Monday 11 February 2019

New Traditions: Talisk, Vishtèn and Xabier Diaz, Celtic Connections 2019 Review


These bands lit up the warm fires of live music!  
Tonight at the wonderful Old Fruitmarket venue, we were treated to an international line up of award-winning Celtic musicians. They played the Celtic musical traditions of Galicia, the French Canadian Arcadia islands and rich contemporary Scots Celtic.   


Xabier Diaz  Galician folk musician Xabier Diaz performed a colourful set along with the exuberant female voices of JNoró  Adufeiras de Salitre- who sang indigenous language songs and played their traditional percussion on spoons, tambourines, boards. They sing from deeper so their sound goes further. Also performing were the Alvarez brothers, Gutler (hurdy-gurdy) and Javier (diatonic accordion). Diaz mixes the traditions with modern innovations. Their music evokes the rich cultural threads of the Spanish peninsula (given autonomy in 1988).

Musician and composer Xabier Díaz (Berrogüetto, aCadaCanto), is a major voice in the trad-galego scene. He is also as collector of Galician folklore. Their first album, The Tambourine Man (Músicas de Salitre, 2015), has reinterpretations of traditional Galician music and an avant-garde approach with a tribute to the simple sound of traditional percussion. In 2018 they released Noró (Músicas de Salitre, a “declaration of love to the North” in other 13 songs with voice and percussion.  Website: http://www.galiciantunes.com/news/1184



French Canadian multi-instrumentalists, Vishten hail from Prince Edwards island, and they performed a warm set of reds and oranges with a faster style of Cajun music. They play traditional Acadian music along with contemporary vibes and rousing songs. The trio consists of Emmanuelle and Pastelle LeBlanc and Pascal Miousse. They performed on fiddle, guitar, accordion, octave mandolin, whistles, piano, bodhrán, jaw harp and foot-percussion, They said it was hard to find joyous archive songs, but they managed it with the song Miracles. They have a new album called Horizons.  Web - http://vishten.net/biography/


Award winners Taliskburst their sound on stage with fiddle, accordion and guitar. The band are led by concertina dynamo Mohson Amini, who Is one of the most physical and full on energetic players, ever!  Alongside the talents of fiddler Hayley Keenan and guitarist Graeme Armstrong. They played a set of dynamic, expressive and challenging tunes. The band have received excellent reviews for new album Beyond, in which they mix innovative electronic sounds.  Web - http://www.talisk.co.uk/

Encouraging to hear the music traditions kept alive and relevant with modern innovations and creativity. A highly entertaining evening of enriching live music. 

Thursday 31 January 2019

Nations Apart: Turbulent times

Burns and Mozart both lived in times of huge turbulence - late 18th century. Burns 1759 - 1776. Mozart 1756 - 1791.
Robert Burns retold and recharged the great tales and songs of the Scottish nation in such unique ways. 
I visited Vienna last year where the genius musicians Strauss and Mozart told the tales of central Europe, Austria (population 8m) and of the great Danube river.

The poet Bob Dylan lived through the turbulent times of the Cold war and the civil rights marches. 
In Paris in the 18th century Impressionism painters expressed the great creative out pouring and flair, to see in new ways. 

Italy’s Renaissance (14th century to 17th) took two dimensional art not only to three dimensions but to stratospheric new heights and told of Italy’s great struggles and love of beauty.  

All these highly unique stories matter …

Grace and Danger Review


A troubled soul looking for love…

What a glorious concert to celebrate one of Scotland’s best loved singer songwriters, John Martyn. He was born in London, but after his parent divorce when he was five, it was Glasgow that formed him. – where he lived with his father and grandmother. 

The tribute concert was hosted by double bass Danny Thompson who recounted anecdotes of his tours with Martyn. His immense legacy is well preserved by the fine artists who performed tonight at Glasgow concert hall as part of Celtic Connections. They sang some of his best loved songs.


We were graced with quality guitar playing by American blues guitarist Eric Bibb, who opened the concert with Martyn’s perfect Solid Air. He also performed accomplished guitarEasy Bluesand a moving One World.  

With the full band Ross Wilson (aka Blue Rose Code) performed with dynamic rhythms and heartfelt soul Make no Mistake, and in his first set soulful Fine Lines and Bless the Weather, along with strings led by Greg Lawson


Several younger singer songwriters expressed his widespread musical influence on their work. Lucy Rose provided intimate emotions with the song I Couldn’t Love you More, while Katie Spencer sang, Hurt in Your Heart and John the Baptist

English singer songwriter John Smith performed the songs, Walk Down, Spencer the Rover and Go Down Easyalong with Thompson’s double bass: he sounded very Martyn-like. 
Popular Scottish singer Eddi Reader performed with the string ensemble  the upbeat Dancing, Certain Surprise, and a moving Fairytale LullabyBrit award winners Paul Weller (of The Jam fame and considered a leading mod figure) played the songs, Evil in Your Heart and Sweet Little Mystery.


The concert ended with all on stage to sing his best loved song May You Never, followed by a video of Martyn in concert singing the poignant Over the Rainbow. 
What a memorable, moving night!

Like many of the greats, Martyn mixed varied influences to take his music to the edge, with pounding blues rhythms, Celtic heart and moving soul.  He recorded 22 studio albums and toured exclusively. 



Friday 25 January 2019

Opening Concert Celtic Connections 2019 - Syne of the Times


The Celtic Connections opening night was a rousing concert with over a hundred young musicians on stage, to celebrate the passing traditions between the generations. They enjoyed a memorable experience of Gaelic music alongside some of Scotland’s most celebrated folk musicians.   
  
This opening concert began with a moving film by a young musician and composer from the isle of Grimsby - of his grandfather and father and his hope that the traditions and Gaelic can be passed on through the generations by preserving and celebrating our heritage and culture through music. 

After which we were treated to rousing tunes by the Celtic Galician folk orchestra Son De Seu. There are seven Celtic nations. This year Celtic Connections festival is paired with the small Celtic country of Galicia. 



Also performing were the Orkney youth musicians, HadHirgaan and the young musicians from the 5 Feisean, which is held annually around Scotland.

The evening was led by music director and fiddler Duncan Chisholm. Also appearing were Gaelic singer Julie Fowlis, fiddler Lauren MacColl,folk band Daimh, fiddler Aiden O”Rourke, piper Brighde Chaumbeu, and Donald Shaw (festival director) and his Harvest music. Celtic Connections also celebrates folk musicians who gained their success through attention at the festival.


I hope the young musicians were inspired by this memorable opening concert. 
What a first class experience for the young performers tonight. 

I don’t understand Gaelic, but I enjoy the Gaelic singers who perform each year at Celtic Connections. There is something magical about it and Gaelic song is very popular at Celtic. 

2018 was the year of the young people in Scotland, who I hope were encouraged to have their voices heard. 

English is the universal language French the language of diplomacy but Gaelic is the language of the Gods."


Interesting. This year Celtic Connections festival is paired with the small Celtic country of Galicia. 
Galicia sits on the north west corner of Spain – and has had to fight for it autonomy..
They were controlled by Franco's dictatorship. Their democracy was restored when the legislature passed the Statute of Autonomy of 1981 approved in referendum and currently in force, providing Galicia with self-government. (Galicia has a population of 2.7 million)

Galicia, is an autonomous community in Spain’s northwest, is a verdant region with an Atlantic coastline. The cathedral of regional capital Santiago de Compostela is the reputed burial place of the biblical apostle Saint James the Great, and the destination for those following the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route. The western cliffs of Cape Finisterre were considered by the Romans to be the end of the known world.