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 August 3-12, click
here.
To see our Buzz for July 20-July 31, click
here.
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. • • • September
12 THE BOYS
FROM COUNTY CLARE The film we have been anxiously awaiting is about
to make its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival,
today at 6:30 p.m., with a second screening tomorrow morning at 9:30 a.m. The
Boys From County Clare, formerly entitled The Great Ceili War, is right
up the Celtic Cafe's alley! Andrea Corr stars in this exciting new
film showcasing the "All-Ireland" traditional music finals! Other leads
in The Boys From County Clare include Jim Broadbent (Gangs of New York,
Iris), Colm Meaney (Star Trek), Eamonn Owens (Angela's Ashes, Magdalene
Sisters, Butcher Boy) and Bernard Hill (Lord of the Rings). "Set
against a backdrop of traditional Irish music in 1970s rural Ireland, this ensemble
comedy drama centres around two brothers, both fiddle players, who meet up again
for the first time in twenty-five years as band leaders and arch rivals in the
finals of the All Ireland Ceili Band Competition, the strict time music of jigs,
reels and hornpipes played for set dancers. Now both in their fifties, and
with an old score to settle concerning their estrangement, their story -- and
that of those around them -- is a story of music, sabotage, love and eventual
forgiveness, of Montagues versus Capulets, and a pair of young star-crossed lovers,
both musicians in the rival bands." Next week we'll have much more
coverage about the film, cast and crew, and photos from Toronto, but in the meantime,
click here for the
"bare bones" start of our feature about The Boys From County Clare.
There you'll find some basic information, and some very nice movie stills!
• • • September
11 PEACEFUL TOMORROWS Today
marks the second anniversary of the horrific attacks of September 11, and it's
a time to reflect and honor the memory of the victims not only of that day, but
that of all the innocents who lost their lives in the aftermath. We like what
some of the families of September 11 victims are doing via the group September
11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows.
As it states on their website at PeacefulTomorrows.org,
it is "an advocacy organization founded by family members of September 11th
victims who have united to turn our grief into action for peace. Our mission is
to seek effective, nonviolent solutions to terrorism, and to acknowledge our common
experience with all people similarly affected by violence throughout the world.
By conscientiously exploring peaceful options in our search for justice, we hope
to spare additional families the suffering we have experienced—as well as
to break the cycle of violence and retaliation engendered by war. In doing so,
we work to create a safer world for the present and future generations."
There has been much music written in the past two years that relates in
some way to what happened that fateful September 11. We are especially moved by
"Giants Fall," composed
by Winnie Horan of Solas,
and which is included on her excellent new solo album "Just
One Wish." She writes in the liner notes: Giants Fall was
written for my birthplace and beloved hometown of New York City. I would like
to dedicate this album to the people of New York City and Rockaway Beach, Queens.
"Giants fall but will rise again." •
• • September 10 DANCE
OF DESIRE Tomorrow, Sept. 11, the new Irish dance show
Dance of Desire is about to end its very successful summer-long run
at the Ambassador Theatre in Dublin, and the troupe leaves on Monday to start
a six-week tour in Germany, starting Sept. 19th. Click
here for Alex Szabo's tour schedule for this exciting production, which
will also delight North American audiences next year. A couple of the famous
names who caught the show earlier this week are Anne
Buckley, of "Erin the Goddess" fame from her Lord
of the Dance days (AnneBuckley.com)
and Samantha Mumba, the Irish
pop star and actress. Our Celtic Cafe representative in Dublin, Ann
Keller (AnnMargaretKeller.com),
has conducted several interviews with key personnel and performers in the show,
as part of our major coverage of Dance of Desire. Click
here for the introduction and some photos, with more pages being added
each day throughout the rest of the week. Official site: Dance
of Desire.com • • • September
9 SINEAD
O'CONNOR'S "SHE WHO DWELLS..." The last time we featured
Sinéad
O'Connor here in the Cafe Buzz it was with the disappointing news that
she had announced her retirement from the music business! Click
here for that news item for April 28 to read her "goodbye message,"
which had been posted at her now-defunct official website. For a good fan site
devoted to her, see Sinead-OConnor.com. Retired
or not, we are still happily able to enjoy new music from Sinéad, such
as the CD just released by Vanguard
Records entitled "She
Who Dwells in the Secret Place of the Most High Will Abide Under the Shadow of
the Almighty." This 2-CD set features on Disc One "rare and
previously unreleased studio tracks" and Disc Two "treats listeners
to a live concert recording." We first became fans of Sinead O'Connor with
the release last year of her "Sean-Nos
Nua," and it's great to hear some new material showcasing her prodigious
talent. Click
here for the Vanguard Records page about "She Who Dwells..."
