Celtic Connections Review 2023

 

2023 marked a welcome return. with long queues at the Danny Kyle open mic stage, packed venues and an excitement to have the popular festival back, after the restricted lockdown years of the Covid. (2021, 2022): and showcasing performances from some of the world’s most celebrated artists  Europe’s premier folk, roots and world music festival Celtic Connections drew to a close after 18 days of spectacular concerts, unique and powerful collaborations and captivating screenings. 

Celtic Connections, one of the world’s largest winter music festivals and this year saw its 30^th year, celebrated with an exciting line-up for its Opening concert – The Big Band plus -  Sierra Hull’s mandolin, Hebridean Peat and Diesel folk rock; Maeve Gilchrist harp melodies; Mali’s duo Dre Cali, Liam O Maonial’s band Hot House Flowers, singers Karine Polwart, Kim Carnie, Rachel Sermann, and Fergus McCreadie’s jazz piano.  

 

The concert included musicians who have been involve since its beginning, as well as providing a platform for future talent, everything from contemporary dance to punk-inspired folk rock.

The world-renowned festival,19th January to 5th February, was held without restrictions for the first time since 2020, staging more than 300 events with more than 100,000 attendances at 25 venues across Glasgow, from the famous Glasgow Royal Concert Hall to the Mackintosh Church in the west end and Tramway in the southside.(There was also over 10,000 attendances at free events). 

Irish Celtic Music. Róisín Reimagined with award-winning Irish singer Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh and Irish Chamber Orchestra teamed up for a new project that combined exceptional vocals with fresh orchestral arrangements of sean nós songs, breathing new life into the noble, classical music of 16th-19th century Gaelic Ireland. 

Another notable performance was Rise Kagona, lead guitarist and only remaining member of the mega-successful Zimbabwean rock band The Bhundu Boys. One of the most successful contemporary folk musicians from Finland, Maija Kauhanen, combined her expressive voice with Finnish kantele when she performed with composer Andrew Waite. Rozi Plain performed tracks from her upcoming fifth LP, Prize and local musician Terra Kin presented their debut EP Too Far Gone.

Other highlights - Malian duo Amadou Bagayoko and Mariam Doumbia, with their rich and radiant blend of desert blues, Afro-pop, rock and hip-hop. Hen Hoose, a songwriting collective, brought together artists with ground-breaking music. Man of the Minch, at the forefront of Scottish folk music performed tracks from his debut album, The Tide is at the Turning. One of Mali’s most dynamic artists Rokia Koné  gave her first live performance in the UK of her debut album Bamanan, which was named one of the New York Times Best Albums of 2022.

The popular Cherish the Ladies, all-female American supergroup, champions of Celtic music, captivated with soulful singing, uplifting traditional Irish tunes and energetic dancing, as they celebrated 38 years. 

The sold out Transatlantic sessions brought together accomplished musicians and talented solo performers and went on tour to six UK venues. My personal highlights were Danny Kyle open stage, Vent du Nord, Duncan Chisholm, Kim Carnie and TS concerts

**Showcase Scotland, highlighted international partners Brittany and Wales during the six-day programme. The music industry event, which returned for the first time in two years, introduced delegates from across the world to the Scottish music sector, featuring this year’s partners Spectacle vivant en Bretagne - EPCC, and Wales Arts International - Celfyddydau Rhyngwladol Cymru.

Donald Shaw, Creative Producer for Celtic Connections, said: “It has been incredible to celebrate the 30th edition of Celtic Connections and showcase folk, roots and world music, bringing communities from across the globe together in Glasgow. This year’s festival was a huge success and the calibre of the artists was incredible.

“We are honoured to have brought Europe's largest winter music festival to audiences from all over the world for the last 30 years. This year, we paid homage to all the musicians and artists who have contributed to Celtic Connections over the past three decades. We can’t wait to return in 2024 and once again bring music from around the world to the heart of Glasgow.”

Vent du Nord

Fergus McCreadie

Sierra Hull

**New Talent at Celtic Connections -  Lewis McLaughlin, who won the Glastonbury emerging talent

Kim Carnie, award winning Gaelic singer and composer, Mercury nominated Fergus McCreadie jazz pianist, 

*Danny Kyle Stage, 24^th year – Binky Blue – Carnan – Chloe Matharu – Falasgair – Tem and Will Boyd-Wallis

*Winner Young Trad Musician 2023 – pianist Amy Laurence, who mixes traditions from Shetland

This year’s winner of the prestigious award joins a list which recently has included amongst others the 2022 winner fiddler Eryn Rae, pianist Michael Biggins, piper Ali Levack, fiddler Benedict Morris and singer Hannah Rarity.  Amy said: “I am stunned and delighted to be the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician for 2023 and to follow in the footsteps of past winners, who are such an inspiration.”

