Welcome back Celtophiles. I have fresh news for you today. Just finished my jug of black tea and all geared up to rock the keyboards…..
If you are looking for irresistible vocals with great instrumentals then Memory Lane by The High Kings will bring you those. From the lively Star of the County Down backed by a nice banjo to a capella Red is the Rose will surely grow on your Irish music garden.
The High Kings just returned from their successful January 29 The Children Need You Concert. As what these guys say:
“We are honoured to have performed with 12,000 champion children, who are the Hallelujah choir over the course of 3 days. Thank you for being the best backing choir ever!”
Memory Lane will be released on March 8, 2011!
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American fans in Indiana, be sure to catch The Chieftains , who will be appearing at 8 p.m. Tuesday at the IU Auditorium. These guys brought us decades of magical Irish music that are love by both old and new.
Originally founded in 1962 by Paddy Moloney, the band’s style is grounded in traditional Irish instrumental music. From playing only the fiddle, flute, tin whistle and bodhran, which gave the music a rustic and traditional sound, they incorporate world materials byt collaborating with artists like Loreena McKennitt, Sinead O’ Connor and MOya Brennan. More news in this link: http://www.idsnews.com/news/story.aspx?id=80100
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Florida Welcomes Scythian
Gypsy grooves meets Celtic spirit, Cythian(sith-ee-yin) will set you on your feet with their brand of fusion mixing blue grass, and world styles. Yes the core is Celtic and these guys have their own punk humors to keep you amused. I love them and you should check them out as they perform live at Skipper’s Smoke House courtesy of WMNF88.5 FM.
With a voice darker than Sarah Brightman’s but with music more organic than Enigma or Era, Hayley Griffiths unleashes Silver Screen. The title will probably give an impression of covers but the press release has confirmed she adds her own trademark to the songs. Check her out with that sample video. What do you think?
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Hearing the Legend.
I stumbled upon Cape Breton’s fiddle legend Dan R MacDonald. Gives me shivers. More here: http://danrory.com/home.html
It looks like this blog has taken a detour lately as we feature more and more heartwarming TV series. I don’t really watch television but I will make an exception to Irish-themed ones. They are always excellent. Nothing beats Irish humor. It is like a kick on the stomach. Remember Granny O’Grimm? I thank Christi for introducing me to this show. There will be more to come 🙂
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An amazing talent has piqued my interest lately. This is no other than Athy Blueharper from Buenos Aires, Argentina. His style is a combination of funk and jazzy type. He has an air of a prankster bard but he is a serious composer performer. I will be doing an email interview with him soon so watch out for that one.
July 13 marks a big day for Canada’s Great Big Sea as they released a new album Safe Upon The Shore celebrating their 18th year in the industry. The album is composed of 14 tracks . It has a wonderful cover artwork! “Nothing But a Song’ is the first single. There is something wonderfully bouncy about the song that reminds you it is summer. Check out somewhere around 2:15 of this video where the fun really escalates..
Texas-based Celtic Rock band Needfire is also in the middle of a hectic tour. Their music is a combination of straight ahead rock, Americana and celtic styles. Traditional instruments like bagpipes, fiddles and even didgeridoo are utilized both in recordings and live shows. Check out the following schedules here: http://www.needfire.com/news.htm
Christian Celtic band Iona are preparing for their September tour this year. This band is fronted by Joanne Hogg who has one of the most beautiful voices since Moya Brennan and Karen Matheson. Watch out for latest updates here . Iona disappeared from the music scene for almost a decade and now it looks like they will sweep the scene once more.
I have been looking for a Tri Yann site in English because their official site is in French. There is however this one helpful link in English which lists their discography and videos . Check out NME’s Tri Yann page.
Galician culture finally has a home in The Galician Way, an online magazine that covers topics from films, books,tunes, art and shows. Everything you need is there.
The official site of Breton singer Denez Prigent is now on construction. One of his musical highlights was having two songs featured in a movie Black Hawk Down with Lisa Gerrard (Gortoz A Ran is one of them). This song is entirely in Breton as you can see in this video. This is one song that is simply perfect when sang as a duet with former Dead Can Dance other half Lisa Gerrard.
AlzheiMelilla of YouTube provided a translation for this song:
Teuio en-dro an avel c’hlas
[Will come back the blue wind]
– Da analañ va c’halon c’hloaz’t
[To breathe my wounded heart]
– Kaset e vin diouzh e anal
[I will be pulled away by its blow]
– Pell gant ar red en ur vro all
[Far away by its stream to another land]
– Kaset e vin diouzh e alan
[I will be pulled away by its breath]
– Pell gant ar red, hervez ‘deus c’hoant
[Far away by its stream, wherever it wants]
Hervez ‘deus c’hoant pell eus ar bed
[Wherever it wants, far away from this world]
– Etre ar mor hag ar stered
[Between the sea and the stars]
Contemporary with a dash of traditional and country, Darren Holden (who is popularly known as one of the High Kings) is quite busy this month with his touring schedules. That is not surprising considering the fact that his career did take off after relocating to New York and working with important names in the business. He holds the reputation as not only a singer of a high order but also as a composer and instrumentalist. Hopefully you’ll get to catch Darren as he makes it near you. Check out these schedules…
Speaking of The High Kings, hear them live at the sugar club. These guys never fail to dazzle listener with the energetic rendition of traditional materials and connection to the audience. Their anecdotes and humour create a relaxed atmosphere where they could explain the origins of each interesting pieces.