which includes some audio samples of the tracks. Click
here for our Celtic Cafe feature about Sean-Nós Nua (which includes
quite a few really great photos of Sinead) and here
for Vanguard's audio samples from that terrific CD. Last May Sinéad
completed a couple of projects, including the track "Dagger Through the Heart"
on the Dolly Parton Tribute album, "Just Because I'm a Woman."
See SugarhillRecords.com
for more information -- it's due to be released on October 14th, and each week
they are releasing a full track preview of the album, with Sinéad's coming
soon. Click
here for that preview page at Sugar
Hill Records, and check in each week if interested in this CD, as the full
tracks are then replaced with shorter sound samples. Don't miss Sinead's -- it's
definitely a tribute to Dolly's music! Before Sinéad's retirement
in July, she also contributed two tracks to the just-released Sharon
Shannon CD, "Libertango."
One is an ancient Irish religious chant, the other a beautiful version of
a Scottish folk song "Anachie Gordon." Click
here for Sharon Shannon's own record label, DaisyDiscs.com,
for much more information about Libertango, which also looks terrific! For
more info and audioclips for "She Who Dwells..." go to vanguardrecords.com/sinead/she/home.html •
• • September 8
PHILADELPHIA CEILI GROUP'S 29TH ANNUAL FESTIVAL
OF IRISH MUSIC AND DANCE - Sept. 13 What a line-up! Those lucky
folks who can make it on Saturday, Sept. 13th, to the Philadelphia
Céilí Group's 29th Annual Festival of Irish Music and Dance
are in for quite a treat! This year's festival will feature Mick
Moloney and
The Green Fields of America, with Robbie
O'Connell, Dana Lyn, Isaac Alderson; Niamh
Parsons and Graham Dunne; Kieran
O'Hare and Liz Knowles with John Brennan; Mike
and Mary Rafferty; Tim Britton
with Pat Egan; The Baltimore Ceili Band; Brendan Mulvihill; Brendan
Callahan, more... and the festivities take place from noon to 11 p.m. The
Irish dance segments are as exciting as the music! Participants include the Legacy
Dancers of the Brennan
School of Irish Dance; the Cummins School of Irish Dance; the Gibson
School of Irish Dance; and the Saoirse Celtic Performance Troupe. There
is also a Friday Night Ceili Mór and Party at the Commodore Barry
Club - Irish Center with the Baltimore
Ceili Band -- click
here for information about the dinner and the evening -- which looks like
a LOT of fun! From their website: "The Ceili Group festival
is the only festival in the Philadelphia area that is truly a traditional festival;
it is also one of the oldest continuous (if not the oldest) traditional Irish
music and dance festivals in the United States. The festival, as in past years,
will present some of the best international, national, and local Irish traditional
musicians and dancers. Included in the day-long festival are craft demonstrations,
a Ceili Mór, traditional Irish food, as well as instrument and dance workshops
for children and adults." This year the festival is in a new location, the
Monsignor Bonner High School and Grounds in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania.
Click
here for ticket information, here
for their call for volunteers, and the official website for more: PhiladelphiaCeiliGroup.org
• • • September 7
CELTIC MUSICIANS CALENDAR FOR 2004 This
is the time of year when we start seeing more and more calendars in the stores
for 2004, but how many do we see that are in some way connected to Celtic music?!