Originally from Shetland, Amy began her journey through traditional music at the age of 16 when she began attending lessons from Violet Tulloch, who she still considers a large influence.   In 2017 she made the move to Glasgow to study Classical Piano at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland before making the switch, in 2019, to the traditional department where she was awarded a first-class honours degree in traditional music.  As part of the 2023 award, Amy wins a recording session with BBC Scotland, an opportunity to perform at the Scots Trad Music Awards later in the year, plus a one-year membership to the Musicians Union.

Edinburgh festivals RETURNS 2021!

We’ve had tough times, so hard for many. What will all the costs be?

One thing for sure is that the arts will be essential for our recovery. 

 

Scottish Festivals ... Seek to engage, challenge, entertain and to ensure quality of standard, musicianship, writing, diversity, colour and more.

Every August is a highlight to venture on Edinburgh’s historic streets and to culturally recharge my batteries at the world’s largest arts festival. There’s a special freedom of creativity, where nearly anything goes – a vast melting pot of colour, comedy, dance, song. 

 

August means Edinburgh and in particular its International book festival. I grew up in this northern capital, dominated by its castle, Arthur seat and historic Royal mile. I have been taking photos at the Edinburgh Festival since 2007. 

This is a year to renew our attitudes and ideas or make a change of direction: this is much needed reflections and contemplations.

 

**EDINBURGH FESTIVALS 2021 will be happening on a smaller scale.

Last year 2020 the festivals, for the first time had to be cancelled since 1947, due to the worldwide Covid pandemic. I visited the high street, it was very odd. 

 

This year the festival is planning 3 large outdoor marquees. While the fringe may take over some of the newly empty shops in town. Edinburgh is also planning to pedestrianise George street. Stars such as Alan Cumming and violinist Nicola Benedetti.

Edinburgh festival is the world largest arts festival, begun in 1945 to bring rejuvenation after the devastation of war. 

There is the main international festival along side the Fringe comedy: plus dance, opera, musicals, drama, concerts, mime, art, debates, books and of course the performers in the high street..

There’s also the high water marks of the main festival – with opera, classical, ballet, drama, and more. .

TICKETS NOW ON SALE - https://www.eif.co.uk

 Edinburgh FRINGE - https://www.edfringe.com

The Edinburgh festival has been taking place each August since 1947. After the devastation of war Austrian Rudolf Bing, decided Europe could be brought together to heal by a large scale cultural festival. He decided on Edina, as it reminded him of Salzburg, and it became the worlds biggest cultural arts event. 2020 was the first year for 73 years the Edinburgh festival has not been held.

Edinburgh is ideal to see on foot with the Royal mile, the Mound and over to the new town.

 

Art is crucial

Art is how we move forward, broaden horizons, question and exchange ideas, culture and heritage ultimately matters more – more than any political rhetoric! 

Song for Scotland -'Auld Lang Syne'

Scots spread around the world as – explorers, lecturers, innovators, writers – and had close trade to Europe.

Kane writes of the impact songs can have, to bring us all together in community spirit, to build hope. 

From a shattered apartment Beirut – windows blown in, amid her ruin an elderly woman sits at her piano and plays the classic international song by our Bard Robert Burns, his song of unity and friendship -

'Auld Lang Syne.’

Making beauty from ashes.....

This song's emotional power travels the globe and gives people hope. Not about divisions but about bringing people together in what really matters. 

Making beauty from ashes.

Scots and journalist musician Pat Kane concludes for indy (Scotland National August 8^th)

All the way from Beirut the perfect national anthem for indy Scotland. 

“hardly for the first time, Scotland is already profoundly woven into the world, as the world waits for our official return. Closing suggestion, isn’t this the obvious, post indy Scottish national anthem in waiting? A song the world already sings – joyfully, harmoniously, in happy celebration? Right under our noises, all this time. “

Here are the pipes and chorus and a perfect rendition of Auld Lang Syne. https://www.youtube.com/auld-lang-syne

Burns heard the old song and added new verses - its a song too for the auld Scotia that was being lost. 

