Issue 22 6/2002

FolkWorld News

Freedom Come All Ye
Scotland. Poet, folklorist and songwriter Hamish Henderson, a driving force behind the Scottish folk revival, has passed away. Hamish was born in Blairgowrie, Perthshire, on 11 Nov 1919. During the Second World War he served with the 51st Highland Division, was in North Africa, and worked with the Partisans in Italy. His book of war poetry "Elegies for the Dead in Cyrenaica" chronicles his experience of the Battle of El Alamein. (Brian McNeill turned a line from the first Elegy into "No Gods and Precious Few Heroes".) Winning a Somerset Maughan award, Hamish set off for Italy to translate the prison letters of Socialist writer Antonio Gramsci, but he was expelled before he could finish that work. He returned to Scotland and established the School of Scottish Studies at the University of Edinburgh in 1951. American song collector Alan Lomax, while visiting Scotland, introduced Hamish to the portable tape recorder. For many years Hamish travelled around Scotland collecting traditional songs and tales. He discovered the great singers Jeannie Robertson, Flora McNeil, and the Stewarts of Blair. He was also instrumental in creating the People's Festival Ceilidhs from 1951-53, which were the predecessors of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Hamish has written many songs, including "The 51st Highland Division's Farewell to Sicily" and "Freedom Come All Ye". The later has been put forward as a candidate for a "Scottish National Anthem", something which Hamish strongly resisted regarding it as an international song. Hamish Henderson died on 8 March 2002, aged 82. [wt]
Read more at www.polsong.gcal.ac.uk/hamishhenderson.htm.


Heart of Scotland Festival - another great folk weekend
Scotland. The Heart of Scotland Festival in Aberfeldy in beautiful Perthshire comes up with another brilliant edition. Taking place towards the end of the festival season, from 13th to 15th September 2002, when the autumn coulours start to appear, the festival features this year among others Scotland's very best, Deaf Shepherd, the Northern Irish songwriter Tommy Sands, Rab Noakes with Fraser Speirs, the Alyth McCormack Band and more. There will be ceilidhs as well as a special an afternoon event at the castle, Paintings, Poetry, Music which combines an exhibition of new paintings by Scotish artists, poetry readings by Iain Anderson (of BBC Radio Scotland) and music and song by Patsy Seddon. Some of the main concerts will take place in the beautiful atmosphere of Castle Menzies is well, others will be in the town hall of Aberfeldy.
It should become a very friendly affair, so come along! More infos from Martin Hadden and in future also on the festival website, at http://www.heartofscotland.info

Photo: Deaf Shepherd, by The Mollis


Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival
Ireland. September 27-29 marks the launch of the 1st Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival. Musicians from all corners of the world are invited to County Longford to celebrate the various styles of banjo music. Banjo player Johnny Keenan (1946-2000) was the brother of the more famous uilleann piper Paddy Keenan (Bothy Band). The Keenan household in Oranmore Road in Ballyfermot, Dublin, once was a hotbed of Irish music, and the nightly sessions were often referred as "Radio Oranmore". Johnny often went busking, along with his father John Snr. and friends Ted and Paul Furey. He toured with the Furey Brothers in the 60s. Johnny's weekly Tuesday appearance at Slattery's Pub of Capel Street with his father and his brother Paddy became known as The Pavee's Club. Later he travelled around Ireland with piper Davy Spillane, formed Tipsy Sailor with Kieran Halpin, and wrote the "Dublin Banjos" tutorial with fellow banjoist Tony Sullivan. In recent years Johnny made Monday the night to be at O'Donoghue's Pub of Merrion Row, until his untimely death due to lung cancer. [wt]
Festival site: www.johnnykeenan.com


Drawind by Annegret HänselFolk Nights with a Difference
Northern Ireland. With O'Hanlons Bar in Mullach Ban, Co. Armagh, another folk venue can be added to our growing session list (see www.folkworld.de/frog/). According to Bernard O Hanlon, already 400 years ago there was a public house on the same site. The enterprise was later nick-named "Ardle's Folly". Still in the same family over fifteen generations, the bar has been host to many a traditional music event and many a Stray Leaf Folk Club concert. Now after suitable upgrading, Bernard is inclined to stage folk nights with a difference or Miles Davies meets Leo Rowsome, featuring traditional ballads and jazz influenced material from some of South Armagh`s finest musicians. Traditional sessions happen each Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. Tuesday is "traditional musicians` practice night". All musicians and singers are welcome. [wt]
Contact Bernard O Hanlon at bohanlon@tiscali.co.uk.

