Celtic music

Bad Thoughts

Tony McMahon on Riverdance

This interesting clip popped up at "Celtic, UK, Nordic, Quebecois, European Folk" forum at Mandolin Cafe. Admitteldy, it's a reaction to Riverdance, but as part of the discourse about what Irish music is, I still find it problematic. It might be useful to analyze in terms of the synthesis of tradition and innovation, but MacMahon himself thinks that their is a certain sound of Irish music--soft, contemplative--that is indicative of regional traditions. Moreover, he seems to place consumerism squarely with Riverdance, really ignoring two centuries of spreading awareness of so-called traditional music in all countries, not just Ireland, with the growth of consumer society.

BigD-Bluez

Eire - Isle Of The Saints by John Doan. He plays a 20 string harp guitar - very interesting sound. It's an instrumental album (with other Celtic musicians as well) of very ethereal music. Reminds me of how I liked Alan Stivell's Renaissance Of The Celtic Harp when I stumbled upon that years ago.
Let me chime in too about The Maker's Mark by Tony McManus - this is another of my favorite Celtic albums from recently.

BigD-Bluez

Aye, lads and lassies, here's some seriously old-time Scottish material on this Alan Lomax comp - Whaur The Pig Gaed On The Spree. Were it the old days I'd go for the album but there's some of the singing I don't know if I can handle and I'll not be wasting me hard earned pence on throwaways. $0.69/track still just pisses me off too much to cherry-pick.

kez

Manran have quite literally rocketed to the top of the Scottish music scene with their powerful combination of Gaelic and English songs. Driving accordion, fiddle, flute and a backline of drums and bass to make any mouth water.

Read more and hear samples at Musicscotland's website.


I don't know how I missed this new debut album last year. Reminds me of the good ol' Runrig days. Really good stuff. I'll be getting this one for sure.

kez

I've been listening to this album this afternoon. I really like it a lot. I think anyone who enjoys Gaelic singing would like it (especially if you like Runrig's sound).
Listen to tracks at Ridge Records.

The Parting is the followup album to "The Megantic Outlaw: A Gaelic Legend" which I raved about several years ago on emusic's celtic music thread (back in the good ol' days!). I copied and pasted what I had written on that thread, for those interested:

...Also - I would like to mention another CD distributed on Runrig's label, Ridge Records, by Calum Martin called "The Megantic Outlaw: A Gaelic Legend"
This CD is not available on eMusic and I would normally not post it here, but it is so unusual and one that most any Runrig fan would like, that I thought it deserved to be mentioned. The CD tells the true story (in song) of Donald Morrison, an ancestor of Martin's who emigrated from Scotland to Canada. It is a re-recorded, revitalized and extended version of Martin's 1983 original recording, which was probably the first ever Gaelic rock album. This new version includes contributions by some members of Capercaillie, Runrig and The Battlefield Band. The new version is completely in Gaelic (and rightly so, considering the story it tells). You can read the true story and listen to sound samples at Ridge Records' website here. It is a fascinating story, as well as a fascinating recording. (I hate to admit, but I downloaded it from ITunes. What else could I do?.) - from the old emusic Celtic Music Thread

BigD-Bluez

Anyone heard this ?recent? collaboration by the Chieftains, Voice Of Ages, produced by T-Bone Burnett? I'm a little leery but I like at least some of the collaborators.

kez

Wow, this is new to me. Don't know if it just passed me by or if it is indeed new. I'm going to have to check and see. Looks very interesting. I don't think The Chieftains has put out a bad album. They almost always do really cool stuff with collaborating musicians. I'm not leery at all - thanks for the heads up.

greg

BDB - I thinkit was released here perhaps four or five months ago. I listened to it as a stream and quite liked it. However, the two reviews I read one was negative and the other neutral. As it is not on emusic here, I'd have to buy via Amazon,it was quite expensive, and there were other music spending priorities then so I didn't get it. It is the kind of thing that if I see it in HMV, our major CD store, on one of their two for £10 deals in a year or so I'd buy!

kez

This may not appeal to all celtic music lovers, but for those who love beautiful voices and don't mind some very capable and impressive progressive rock riffs thrown in, there is a 15-track free/NYOP album by Iona, a progressive celtic rock band (though that description doesn't quite cover everything they are) available at
Noisetrade. The 15 songs are all from "the very best of" their previous albums. I think it's a very worthwhile download - I'd download it myself, except I already have all the songs, and they are very, very good ones.

Also - I didn't realize Iona had released a new double-CD called "Another Realm" in 2011 (promo video on Youtube here.

Iona is indeed an excellent and very talented group.

kez

Joy Dunlop is an impressive Gaelic singer who has been getting quite a bit of attention these last several years. I don't know how it is that I am just now discovering her.