Brian Dunphy started his musical career as part of the Riverdance. From then on everything is history. Blazing the trail as part of the Three Irish Tenors, Brian now tours with The High Kings and has released his first solo CD Timeless.
Today we are going to talk about passion. According to the English dictionary of synonyms, the very word also means: warmth, heart, ardour, fervor, rapture, ecstasy, intoxication, rapture, enthusiasm, gusto, eagerness etc. There are countless words that could mean the same thing. And of course we know that the antonyms of passion are apathy, indifference, coldness etc.
A friend used to say that the reason she finds musicians or people who are into music interesting is that these people have something that sets them apart from other. It could be because of how passionate they can get…
Now for the news…
I love listening to Connie Dover. I have listened to all of her recordings available and I have been passionate about her works since the 90s. She started her career fronting the Kansas based Blue Grass band Scartaglen in the 80s. From there she honed her skills into what would become her solo debut Somebody(Taylor Park) which resulted to positive reviews and a rave in the Scottish radio. I think her name stuck with me for the first time, while I was browsing through the pages of CD review back in 1991. And years later that music became a source of comfort for me when I was undergoing some troubling and lonely periods of my life.
Her pure and magical voice is undoubtedly unmatched by anyone in the business. Her materials are well-researched that span a thousand years. I also give her a high five for being the only American who is able to wield the songs of Early America with the traditional hymns of Ireland and the British Isles. Her recordings never fail and there featured a distinction between instruments used by guest musicians. From hammered dulcimer, Irish bouzouki, fiddle, concertina and other definitive instrument used in this type of music, each of the songs promises to entice and to wrap you up like fine silk.
Right now Connie continues to be active in the music and poetry scene. Two poems called Radio Crane Collage and Cavort (from her book of poetry Winter Count) are featured in her official myspace site) If you go to the National Public Radio website, there is an interview of Connie about her song I Am Going to the West (from Border of Heaven) and here’s the link: http://www.npr.org/templates/player/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=102168188&m=102218501
She was also part of the 25th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nevada, where she sang with her friend, Skip Gorman, and read a few poems. To view the event: http://cybercast.westernfolklife.org/2009/.
Here is an interesting blurb from her official myspace site:
Connie finds her inspiration in the landscapes, history and culture of the American West. When she is not performing, she works as a ranch cook in the beautiful country between Wyoming’s Wind River and Absaroka Mountains. She received the Grand Prize in the Western Folklife Center’s 2007 Yellowstone-Teton Song Contest and a 2007 Emmy Award for her soundtrack production of the PBS documentary “Bad Blood – The Border War that Triggered the Civil War”.
Her CDs (three were recorded in Scotland) show the close ties between the American folk and cowboy songs she sings around Wyoming campfires and their Celtic ancestors, and she has twice been a finalist for a Native American Music Award.
Listening to readings from the “Pit Poets” at Prospero’s Bookstore in Kansas City lit Connie’s literary fire, and her first book of poetry, Winter Count, was published in 2007. She is a recipient of the Speakeasy Prize in Poetry. Look for samples of her writing on her myspace blog.
Born in Arkansas and raised in Missouri, Connie is of English, Cherokee, Mexican and Scots/Irish descent. Her studies at Oxford University further enriched her unique perspective of the context of traditional songs. She has been a guest on NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday and Sunday, A Prairie Home Companion, and Thistle and Shamrock. Acclaimed by the Boston Globe as “the finest folk ballad singer America has produced since Joan Baez”, Connie offers listeners a musical experience that transcends cultural boundaries and affirms our connection with the past.
Connie’s newest CD, The Holly and the Ivy (traditional Christmas songs and carols recorded with the Kansas City Chamber Orchestra,) was released December 10, 2008. Her new digital-only release of “Amazing Grace” and “The Language of Flowers” is now available through CD Baby, itunes, emusic and other music download sites.
Vincent van Gogh wrote to his brother, “The best way to know life is to love many things.”
Connie Dover and Skip Gorman — Full Moon Concert in the Dunes; an evening outdoor concert by the light of a full moon in White Sands’ beautiful natural amphitheatre; an intimate setting in the New Mexican desert – bring blankets or lawn chairs; http://www.nps.gov/whsa; contact: 575.679.2599
..Searching for a radio station which plays “Connie Dover” and
similar music ?
Check out radio “smorgasbord” – your internet
radio playing folk, Celtic, rock, metal & more.http://www.smorgasbord.at
Let the all girl band conquer the global arena of Irish traditional music, Liadan is here! Not only that they’re all pretty, they got original talent for clever arrangements, singing in harmony, and play traditional instruments at such a breakneck speed that destroys the myth that beauty and brains don’t go together. Liadan has proven to the world that traditional music is very much alive and kicking. We are assured, that there are still talents out there who will carry the torch lead by bands such as The Chieftains, Clannad, Cherish the Ladies, Altan and De Dannan in decades to come. From Galway and Limerick this inspiring all-female band comprises of six members: Síle Denvir, harpist; Deirdre Chawke, piano accordion; Elaine Cormican, whistles. Valerie Casey and Claire Dolan, fiddles; Catherine Clohessy, flute. Catch them perform in the following venues:
Don’t miss the big event at Leo’s Tavern this June 29th . SOS (Save our Scenery) is a benefit concert featuring Brian Kennedy and Frances Black. These are the two amazing voices of Ireland. The event is hosted by Leo Brennan’s daughter Moya Brennan whom we all know as the voice of Clannad and sister of Enya.
Celtic Music Fan 