Got
any newsy tidbits?
Let us know. E-mail them to: bernadette@celticcafe.comWe
started the "Buzz" section here at the Celtic Cafe as a means
of sharing some of the news and information posted to our associated mail lists,
which are devoted mostly (but not exclusively) to Irish dance and Celtic music.
For more detailed information, and to join in the discussion about "anything
Celtic," please sign up for our main list, large and very international.
Click on the following to learn more: Celtic
Cafe Yahoo Group • • •
Please
note:
A new page for Cafe Buzz items will appear approximately
every two weeks.
To see our Buzz for July 6-July 19, click
here.
To see our Buzz for June 22-July 5, click
here.
To see our Buzz for June 8-June 21, click
here.
To see our Buzz for May 25-June 7, click
here.
To see our Buzz for May 11-24, click
here.
To see our first page of "newsy tidbits," click
here. • • • July
31 MONTREAL CELTIC
FESTIVAL BENEFIT CONCERT The mission of the Montreal
Celtic Festival is "To provide an opportunity for people to discover,
through music, dance, story-telling, art, exhibits, traditional food and drink,
the history of the ancient Celts and their legacy to Canadians of all origins,
and to celebrate the common historical bonds that the traditional music of Quebec
and the rest of Canada share with music from the Old Countries." One
of those folks from the "Old Countries" is Desi
Wilkinson of Cran, the celebrated
Irish flute player and singer who also plays whistle and bagpipes. He teaches
music at the University of Limerick, and is an authority on the music of Brittany.
Desi will be appearing in a benefit concert at Club One in Montreal for
the Montreal Celtic Festival Foundation on Saturday, August 2nd, in "An
intimate evening of Irish, Breton and Québécois music." Sounds
like a great evening of entertainment, which also includes Paul Marchand
(guitar, voice & feet) and Jean-François Berthiaume (bodhran,
stepdancer) and it will help to ensure a successful Celtic Festival in August
of 2004. Check their website for information about last year's festival and to
learn more about Saturday night's benefit: montrealcelticfestival.com
Cran's website
is at cranmusic.com
•
• • July 30
SCOTS TRAD MUSIC AWARDS - Voting closes on August 8 From
the BBC's Celtic
Roots site: "It’s your chance to support Scotland’s rich
musical traditions and heritage by voting in the inaugural Scots
Trad Music Awards. The first awards ceremony will take place on Saturday,
13th September 2003 at The Queen's Hall in Edinburgh and will be broadcast live
on BBC Radio
Scotland's Travelling Folk.
The Awards are an annual celebration
of Scotland's talent and aim to encompass Scotland's thriving musical culture
from Gaelic song, folk, Scottish country-dance, to pipe bands and a host of others
in between. The Scots Trad Music Awards categories were selected by a steering
group set up by Hands
Up For Trad! The members of the steering group were chosen for their interest
in and commitment to Scottish traditional music. The nominations were organised
by Hands up For Trad! in consultation with a group of around 70 well-qualified
music practitioners. Click on the categories below to read brief profiles
of some of the individual artists and bands that are included in this year's nominations
list." Best
Album, Best
Scots Singer, Best
Gaelic Singer, Best
Instrumentalist, Best
Folk Band, Best
Live Act and Best
Up and Coming Artist/Band We see some great nominees there
(Ishbel MacAskill
for one, Karen Matheson for
another!) so cast your vote soon. Voting closes on August 8. Celtic
Roots website: bbc.co.uk/scotland/musicscotland/celticroots •
• • July 29
CAHAL DUNNE ON PBS IN AUGUST Cahal
Dunne is a singer, composer, pianist, comedian, story teller, and television
personality, who we heard about via a discussion on our CelticCafeDANCERS
list a couple of years ago -- regarding his "Jig
Don't Jog" video! "Jig Don't Jog -- Get Fit the Irish Way,
with Cahal Dunne and Friends," was filmed in 17 beautiful locations from
Mayo to Kerry, and those friends in the title include none other than Joannie
Madden of Cherish the Ladies
(flute and tin whistle) and Winnie Horan
of Solas (fiddle) joining Cahal on the 25 folk songs providing the
musical background. (By the way, we are really loving what we're hearing of Winnie's
solo CD "Just One
Wish" -- listen to it at RadioCelt.com
to see why!) There's so much more to Cahal than that 1993
fitness video, however! Folks who get PBS can find out more when the TV special
"Thank You, America" premieres on WLIW
on Saturday, August 9th. WLIW21 is in the New York area, and has grown to become
the fourth most-watched public television station in the United States. Check
PBS.org for your local listings to see
when it might be showing in your area -- pledge drives are coming up. Also, WLIW
is now carried on the major satellite television services. From a press release: "Recorded
at the historic Palace Theatre in Greenburg, Pennsylvania, Dunne's rich tenor
is backed by a full orchestra and choir in a performance that offers inspiring
renditions of American and Irish standards, enhanced on stage by Irish step dancers.