Awards and Nominations

• Roots Recording of the Year – Scots New Music Awards 2011 (Winner)

• Gaelic Singer of the Year – MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards 2011 & 2010 (Nomination)

• The Tradition Award – Fatea Awards 2010 (Winner)

• Royal National Mòd Gold Medalist – 2010

• Best Achievement for Argyll – For Argyll Awards 2009 (Runner up)

• Scottish Press Awards – Gaelic Journalist of the Year 2008 (Nomination)

• Highlands and Islands Media Awards – Gaelic Journalist of the Year 2007 (Highly Commended)

• Oban Times Mòd Gold Medalist – 2006

• Traditional Inter-Celtic Dance Champion – Pan Celtic International Festival 2006

• Traditional singer of the year – Pan Celtic International Festival 2005 (Runner Up)

• Traditional group song competition – Pan Celtic International Festival 2006, 2005, 2004 (Winner)

"Joy Dunlop’s acclaimed debut album Dùsgadh (Awakening) deservedly won the Roots Recording award at the 2011 Scots New Music Awards. Fiere, the Scots Gaelic singer’s collaborative album with modern folk duo Twelfth Day (Catriona Price and Esther Swift) followed in 2012 and was as creative and interesting a mix of traditional and contemporary folk girl power as you will hear (the album featured music written by the trio with lyrics/ words by Scottish female poets and writers). But with Faileasan (Reflections), Joy Dunlop has produced her most beautiful work to date and her most traditional – in just about every sense of the word. The songs, the musicians, indeed every part of the album (from its recording to the album design, photography and cover) were sourced from the Argyll area. A young Joy Dunlop was clearly captivated with, as well as surrounded by, the local Gaelic music traditions of Argyll where she grew up but the musicality of Argyll is relatively unknown outside of the area. Dunlop decided this release should make amends for that; Faileasan is the singer’s reflections of the traditional heritage the famous region of Argyll holds dear. As Sorren Maclean’s acoustic guitar introduces Dunlop’s plaintive but beautiful voice on ‘Ma Phòsas Mi Idir, Cha Ghabh Mi Tè Hòr’ (‘If I Marry At All, I Won’t Wed a Big Girl’) and the cry of Lorn MacDougall’s border pipes add emotive counter-melody to the somewhat light-hearted opening number, it’s clear Argyll’s traditional musical values are in safe hands – and voice. Most of the tracks on Faileasan are love songs or laments – fine examples are ‘Hì il o ‘s Na Hug I Hò Ro’ and ‘Cumha Chailein Ghlinn Lubhair’ (‘Lament for Colin Campbell’) respectively. The latter is sung unaccompanied by Joy Dunlop, with the lyrics delivered in captivating but fittingly melancholic voice. There are uplifting or up-tempo moments, such as the deft of vocal set ‘Puirt à Beul Earraghàidhealach’ (‘Argyll Mouth Music’), and some newer material is also on display… The poem ‘An Roghainn’ (‘The Choice’) by Sorley Maclean has been set to music by one of Argyll’s most famous musical sons, multi-instrumentalist and Capercaillie founder member Donald Shaw (who features on the song). The lovely ballad for the Argyll village of Taynuilt, ’Taigh an Uillt,’ closes out the album and is another modern-traditional song, with words by the late Scottish author and poet Iain Crichton Smith. Traditional roots can still be found in Scotland, but like many countries with history and heritage it’s hard to survive or find ‘place’ in the modern world (the Scots Gaelic language is only spoken by what is believed to be less than 2% of the population). But while voices like that of Joy Dunlop’s grace an album such as Faileasan, the reflections of those roots will never fade." - Fabrications

Artist website

kez

Mairi MacInnis - Gràs

Newly released album from one of the greatest gaelic singers of Scotland.  This is truly outstanding.  Highly recommended.

Amazon editorial review:

"Famed Scottish Gaelic songstress Mairi MacInnes presents Gràs (Grace), her first solo album in over 13 years. Featuring special guest vocalists Karen Matheson (Capercaillie) and South Uist's Paul MacCallum, Mairi is accompanied by a stellar cast of Scottish folk musicians including; producer Hamish Napier (piano, flute and vocals), Aaron Jones (guitar and vocals), James Mackenzie (Highland bagpipe) and James Macintosh (percussion). Mairi's fans have been patiently awaiting the album for many years, but it is worth the wait. Inspired by the tragic storms that struck South Uist in 2004 and swept away three generations of a single family, as well as pain and suffering experienced by Mairi herself throughout the past few years, Gràs shows how great beauty and strength can be found in even the darkest of storms. Utilising her mother tongue and the gift of her stunning voice, Mairi evokes intense emotion as she empathises with her listeners. The ten tracks evoke different memories, each chosen and named to reflect many of the most important elements of our lives, including childhood, kin, parting, home, toil and mischief, among others. The album also serves as a vehicle for sharing with modern audiences the ancient words and melodies passed down through generations of Gaels. The music reflects and promotes the Gaelic-rich culture of Scotland's Western Isles. Most tracks take the form of work songs, rhythmic vocal dance music, love songs and hymns. Two of the songs have been written by Mairi herself: the epic opener Storm, and Mairi's outstanding adaption of an ancient Gaelic prayer in the uplifting title track Grace."

(PS.  This is my first post since the new vanilla format. I don't think I got the image to show - will have to go back and read how on earth you do that now - obviously, something else is required other than simply clicking on the picture icon, pasting the image url and hitting the submit button.)

(PSS.  I like the new format.  Looks great.)