Drawing by Annegret Hänsel


John Clare and The Folk Tradition
England. George Deacon announces: "Hi, I am George Deacon, author of John Clare and The Folk Tradition published in 1983 and out of print for a long time. I thought people might like to know that, having been approached by a publisher, I am currently working to get the book republished as a paperback. In the meantime I do have a small number of copies of the original publication, which I have been prompted to get out of the attic." Visit George at mysite.freeserve.com/george_deacon.


Sido Martens with new project
Netherlands. Sido Martens has recently started a new project after his succesfull cd " De pofklant". His newest cd will be called "Arbeid" and is a co-operation with the artist Hubertus de Jong who made a special litho to go with the album. The cd will be pressed in a limited edition of 100 only with numbered litho. Price will be 35euro. For more information or ordering this cd please visit: http://listen.to/sido.martens [ES]


La Tentation having been in trouble
Brussels. La Tentation, a folk music organisation, used to be directly connected with the Brussels venue Centro Galego. Recently the Centro Galego decided to get rid of most of the world music concerts and courses, and with it of musicians and voluntary helpers who had helped to spread the Centro's reputation. As a result, the musicians and folk organisers pulled out of the Centro, including the local bands with Galician roots Ialma, La Banda and Baila (the latter two had to rename themselves due to threads from the Centro Galego to A Contrabanda and Foliada). Good news is at the same time that this does not mean the end of the glorious and reputed world music organisation La Tentation. The plan is for the moment that the concerts will take place at diverse venues throughout Brussels; most of the music courses have found their new home at the venue St. Joris. The concert programme is currently a bit limited; yet there are still regular concerts. The music course programme meanwhile is still fully on, with a huge range of courses, including e.g. diatonic and chromatic accordion, galician bagpipes (gaita), hurdy gurdy, bagpipes and fiddle, as well as Galician and Breton dances.
http://www.muziekpublique.be


Belgian radio success for Danny Guinan
Belgium. Danny Guinan used to be the lead singer of the (at least by the press) celebrated Dublin based band Speranza in the early 90s. Some time ago he moved to Amsterdam to start a solo carreer, playing with Dutch Celtic musicians. His recent album "Save me" has been an impressive work of Irish folk pop, with great inputs of his Dutch band "Red". "Save me" received an overwhelming success in the Belgian radio show "Carte Blanche" on Radio 1: Directly in one leap Danny's song went on Number one at this popular music show, overtaking REM who ended on the second place. Danny's highly recommended CD can be ordered from his webpage, at www.dannyguinan.com

Photo: Danny Guinan, by The Mollis


10 years Peace Concerts Passendale
Passendaele. The Peace Concerts in the Belgian Passendale, reminding of the cruelties of the first world war, and any other wars, celebrate this year already their tenth anniversary. They have been always connected with the English a capella trio par excellence Coope Boyes & Simpson. To the anniversary on 24th August, the concert will feature also June Tabor, Willem Vermandere, Une Anche Passe, Koen De Cauter and Patrick Riguel. The concert will be held at Tyne Cott Cemetery, Passendale.
Free Concert Info available from 00 32 (0) 51 77 04 41 / cultuur.zonnebeke@belgacom.net www.zonnebeke.be. For more information about CB&S's work with Peace Concerts Passendale see www.coopeboyesandsimpson.co.uk


-- ADVERT FOLLOWING ----- ADVERT FOLLOWING ----- ADVERT FOLLOWING --

HARLEKIN RECORDS

HARLEKIN RECORDS - Your source for FOLK MUSIC (North America, Ireland, Great Britain), COUNTRY, BLUEGRASS and related music. Always more than 10.000 different compact discs, LP-records and video tapes in stock!
Harlekin Records and its full catalogue is available in the Internet, at www.harlekin-records.de.
Contact: E-mail Harlekin-Records@t-online.de; Jürgen Feuß, Postfach 110142-FW, 28081 Bremen / GERMANY. Phone: +49 421 7 49 10, FAX: +49 421 70 0051


The German Folk Awards restructured
Germany. Germany used to have only a Folk newcomers award. Now the "Deutscher Folkpreis" is starting something which is more comparable to the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, or the Danish Folk Grammies: A general folk price with different categories for all the established folk bands resident in Germany. The nominees have just been announced; no bands with Celtic roots among them. The winners will be chosen at Germany's biggest Folk Festival in Rudolstadt (see www.rudolstadt.de). Here are the nominees:
Category 1: German Roots - music with roots in Germany:
# Hundsbuam Miserable ("Heavy-Folk in the neo bavarian way)
# Estampie (Mystical-modern music with medieval roots)
# Daniel Kempin/Dimitry Reznik (jiddish songs)

