Wednesday 30 December 2015

Celtic Connections 2016!

This year Celtic will welcome again any international artists from – Inner Mongolia to Armagh, Senegal to Italy, and Brittany to the Outer Hebrides to Southern Manitoba will perform at the festival in 2016 Celtic Connections remains a hotbed of musical talent from cultures and countries from across the globe. 

One of the main focuses of Celtic Connections festival is bringing different voices together form across continents and oceans as well as exploring our roots and identity  Celtic also brings together the different generations through music - with older and contemporary sounds and how today's most innovative and experimental bands draw on traditional roots.  .

This year's opening concerts celebrates the TSMA's 50th anniversary which encourages Scottish traditional song with musical director Siobhan Miller - and with a star line up that includes - Arthur Johnstone, Sheena Wellington, Jimmy Hutchison, Barbara Dickson, Shepheard, Spiers & Watson, Kris Drever, Adam McNaughton, Mischa Macpherson and Malinky.   
TSMA mission was to support authenticity in Scotland's song smiths, musianship and tradition  - in opposition to the twee commercialism of a simplistic tartan shortbread music hall sound. To celebrate the ancient muckle songs to the 21st century originals.

The Chieftains, along with other Irish musicians will celebrate the100 year anniversary of Irelands Easter Rising which included (as in Scotland) a cultural re-wakening by poets, writers composers and artists - an artistic renaissance in song, literature, theatre and journalism. 15th Jan Concert hall.  
Dick Gaughan and Karine Polwart


Topics of Migration - is a concert of Joni Mitchell songs - the Pilgrimer - which will re-imagines Joni's classic 1976 album Hegira with singers Dick Gaughan, Karine Polwart, Julie Fowlis and more. The album tells of migration while Joni drove solo from Miami to LA - expressing both the freedom and loneliness of the road.  Pilgrimer by author James Robertson adapts the album to a Scottish setting.  16th Jan Concert hall.
Ballads of Child Migration concert with Barbara Dickson, Eddi Reader, Kris Drever, Boo Hewerdine. Between 1850 and 1970 more than 1000,000 children were shipped under government schemes to colonies and were exploited. 19th Jan Concert hall
Highlights this year include - the Chieftians, Lau, John Grant, Lucinda Williams, Robert Plant, Karine Polwart, Rickie Lee Jones, Boys of the Lough. 

I have been taking photos at Celtic Connections since 2008. When I look at my Celtic Connections photos - one thing stands out – the fun and joy of music and the collaborations of those taking part during the 18 day festival.

Opening concert for Martyn Bennett

The main venue is the Glasgow Concert hall - other venues include, the Old Fruitmarket, 02 ABC, Oran Mor, Tron, City Hall, St Andrews, Piping centre,
  
From Thursday 14 to Sunday 31 January, 2,500 musicians from around the world will gather in Glasgow for 18 days of concerts, ceilidhs, talks, art exhibitions, workshops, free events, late night sessions and a host of special one-off musical collaborations. 
Stars of world, folk and roots music, who will perform on 26 stages at venues across the city,