At last, we found one that focuses not only on some of our favorite musicians,
but in such a charming way -- mostly via clay models! The artist is the very talented
Linda McCann, whose work first became
widely known through the cover of husband
Leo McCann's album"If
Anyone Can." Click
here to see that as well as some other examples of her work, and click
here for some photos taken at their wedding -- and here
for some higher-resolution images. What a hoot! The artists depicted in
the 2004 calendar are: Phil Cunningham & Aly Bain; Alison Brown; The Dubliners;
Flook; Altan; Shooglenifty; Lunasa; Dougie MacLean; Michael McGoldrick; Malinky;
Kate Rusby & John McCusker; and Joe Burke & Sharon Shannon. The graphic
designer on the project is Mike Garden, and between his fine work and Linda's
clay characters, sketches, and photos, this is sure to become a highly sought-after
gift under the Christmas tree! Click
here for the direct link to the 2004 Calendar page. Get
more information and see other lovely artwork at Linda's official site: Canndhu.com •
• • September 6 CELTIC
CROSSROADS - Friday, Sept. 12 The Celtic
Crossroads show promises a most entertaining evening of music, dance and
comedy, next Friday night at the Chesapeake
Arts Center in Brooklyn Park, Maryland. Celtic Crossroads brings you the
best of the Celtic world -- both Scottish and Irish -- and it will contrast and
highlight the similarities and differences of the Scottish and Irish culture by
offering both the traditional and modern music, song, dance and humor of the Celts. The
headliners and producers of the Celtic Crossroads Show are the six-time Grammy-nominated
Rogues, a Scottish bagpipe group,
and also featured is former Clandestine member E.J.
Jones' group, The Willow Band,
an Irish/Celtic group. Their group boasts an all-star line up, with E.J. Jones
on Highland bagpipes, Uillean pipes, and flute; Irish record producer, vocalist,
and instrumentalist, Gerry O'Beirne
(founding member of Patrick Street);
and Maryland's own virtuoso fiddlist, Rosie
Shipley (who has performed with Cherish
the Ladies); outstanding vocalist, Maia Rodriguez; and Renaissance
Man Chris Davis. Click
here to see a previous Cafe Buzz item about Gerry
O'Beirne, a Celtic Cafe favorite. The show includes the award-winning
Broesler School of Irish Dance, whose
dancers have performed with Eileen Ivers,
and The Chieftains,
as well as the championship Highland dancers, the Thistle Dancers (formerly
known as "Something Scottish Highland Dancers.")
Click
here for a page of detailed biographies of the performers involved with
Celtic Crossroads. For more information about the show and tickets, go to
ChesapeakeArts.org or pick
some up at any of The Rogues shows at the Maryland
Renaissance Festival. Also, tickets are available through Ticketmaster,
where the show is listed as Celtic CROSSINGS, not CrossROADS. See TheRogues.com
for more information.
• • • September
5 WISCONSIN
SCOTTISH HIGHLAND GAMES AND CELTIC FLING - Sept. 5-7 The
2003 Wisconsin Highland Games and Celtic Fling offers all the usual fun,
cultural events one associates with such festivals... pipe and drum performances,
highland dance, fiddle and harp competitions, food, sheepdog trials, a clan parade,
etc. However, a particular highlight of this event must be the "Scottish
Heavy Athletics." These include the "stone put," which is similar
to the Olympic shot put, the weights toss, the Scottish hammer throw and the sheaf
toss. There's also the caber toss, where the object is to throw a 100-pound,
20-foot shaved log in an arc so that it lands perpendicular to the athlete. In
a perfect throw, the caber turns end over end once and lands facing "12 o'clock." Then
there's the "Battle Axe Throw" on Sunday. But... will there be a "Haggis
Hurl"?! Official site: WisconsinScottish.org
•
• • September 4
LORD OF THE DANCE AT THE RUGBY INTERNATIONAL -
Sept. 6 Michael Flatley's Lord
of the Dance Troupe 2 are going to be doing the pre-match entertainment
on Saturday, September 6, at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh (67,500 capacity).