Category 2: Global Roots:
# Di Grine Kuzine (Klezmer Balkan Brass),
# Houssaine Kili (Beat de Couscous)
# La Ritma (Afro-Latin-Percussion & more)

Category 3: New Roots:
# fjp - theFolkJazzProject (jazzy-groovy Euro-Folk)
# Törnmeister (Global Sounds And Electronic Beats),
# G. Rag Y Los Hermanos Patchekos (Mexican-Bavarian-Southern American Indi-Rock)

The Folk New Comers' Award has been reduced to only one winner chosen by the jury, without naming other nominees - which is a bit of a shame. Winner is Rakatak (DRUMs - from Samba to Hip Hop).

More infos under www.folkpreis.de


Tatihou's 2004 version of one of the most unique European festivals
France. One of the most special folk festivals in Europe, the Festival des Traversées Tatihou on a tiny island only accessible via a tidal way, features this year once again a superb programme, with evenings dedicated to music from Canada-Acadia (Celtitude and La volée d'castors), Wales (Fernhill and Here be Dragons), Sardinia (Elena Ledda and Luigi Lai) and Ireland (Danú and Blackwater). The last two events, in the weekend, take place between the low tides in the nights from 11 pm. to 5 am.! Happening between 22nd and 25th August, the is a most special event. More infos from www.tatihou.com.

Photo: Danu with guests at Tønder Festival; photo by The Mollis


Tuscany - music, cooking and more...
Italy. The world music festival Itinerari Musicali/Sentieri Acustici 2002 will take place from July 31st to August 10th in the mountain area around Pistoia, a town about 35 km from Florence. The world music festival is divided in two parts: during the first one a concert will be performed in the towns of Marliana, Massa e Cozzile and Uzzano respectively, while the second part, called festival Sentieri Acustici, will be held from 7th to 10th August in the small town of Maresca on the Pistoiese Mountains. During the Sentieri Acustici festival you will be able to enjoy afternoon and evening concerts and to take part in courses of music and dance. Mornings and afternoons, from 8th to 10th August you will learn new musical techniques, meet the experts of the field and find out the pleasure of relaxing on one of the most interesting mountain areas of Tuscany. During the Sentieri Acustici festival it will also be possible to follow courses about Tuscan cooking, officinal herbs and stone working, and to enjoy a green trekking area. You will get more information and find the application form for music and dance courses at www.provincia.pistoia.it.


Brian Ó hEadhra & Fiona Mackenzie, photo by The MollisMusic on the Outer Hebrides - with plenty of Morrisons
Scotland, Isle of Lewis. Ceòl Nis is the annual music festival held in Ness, Isle of Lewis, Scotland. The dates for the festival this year are: July 25, 26, 27. The festival is run by Ness based Taigh Dhonnchaidh - Arts & Music Centre which runs many Gaelic arts events and classes in NW Lewis throughout the year.
An added bonus to the festival this year is that the 'Morrison Clan Gathering' is happening in Ness at the same time as Ceòl Nis. This will benefit both festivals as there will be many 'Morrisons' from far and wide visiting the area who will be able to attend the wide range of events held in the area at this time.
This years Ceòl Nis festival has an exciting line up of both local and international musicians and singers. Thursday night has local groups including Ness Melodeon Band and participants of Fèis Taigh Dhonnchaidh playing at the Taigh Dhonnchaidh Arts & Music Centre. The main Friday night Ness Hall concert/cèilidh has three wonderful bands from three different Celtic regions. The band 'Beòlach' is one of Cape Breton's most exciting new young bands. The group performs an energetic mix of Cape Breton, Scottish, and Irish tunes featuring piano, pipes, whistles, drums, guitar, and two fiddles. From Belfast comes Craobh Rua, an exciting four piece who play Irish traditional music mixing rousing jigs, reels and polkas with tender ballads and airs. The local flavour is come from Lewis' own traditional music group Sonas. This band was put together to play at the National Mod's 'Òran Ùr Song Competition' in October 2001. Since then they have played at the Pan Celtic festival in Kilkenny, Ireland in April 2002.
There will be a seafood barbecue (local produce) at Port of Ness on Saturday afternoon. Not to be missed! The final Saturday night concert is in the Ness FC Social Club. This concert will delight all lovers of Gaelic song; Ishbel MacAskill from Point, Lewis is one of the great ambassadors of Scottish Gaelic songs. She has recorded three albums of Gaelic song and toured around the world delighting audiences with her wonderful singing. John 'Tonkan' Macdonald, another well loved singer from Point, will also be performing this night. 'Tonkan' sings Gaelic, Scottish and country songs - enough to keep any cèilidh audience happy!
Full information about the festival and other music activities on the Isle of Lewis: www.taighdhonnchaidh.com

