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.
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| 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.
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| 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,
