. The point is that it’s a great example of how two vastly different styles of music (metal and hip hop) played by musicians from very different musical scenes got together and had a load of fun creating a great piece of music. I’m sure you can think of lots more examples in Celtic music. One springs straight to mind; the Afro-Celt Sound System . There’s another example of how very different musical styles meld together and create something exhilarating.
This is all quite a long way from the Czech Republic and Celtic music, though. When people listen to our music they are usually surprised to find out that we’re from the Czech Republic.
Poitín
For those of you whose geography is a bit fuzzy, I should say that the country has Germany and Poland on its left and right, and below it on the map you’ll find Austria and Italy. Naturally, people quite justifiably want to know how it is that we are playing this style at all. The first thing we usually say to these inquisitive souls is that we like it, which should go without saying, really. So then they ask, but how did you get into Celtic music in the first place? And for the majority of the band it is the same answer: via Czech folk music. So here we are again. We’ve come around full circle. So what is it about Czech folk music that connects with Celtic music? Bagpipes for one thing.
But there’s more than that, of course. Czech folk music still resounds with the echoes of the music of the ancient Celtic tribes that once lived here. And some musicians aren’t content with regurgitating fossilized folk tunes. They want to move on and create something new, whilst respecting the traditions from which they have grown. Music schools in the Czech Republic have a great and well-deserved reputation. Many parents send their kids to after-school classes to learn the violin, piano, and even traditional folk dance too. My son goes twice a week to a very patient and lovely music teacher to learn the accordion- he’s going to play with us one day. And in these classes they naturally learn to play Czech folk music. Our bouzouki/banjo player Honza and guitarist Kuba both went to Folk dance and music classes – they have fond memories of attending folk festivals around Europe when they were children and where they were treated like stars. But for some, Czech folk music is just a starting point or a stepping stone to something else. Many children don’t carry on with music at all when they get older, but those who do either continue with their Czech folk music and play in wedding bands and so on, or else move on to other musical genres. And it is this last group which we’re most interested in, as a lot of these musicians seem to gravitate towards the very broad genre known as Celtic music.
Next time I’ll be looking in more detail at Celtic music and culture in the Czech Republic, from the traditional to the experimental; from bands which sing traditional Irish songs translated into Czech, to bands which have given a modern twist to traditional Czech music; bands which have gone into Celtic rock, punk and metal; I’ll also look at some Scottish and Irish dance companies based in the Czech Republic which compete in international competitions. There is a lot to discover here in one of the world’s oldest Celtic countries and I’m looking forward to sharing it with you.
Poitin and Sliotar performed together at Zach’s Pub earlier this week. It was an amazing musical event. Here is one video taken by the flutist of ” Cheers!” Kateřina Hofmanová.
To fans in other countries, here are the videos and pictures from July 17 at Zach’s Pub. Just to give you the taste of what’s Celtic music like in the Czech Republic. Everyone had a great time. The guys were up until 4am playing great Celtic tunes. For musicians out there who are traveling to the Czech Republic, you now have an idea how fun it is to be a Celtic musician at this time. Cheers!
Sliotar at Zach’s Pub Pilsen, Czech Republic on their Summer tour of Europe 2012 http://www.sliotarmusic.com/ After 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.
Celtic Music Fan 