Dunne offers a moving tribute to American war veterans, singing a medley
of songs from the World War II era that includes "Over There" and "The
White Cliffs of Dover." THANK YOU, AMERICA also serves as a retrospective
of Dunne's enduring career, as it features the European hit that gave him his
first big break, "Happy Man." In a particularly moving segment, he performs
his composition "Angel for Sarah," a song about his son's classmate
who has a learning disability. Dunne displays his versatility as a singer,
composer, pianist and story-teller in THANK YOU, AMERICA, drawing on his 20 years
of touring along the East Coast and in the Midwest since releasing his first album
in the United States in 1982." Cahal Dunne's official site is: CahalDunne.com •
• • July 28
NORTHERN IRELAND CELTIC FUSION FESTIVAL - August 7-10 This
four-day Celtic Fusion Festival will get kicked off in style on August
7th with a Scottish and Irish Piping Extravaganza, including a Ceili! Performers
at this festival in County Down in Northern Ireland include Michael McGoldrick
and Band, La Bottine Souriante, Altan, Dougie MacLean, Sharon Shannon, Shooglenifty,
and Danu. What a line-up in only its second year! Last year the performers
included Paul Brady and Band, De Dannan, Eleanor Shanley, Riverdance, Four
Men and a Dog, Cape Breton's Barra MacNeils and Dougie MacLean,
making his return visit in 2003. Organized by Down District
Council's Cultural and Economic Development Department, the festival takes place
in a natural amphitheatre in Castlewellan Forest Park and in a number of
other venues across the District. Sounds great! Learn much more about the
festival and the performers at the official site: celticfusion.co.uk •
• • July 27
IRISH ROOTS IN AUSTRIA - August 12-14 We love seeing how
"Celtic culture" is spreading throughout the world... indeed, the Celtic
Cafe community is a testament to just how international this interest, this passion,
has become! What's particularly exciting is how Irish dance is growing in European
countries in terms of the schools and workshops taught by certified teachers.
One of those countries is Austria, where the Irish
Dancing Association Austria (I.D.A.A.) hosts a week of workshops with
the world-famous Inis Ealga Academy of Dublin, whose "Irish Roots"
show will be performed on August 12-14 in one of Vienna's most renowned theaters.
The show features Irish music, song and dance performed by 23 dancers (aged 9
to 16) who will join with the teachers and Austrian students for a fun-filled
week of workshops following the three performances, including some at the beginner
level. What a great way for Austrian children to spend some of their holidays
-- learning how to Irish dance! Click
here to go to a web page (in German) to learn more about the workshops,
and go to irish-dance.at for more
good information about Irish dance in Austria! • •
• July 26
AN RÍ RÁ MONTANA IRISH FESTIVAL WORKSHOPS - August 8 -10 Looking
for a great way to spend your vacation? Go to the An
Ri Ra Montana Irish Festival, at the edge of the Continental Divide in
historic Butte, Montana. Combine your trip with a visit to Yellowstone National
Park and Glacier National Park (Butte is located half-way between the two) and
spend three days at the festival, which features Celtic Cafe favorites Lúnasa,
the Makem Brothers, Ken
O'Malley, the Trinity Irish
Dance Company, Denver's Michael
Collins Pipe Band and Montana's finest Irish musicians and performers.