It is the Rugby International between Scotland and Ireland, and they will
be on at 13:15-13:30 hours, with the match beginning immediately after the performance.
Those who can tune in RTE 1 will be able to catch the live coverage starting at
13:10. Click here for the RTE television
guide. Also, Troupe 2 will be recording a TV special for MBC Lebanon
in Beirut on September 9th to be broadcast throughout the Arab world (date of
transmission not yet set). It will comprise highlights from the show. They return
to tour the U.S.A. and Canada on September 17th, at the Eisenhower Auditorium,
State College, Pennyslvania. For the complete schedule, with new dates added regularly,
see Alex Szabo's tour section at the Celtic Cafe by clicking
here. Lord of the Dance Official Site: LordOfTheDance.com
•
• • September 3
CELTIC FEST MISSISSIPPI - Sept. 5-7 The
Celtic Fest Mississippi in Jackson
sounds like it will be a lot of fun! Not only do they have a focus on both Irish
and Scottish music and dance, with headliners Paddy
Keenan and Brendan Nolan,
but they are offering a whisky/whiskey tasting on Friday night of some of the
finest Irish and Scottish brands. The festivities encompass 25 groups and 4 stages
throughout this coming weekend, including free music and heritage workshops. On
Saturday night there will be "a massive ceili dance." The performers
include: Beyond the Pale, Bounds Street, Cairde, Changling, Chulrua,
Clandestine, Brian Conway, Liz Doherty,
Jim Flanagan, James Kelly, Legacy, The Lost Tribe, Danny O'Flaherty, Smithfield
Fair, Spot and Spirits of the House. From the website at CelticFestMS.org:
This year CelticFest will be
hosting an uilleann pipe tionól. A tionól is an Irish word
that has come to describe a workshop series taught by a distinguished master that
draws students and attendees from all over. Patrick Hutchinson will be
conducting the beginner's uilleann pipe class, a bellows-driven version of the
bagpipe indigenous to Ireland. A student of the well-loved Toronto piper and teacher
Chris Langan, Patrick has been playing the uilleann pipes for nineteen
years. With Paul Cranford and David Papazian, he compiled and edited Move
Your Fingers: The Life and Music of Chris Langan, published by Paul Cranford
Publications in Cape Breton. Click
here for more information on that. Patrick is well known for his
unique settings and his penchant for unusual tunes, as well as his compulsion
for variations. He has recorded with Tip Splinter, Loreena
McKennitt, Oliver Schroer, The Revels, and the Barra
MacNeils. He holds a Doctorate in ethnomusicology from Brown University in
Providence where he is a sound recordings librarian and visiting professor of
music. Dance schools include the Birmingham Celtic Arts Irish Dancers,
Jackson Irish Dancers, McTeggart
School of Irish Dance, The New Orleans School
of Irish Dance (TNOSOID), and others. Learn much more at the official
site: celticfestms.org •
• • August 30 SCOTT
ADAMS, CREATOR OF "DILBERT" It's not often that we can find
a way to highlight a favorite "non-Celtic-related" person or event here
at the Celtic Cafe, unless there is somehow a clear connection to the interests
of this community. We have been huge fans for many, many years of the great Scott
Adams, creator of our favorite comic strip, DILBERT.
Well, finally, there's a connection to be made, in the form of the strips of August
19 and 20 where Dilbert and the Pointy-Haired Boss are dealing with a proposal
that needs to be submitted by the deadline, as the very future of the company
is at stake. The PHB is on his way, when suddenly he is seduced by a sign that
promises 10% off "Irish Line Dancing" lessons! See the strip of
August 19 by clicking
here, and that of August 20, by clicking
here. What a hoot! We asked Scott Adams about his inspiration for the
"line-dancing" silliness, and the answer can be found within our feature
about "Riverdance,
Live From Geneva" -- click
here for that. But Scott Adams does more than preside over what
is now a "vast empire" of Dilbert-related books and merchandise, etc.
that have become popular internationally. He's the co-owner of a restaurant in
the San Francisco Bay Area called Stacey's Café, and the menu write-up
is as humorous as the comic strips! Click
here to see what we mean! And in a bit of synchronicity, it turns out
that the newly-added second location for Stacey's is in DUBLIN -- California!