Photo: Co-ordinator of Taigh Dhonnchaidh Brian Ó hEadhra with Fiona Mackenzie, photo by The Mollis


Danny Kyle remembered...
Scotland. As we hear from a Scottish reader visiting the Sma Shot Cottages in Paisley, you can find there now a plaque to the late and great Scottish folk hero Danny Kyle, put up by his three sisters. As he comments: "It's great Danny has a plaque at the Sma Shot Cottages, a remnant of Old Paisley in a modern part of the town. He was proud of being a Buddy (what they call natives of Paisley) and if you wanted to kid him on all you had to do was to say that he was a Glaswegian or suggest that Paisley was really part of Glasgow. Incidentally, the Sma Shot Cottages are fully restored and furnished 18th Century weavers' cottages with photographs, artifacts of local interest. Each has individual themes, and contains perfect recreations of 18th and 19th Century daily life complete with bone curtlery and ancient looms. see http://www.visitrenfrewshire.com/visit/places/smashot.htm"
If you don't know it yet - FolkWorld runs also a small memory homepage of Danny Kyle - see www.folkworld.de/danny/

Photo: Danny Kyle, photo by The Mollis


John Doonan died
England. John Doonan, founder member of the North-East based Doonan Family Band died in early March. He was due to attend a concert in his honour in Newcastle the following night. More information about John can be found at www.doonanfamilyband.co.uk


Folkwoods - third edition
The Netherlands. Watch out for another great edition of one of Europe's newest and greatest Folk Festivals: FolkWoods in Eindhoven. Full programme can be found at www.folkwoods.nl. Happening at 9-10-11 aug. 2002. Lots of bands, beautiful campsite, lots of atmosphere!!


New music venue in Inverness
Blazin Fiddles, photo by The MollisScotland. Recently we heard the news of the closure of the Balnain House in Inverness, now there is a bit of a replacement for that: In Mid May, the new music and arts venue “Hootananny”opened. It’s a three story building on the corner of Fraser Street and Church Street – right in the heart of the town centre. The top two floors will be used as class-rooms, practice rooms, and exhibition area along with a high quality shop. However what is most attractive about this venue as far as musicians, promoters, and paying audiences are concerned, is the fact that there will be a performance space that will cater for an audience of between 150 and 200 (awaiting fire regulation decree for the final figure!)
The aim of the venue is to provide live music/arts events seven nights of the week, catering for a wide cross section of musical tastes, but with its roots firmly in the traditional/acoustic music styles. Bruce McGregor, well known folk musician (Blazin Fiddles etc.), has been asked to create a programme for this summer season. The weekly format has been drawn up as follows: Wednesday evenings have been earmarked for concerts ; audiences will be charged for attendance. Thursday to Sunday evenings are to have bands/performers in a less formal setting. This will be free to the general public. Throughout this period it is hoped to create mini festivals to help celebrate more focused musical tastes and allow for longer parties!
If you are involved as a member of a band, a duo or as a solo performer and you are looking for a venue in the North of Scotland then please forward any promotional material toBruce McGregor, Holm Burn, Essich Road, Inverness IV2 6AH, Home 01463 238070, Mobile 0775 370 9180 E mail brucemac@another.com

Photo: Blazin Fiddles, Photo by The Mollis

In the German news you can find as additional news:


To the content of FolkWorld No. 22

© The Mollis - Editors of FolkWorld; Published 6/2002

All material published in FolkWorld is © The Author via FolkWorld. Storage for private use is allowed and welcome. Reviews and extracts of up to 200 words may be freely quoted and reproduced, if source and author are acknowledged. For any other reproduction please ask the Editors for permission. Although any external links from FolkWorld are chosen with greatest care, FolkWorld and its editors do not take any responsibility for the content of the linked external websites.


 

FolkWorld - Home of European Music
FolkWorld Home
Layout & Idea of FolkWorld © The Mollis - Editors of FolkWorld