They are even offering workshops for Irish musicians (at the intermediate level)
by Lúnasa, the Makem Brothers, and
Kathleen Keane (seen in the film Road to Perdition) - request
an application form through the festival website or by e-mailing the workshop
organizer -- click here.
In addition, there are dance workshops conducted by none other
than the legendary Mark Howard,
founder and artistic director of the Trinity
Academy of Irish Dance. He formed the Trinity
Irish Dance Company at the age of 29, and he continues to choreograph
new works for the company as well as expanding his independent career to work
in theater, television, concert, and film. In 1994, he was named one of Irish-America
Magazine's "Top 100 Irish-Americans" for his innovative work in Irish
dance. Other dancers from the Trinity Academy also will conduct workshops. See
some Celtic Cafe features about Trinity by clicking
here. We'd love to go to the festival ourselves, especially
for the lecture Mark Howard will give about the History of Irish Dance,
on Saturday, August 9! Click
here for the full festival schedule, and here
for the workshop specifics. For more information, go to the Montana
Gaelic Cultural Society web-site at mgcsonline.org •
• • July 25
THE DUBLINER MAGAZINE Many folks around here love Dublin,
and plan to return again and again! For those who live in Ireland and those planning
to visit, may we recommend the current issue of "The Dubliner"
magazine... chock-full of great tips on what to see and do, and not simply from
the tourist perspective! This is their "Best of Dublin" issue,
and you can get an idea of some of the coverage by clicking
here. We first heard about The Dubliner because
Jean Butler happens to write a
column for it. The magazine "chronicles contemporary culture, style, entertainment,
media and dining." It's as gorgeously "slick and glossy" as any
of the magazines we've seen in this genre, but with a difference. There's actually
some real "content" (note the in-depth feature about Noam Chomsky!)
and overall it's the kind of city magazine we wish we had where we live! For those
in Ireland, you can get a "no risk trial subscription" to the magazine
and a copy of the "Dubliner 100 Best Restaurants" -- if you decide
after first issue to not continue, you can cancel your subscription and keep the
free magazine and the copy of the 100 Best Restaurants. For more
information, contact the magazine through their website: www.TheDubliner.ie •
• • July 24
CELEBRATE CELTIC STYLE - IN AUSTRALIA- July 26 "Where
Braveheart Meets Riverdance" in a 2 1/2 hour Celtic Spectacular -- in Sydney,
this Saturday. From the press release: Join in setting the heather alight
when the sensational show “Celebrate Celtic Style” performs at the Seven
Hills – Toongabbie RSL Club on Saturday, 26th July. Whether you have Celtic
blood running through your veins or you wish you did, take this opportunity to
see a World Class Celtic show right here in the Highlands. “Celebrate
Celtic Style” hosts over 30 performers. Amongst these is the New South Wales
Premier Pipe Band, The City of Blacktown, which will perform numbers from
their two latest CD’s: “Highland Cathedral” and “Guilty As
Charged.” Enjoy an exhilarating four-minute piping segment from four of the
fastest players in the State. Follow the excitement of a lighted sticks display
by the flourishing tenor drummers who are equal to the best anywhere in the world. Experience
the horror and degradation of the transportation system as the band performs the
title track from “Guilty As Charged – THE CONVICT SUITE.” This
portrays the fictitious journey of Robert Owen Nicholson, a convict on the First
Fleet, his sentencing in Britain, his life in Australia and attainment of his
ticket of leave than finally his freedom. This narrated suite is highlighted with
performances by the pipe band, Celtic dancers and folk musicians. This Australian
composition was written to coincide with Federation. The shows features
both Highland and Irish Dancing. The Sydney Blairgowrie Dancers provide
the Highland whilst the Irish is taken care of by the Hamilton School of Irish
Dancing, with performers using traditional Irish set styles as well performing
numbers in the style of Riverdance. There
is also Celtic Folk Group “Out Of Kilter” who play a variety
of tunes from century old ballads through to toe- tapping jigs and reels. They
will provide a tapestry of tunes throughout the show. Included in their set is
a sing-a-long bracket where you have chance to be part of the show. There
are both a matinee and an evening show this Saturday... for more information,
go to the Blacktown Pipe Band website at: blacktownpipeband.com •
• • July 23
IMELDA O'REILLY AND THE AMERICAN LIVING ROOM - August 7 "Since
1989, those in search of the biggest, baddest summer arts festival in New York
City have looked to The American Living Room
to discover the latest innovative works by emerging artists. Looking for risky?