This is a song about bringing people together. Because Scotland's self-determination is not about any nationhood - but rather our right to democracy for all who live here in Scotland - for our fairer, more equal, greener and well being future. 

Kane writes of the impact songs can have, to bring us all together in community spirit, to build hope. Collective singing can ‘induce feelings of happiness, safety and security in a group – calming, energising, organising and inspiring. 

He recommends the book - David Levitin , The World in Six Songs. 

All Edinburgh Festivals 2020 Cancelled due to virus

All of Edinburgh Festivals 2020 are cancelled: and will not take place for the first time in 70 years. 

The Edinburgh FRINGE, ARTS, INTERNATIONAL, BOOK & FILM (plus the Tattoo) festivals are cancelled due to the coronavirus. Devastating if not unexpected news. I attend every year, what will I do August?
Edinburgh’s five August festivals, welcome audiences of more than 4.4 million people and 25,000 artists.

Shona McCarthy, the chief executive of the Fringe Society, said the decision had not been taken lightly. She also held out hope that they would find ways of “uniting people” under a fringe umbrella .What will happen to funding, performers, shows and tickets? Lets hope the festivals of 2021 will come back even more renewed.

Welcoming Different Cultures

It makes me unspeakably angry. The two big events I attend, take photos at and greatly enjoy each year – Celtic Connections and Edinburgh international book festival - are solidly based on diversity, inclusion, openness and collaboration from different cultures.

Since the Brexit vote it has become impossible for some international artists to travel to these festivals. This year several major African artists have decided it is far too difficult to try to attend Scottish festivals. 

The visa application process for artists, musicians and writers has been made so difficult by the UK Home Office, that many are now deciding its not worth the hassle. Donald Shaw (director of Celtic Connections) and Nick Barley (director of EIBF), both report that Britain is now a closed gate, particularly for African visas, and that festivals here will now have to be less international. Celtic Connections has been running for 26 years and EIBF, the oldest UK book festival since 1982; as well as hitting the main Edinburgh International festival.  

What will it mean for international festivals if our doors appear closed? Breixt sends out totally the wrong message. As Pat Kane puts it so well (National November 2018) – "Scottish nationalism is a cosmopolitan nationalism, as some German academics recently described their own country’s mainstream identity."  

British Nationals misunderstand Scottish Nationalism – which is not about isolationism but about democracy: its about all voices having a say, inclusiveness, more local government, equality and not isolation at all!?

Many artists, musicians and writers depend and thrive on cultural exchanges. Creatives value the ‘Four Freedoms’ – free movement of goods, services, capital and people. The academics, entrepreneurs and financial sectors also do. 

African acts were also unable to attended Peter Gabriel’s Womad festival, ‘ Do we really want  a white breaded Brexit flatland? A country that is losing the will to welcome the world?”

The withdrawal of the acts, from Mali and Senegal, has emerged months after Mr 

Shaw warned the festival may have to become less international in future over concerns Brexit would create a financial and logistical “nightmare.” 

Shaw has previously had to scale back his programme due to the plunging value of sterling since the EU vote. Celtic Connections has been hit months after the Edinburgh International Book Festival revealed up to a dozen authors had faced prolonged problems. 

Director Nick Barley warned the “humiliating” process – including demands to provide bank statements and birth certificates, and undergo biometric tests – would deter artists from visiting the UK in future. 

Mr Shaw said: “We had two quite large world music acts who I had pencilled in to perform that both pulled out about six weeks ago due to the hassle and stress of the visa application process. 

They just felt it wasn’t worth the grief. The application process was made so difficult for them they decided not to persevere. “These are top-class musicians who have been travelling around the world for 20 years. Britain now has a very solidly-locked gate, certainly in terms of African visas. 

“The whole thing undermines us as a Scottish festival with an international outlook. We always looked to embrace an internationalist programme. Anything that restricts that is disappointing. I don’t see any good reason for it.” 

Paris Riots of '68: talk Edinburgh book festival 2018

James McNaughtie interviewed highly respected Scottish author Neal Ascherson, at Edinburgh international book festival 2018,Iwho was BBC European correspondent in the 60s. The Cold War was halfway through; Vietnam war was raging; there was American imperialism to protect us from Russia.; there was Prague spring; Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King were assassinated in America.

It was a time to the old ideas…. 