Stacey's Cafe website: staceyscafe.com
The official site for Dilbert: Dilbert.com •
• • August 29
KANSAS CITY IRISH FEST - August 29 - 31 From
the website: "Like the Missouri River, it'll be big and mighty! Set for
Labor Day weekend, Kansas City Irish Fest
on the riverfront will celebrate the immense cultural and business swaths that
Irish immigrants cut through the Midwest. The first-ever Kansas City Irish
Fest to be held on the city's developing riverfront will feature two concert stages
for an unprecedented lineup of regional, national and international entertainers,
as well as traditional dancing, heritage and cultural presentations, ethnic foods
and a large selection of clothing, household goods, books and music from Ireland.
Kansas City Irish Fest will effectively merge and expand the already successful,
albeit smaller, Brookside and Westport Irish festivals." This
new and bigger Irish Fest will cover 17-plus acres of grass-covered space in Richard
L. Berkley Park and feature simultaneous performances and presentations, including
such great entertainers as Solas, Cherish The Ladies, Gaelic Storm, The Young
Dubliners, Seven Nations and many more. The O'Riada Academy of Irish Dance
will be delighting the audiences as well. Jon
Pilatzke is sitting in for Dan Stacey of
Seven Nations at the festival this weekend. Both Jon and Dan are fiddlers
and stepdancers, and Dan is off at the Tonder Festival
in Denmark, and so Jon, whom you may have seen on tour with the Chieftains
along with brother Nathan, is filling in for him. But who's filling in for Jon
at his own band Quagmyre, in Toronto?!
Oh, no problem. Their next gig isn't until Monday! For more information, and music
and videoclips of Jon and Nathan, check out the Quagmyre site at Quagmyre.ca.
You can also catch them on the Chieftains' "Down The Old Plank
Road" video/DVD! Click
here for a previous Cafe Buzz item about the most talented Pilatzke Brothers.
Note also, Quagmyre's CD "Mouth Full of Potatoes" has recently
been added to the playlist at RadioCelt.com! The
official Kansas City Irish Fest
site is at: KCIrishFest.com •
• • August 28 NIAMH
NI CHARRA One of the Celtic Cafe's favorite fiddlers now has her own
website, at long last! Niamh Ní
Charra, who has wowed audiences for the past five years with the Riverdance
Lagan company, is currently in rehearsals preparing to again tour North
America with the new Boyne company, starting on September 16th with previews
in New Haven, Connecticut. The show has a brand new look with new lighting, and
the bandstand is closer to the audience, to the left of the stage, resulting in
some changes in choreography. We are really looking forward to finding out about
all the new dancers in the show, too! One of the many highlights of the
Riverdance show is when Niamh (pronounced "Neev") comes out front and
center, engaging the audience with her masterful fiddling while skipping across
the stage, long blonde locks flying. That musical talent started at a very young
age... she was already playing tin whistle and the concertina at the ages of 5
and 6 when she spotted a tiny violin while shopping with her parents in Limerick,
and immediately fell in love with it. She hugged it tightly in the car all the
way home to Killarney! Click
here to see photos of her, including as that adorable child, when she
was our Featured Artist of the Month in February of 2000. Another
love of hers was Physics! Niamh has a degree in electronic engineering
and hopes to combine her love of music with that, and one day have her own recording
studio. On her new website you will find a public forum where you can post messages,
and she even has a mailing list that you can sign up for... hopefully in the not-too-distant
future we'll find out about a new solo album! Don't miss the Riverdance
Boyne Company when it comes to your town, and stop by to say hi to Niamh for us,
won't you? Click
here for the Celtic Cafe's tour schedule for the show, and the official
show site is at Riverdance.com. Niamh's
official site: NiamhNiCharra.com •
• • August 27
COWAL HIGHLAND GATHERING - August 28, 29, 30 The
Cowal Highland Gathering is an event second to none in the Highland