Looking for edgy? Looking for laughs? ...We've invited the freshest voices in
new media, art, music, puppetry, performance and directing to participate in this
year's festival." So say the curators of the TALR
website at Here.org and the New York
Times calls it "One of the most unusual arts spaces in New York -- and possibly
the model for the cutting edge arts space of tomorrow." One
of those artists appearing there is Irish performance poet and writer Imelda
O'Reilly. The TALR
description of the upcoming appearance is: "Sultry Irish performance poet
floats through dreamy loems to live music. Poetess explores a sultry landscape
- loems inhabit the edge of fantastical dream. Evocative, sensual, a fusion of
language, imagined words, worlds float in cryptic rhythms to original music composition
by Joel Diamond,
(Grammy Award Nominee) with video and dance. A talking heads excursion as words
and image pummel into subconscious fairytale dream." Originally
from Kildare, Imelda has acted, directed and produced in New York, Paris, Edinburgh
and London. Click
here for the Irish female group Banshee
web page with much information about her, including quotes such as Director Alan
Gilsenan's: "Imelda O'Reilly is Ireland's answer to Alan Ginsberg." Imelda
has been working on various projects, and a grant awarded her by the NYFA (New
York Foundation for the Arts) permitted her to spend some time abroad in Spain
and Morocco where she was working on a book. She has also just completed a short
film entitled "The Seamonster and the Milk Thistle." Imelda has
two albums of her own out, one of which is an epic poem put to music and movement.
Her Artist's Page at MP3.com has three
tracks from her CD "In
People's Heads." Click
here for that page and hear Imelda doing what she does so well!
Hear
and see her at the HERE Arts Center
as part of the American Living Room Series on August 7th. Their website
for more information is www.here.org •
• • July 22
FIDDLE CHICKS What do Eileen
Ivers, Liz Knowles, Máiréad
Nesbitt, Cora Smyth and Niamh Ní Charra have in common besides
becoming favorites of the Celtic Cafe community due to their stints with Riverdance
and Lord of the Dance? They're
all FIDDLE CHICKS! That is, they are registered with FiddleChicks.com,
a very interesting site devoted to women who play the electric fiddle. Other names
listed there are Sharon Corr and Natalie MacMaster, along with countless
others who we may not be as familiar with as these lovely lasses, but fantastic
fiddlers, nevertheless! Check out the FiddleChicks.com
list by clicking
here. Each name there clicks through to a bio and links to personal websites.
The purpose of FiddleChicks.com
is "to bring awareness to the small but growing community of women who have
impacted the music world as violinists, particularly as electric or amplified
violinists." Seems to us that the Irish dance shows have done a tremendous
job in showcasing and arousing interest in Fiddle Chicks, worldwide! Niamh
Ní Charra, who we are such huge fans of due to her touring with
the Riverdance Lagan Company, is
working on her first solo CD. Click
here for our Celtic Cafe feature on her when she was Featured Artist
of the Month in February, 2000. One fiddler not registered at the site yet
is Winifred Horan, who we love
with Solas, but who also has a solo CD
we're hearing (and loving!) through the exposure at RadioCelt
-- it's entitled "Just One Wish."