The student unrest in Paris began when male students were not allowed to visit female dorms! Old France was not changing and France has retained the idea of revolution as a possibility, an unconscious idea. In 1789 to take to the streets and make everything different.  The establishment in Uk were terrified it would come to Britain. Late 18^thcentury, instead we suffered the suppression after Culloden and later there was imperial suppression on a global scale (slavery, exploitation)

Revolution – Marche On!

Students were jailed and large marches took place. They hoped to reframe communism with a human face. The university closed down, and the idea of self-management and independence took hold. 

In Berlin, there was the revival of late Marxism, to rediscover yourself, and create revolution. 

The Prague Spring - Eastern block, not Marxism. Polish revolutions, demonstrations and democracy at the level of the workplace. The communication of ideas was so important.

Riot police were used to smash communism/ republicanism to protect the state and there was intense tension

De Gaullewas an authoritarian general and highly presidential, his aim was to defend old France. Are you red or white? There was a frozen France.

The Sorbonne was a centre of revolution and barricade. 

The noise and sight of revolution was scary, with huge crowds gathering. Revolution ‘morphed’ and everything changes, institutions collapse, anything is possible. It is all intoxicating, all brothers in arms. Tear gas was used and violence and the French public were unaware. In Munich a student was killed by a brick. Neal believed, considering the level of violence more students were killed. 

It doesn’t last long though and leads to a new situation. Things began to subside and some scenes of dissolution and the beginning of a general strike. Germany was deeply against communism. 

 

The Legacy of the Paris Riots:  In France, the communists were divided. De Gaulle was protected by the French army in Germany. But the riots eventually defeated De Gaulle, who resigned a few months later.

There were changes in the Soviet system to stop this ever happening again. There were a  change in the social institutions with younger people in positions of power. It scared the established orders, that they could be overthrown; both America and Russia were both shaken. There was 67,000 killed in Vietnam. There were aspirations In Northern Ireland for democracy, and peoples marches. The media was extreme .

It all forced reforms in Germany, not suffocated by bureaucracy and institutions. It was a revelation and changed how people related to each other. Many of the rioters fled – and asked, where is the next barricade? Others concentrated on change in more humane and different ways, such as educating children. 

There was no time to chat over the unstable, leaderless and corrupt situation today. A very illuminating and highly interesting chat. 

This talk was part of EIBF Freedom and Equality series of events.  Vote for The Death of the Fronsac by Neal Ascherson in the First Book award. 

Edinburgh Festivals 2018!

The fields are golden, the sun getting lower and a chill begins in the evening air as the first leaves are starting to fall. 

 Its dark now late Sunday and the men are busy packing up the large tents on George street. We know the festival must end, and a normal and quieter Edinburgh return – but also the festival lifts us all higher for a short while, and makes the impossible possible, offers new horizons. 

EIF provides a glorious and golden end of summer bash each year celebrating the best of theatre, comedy, music, dance, art and much much more...Edinburgh offers a festival for all tastes – from the intellectual rigour of the book festival, its significant comedy festival, and extensive theatre.  

Under luminous skies, I entered with the book festival with a heady mix of anticipation, bolstered by the beaming exuberance , shared laughter and well rehearsed singers of the high street.  

The sometimes new and tacky mixes with the unique individual histories. Perhaps I might hope for more of the latter. Some worry Edina is turning into a Theme park and moving downmarket – do we want a Butlin’s image or to attract the more sophisticated traveller? 

Edina has a rich seam of authentic heritage - not only the deep stories of the dark rugged castle rock, but the majestic Georgian new town and the hidden alleyways below and beyond its Royal Mile. 

 There were 4.5 million ticket sales, second only to the Olympics – and this festival takes place every year; but the diversity means there is little TV coverage. From the grand Tattoo show on the castle esplanade,  the main international festival and the youthful Fringe shows and offers a platform for new theatre, 

**TALKS EIBF

Paris Riots 68, with Nael Ascherson

Yanis Varoufakis

Karl Ove Knaasgard

Michael Marra: Arrest This Moment

Gina Miller

**SHOWS that caught my attention

The Beggars Opera - The Kings

Mhairi Campbell, Auld Lang Syne, Storytelling centre

The Red Guitar - 

Midsummer - The Hub

Caledonian Soul - Queens hall
Ulster American - Traverse theatre

I managed a few shows, sadly not time for all.