Games calendar, attracting more than 3500 competitors from all over the world
to Scotland. From the very first gathering on August 11, 1894, the Cowal Gathering
has continued to foster the traditions of earlier generations and provide for
enthusiasts and participants in everything that is finest in Scottish Highland
tradition, especially the dance and music. The schedule of events on August
28 - 30 include championship competitions in Highland Dancing, Heavy Events, Solo
Piping, Pipe Bands, Athletics and Shinty. In Highland Dancing, the Scottish
National Championship will be held tomorrow, August 28th - open to Scottish
residents only. Every year over 500 dancers of all ages and from every quarter
of the globe descend on Dunoon for the Official Scottish Highland Dancing Championships
and World Qualifying Rounds held this Friday, and for the Official World
Highland Dancing Championship Finals plus the Argyllshire Championship
on Saturday. To win a Cowal Gold Medal is the ultimate ambition of every Highland
Dancer - whether from Scotland, Australia, Canada, South Africa or any point in
between! Click
here to go the the Cowal Gathering
web page with information about current and former Highland dance champions, and
here for
the general event schedule. Where is the Cowal Gathering taking place?
Dunoon, the capital of the Cowal region, is about one hour from Glasgow by ferry,
and to see some great photos of Dunoon and the area, click
here for the "Undiscovered Scotland" site. The grand finale
of this 3-day event is the spectacle of the massed pipes and drums of more than
150 bands marching through the streets of the town.
Cowal Gathering
official site: cowalgathering.com •
• • August 26 LISDOONVARNA
FESTIVAL 2003 - August 30 "The RDS Arena is set to explode into
life when the cream of contemporary Irish talent gather on 4 stages on Saturday,
30th August, 2003. It is set to be a non-stop music marathon with an intoxicating
mix featuring the best of Irish artists and groups...
It’s not really
such a long way from Clare to here. The world-renowned Lisdoonvarna
Festival lives long in the memories of the many thousands who attended
the event through the years. For one weekend each summer, a small seaside village
in Co. Clare became the centre of the universe as the cream of Irish and international
artists – be they folk singers, country stars, blues legends or singer/songwriters
– came together in the name of good vibes and great music. In what has been
a brilliant year for Irish artists both at home and abroad, it seems only right
to rekindle the spirit of Lisdoonvarna to celebrate the wonderful success of our
home-grown artists. Even though the place itself has been declared off-limits,
the show must go on, so it’s onwards and upwards to the RDS." Celtic
Cafe favorites Liz Madden and Gloria
Muhall of RUA (www.ruaworld.com)
will be joining folks such as Christy Moore, Luka Bloom, Kilfenora Ceili Band,
Mundy, David Kitt, The Frames, and many, many more. See the official festival
site for all the details: LisdoonvarnaFestival.com
Rua are currently working on their next CD, Dream-Teller, which
will feature Irish actor Gabriel Byrne narrating a well-known Yeats’
poem over an original Rua instrumental track. Even more exciting news: Rua, in
conjunction with Jimmy MacCarthy, will be providing the music for the ‘Ride
On’ spectacular at the International Sport Horse Show which will be staged
at Punchestown on September 21st, 2003. Rua’s version of Jimmy MacCarthy’s
'Ride On' will be used as the theme song and includes new lyrics specially written
by Jimmy for this event. A selection of music taken from both the ‘Rua’
and ‘Dream-Teller’ albums, along with a new arrangement of Jimmy's
song 'Hard man to follow', will also feature throughout. Note: Rua's lovely
music can be heard via the Internet radio station RadioCelt.com Rua's
page at the festival site: LisdoonvarnaFestival.com/artists/rua.shtml •
• • 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.
Read the seventh page of Cafe Buzz items by clicking
here.
Read the eighth page of Cafe Buzz items by
clicking here.
Feature: Bernadette
Price
Original Web Design: Alexander
Servas
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