Tune in to see why we like it so much, and if you're in the area, catch Winnie
at the Lowell Folk
Fest with Seamus Egan and
Donal Clancy on July 26 and 27th. The Solas
tour schedule can be reached by clicking
here. Don't miss 'em! Check out all the great "Fiddle
Chicks" at the website: FiddleChicks.com
• • • July 21
POMARKKU IRISH FESTIVAL IN FINLAND - AUGUST 1-3 We love
including festival information here in the Cafe
Buzz, simply because it's such a great way to see how far and wide "Celtic
culture" has spread! The latest festival we're highlighting is the Pomarkku
Irish Festival in FINLAND! We have quite a number of dance and Celtic
music fans from that beautiful country here at the Celtic Cafe, and they can see
Bert Deivert and Christy
O'Leary at the festival, live! The focus of a previous Cafe Buzz item
(click
here to see that), their just-released CD "Song's
Sweet Caress" is the first by a major Irish traditional artist to
be completely recorded and produced in Sweden. Click
here to go directly to the page at the Deivert.com
site where you can hear MP3 samples of the tracks on this wonderful CD! Good
news! We've just learned that "Song's
Sweet Caress" has been added to the RadioCelt.com
playlist, and can be heard as of Friday, July 25! The Pomarkku
Irish Festival website is in Finnish, but click
here to go directly to the Gigs page. • •
• July 20
MICHAEL FLATLEY DANCING AT RED CROSS BENEFIT GALA IN MONACO - AUGUST 8, 2003 The
Irish newspaper Sunday Independent is reporting some interesting information
today about Lord of the Dance
Michael Flatley. He will be
performing an exclusive, one-off show at the prestigious Red Cross benefit
gala in Monte Carlo on August 8th, prior to jetting off the next day to Moscow
for a private art viewing to collect special works for his 18th-century Castlehyde
Mansion in Fermoy, North Cork -- which is now being hailed as the most successful
restoration project in Irish history. "Costing a staggering
30 million Euros, Castlehyde House now boasts 14 lavish bedrooms, an entire first-floor
suite for Flatley and his partner, Lisa Murphy, two climate-controlled
wine cellars, a Roman spa, a 20-seat private cinema, an African safari room, a
Jameson-designed whiskey room, a three-storey 3,000-volume library, a music room,
a gym and various reception rooms, not to mention a reinforced steel, eight-bay
garage for the star's collection of Ferraris, BMWs and Rolls-Royce cars. Click
here to read the full Sunday Independent article (registration
required). For more information about the Red Cross in Monaco,
see www.croix-rouge.mc. The annual
Red
Cross Ball is held in the Salle des Etoiles of the Monte-Carlo
Sporting Club. From the MonteCarloResort.com
website: "Since its creation in 1948 by Prince Louis II, the vocation of
the Monaco Red Cross has remained the same. It provides help for people in distress
in the same spirit of solidarity as the International
Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies of which it is a fully-fledged
member. By inviting international singers and acts to perform on the stage of
the Sporting-Monte-Carlo, the ever-supportive Societe
des Bains de Mer is contributing to the Monaco Red Cross. This year it
will welcome an exclusive show by Michael
Flatley, the creator of the famous Lord
of the Dance. Tickets: 1000 Euros per person - beverages not included.
Information: (377) 92 16 22 10." Site of the International Federation
of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies: www.ifrc.org See
our MIKEroCosm at CelticCafe.com/MIKEroCosm
and our CelticCafeFLATLEY
mail list by clicking
here. • •
• Read the first-ever Cafe Buzz items by clicking
here.
Read the second page of Cafe Buzz items by
clicking here.
Read the third
page of Cafe Buzz items by clicking
here.
Read the fourth page of Cafe Buzz items by clicking
here.
Read the fifth page of Cafe Buzz items by clicking
here.
Read the sixth page of Cafe Buzz items by clicking
here.
Feature: Bernadette
Price
Original Web Design: Alexander
Servas
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