Cafe Buzz
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Welcome to the Cafe Buzz! We started the "Buzz" section here at the Celtic Café 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: Celtic Cafe Yahoo Group Got any "newsy tidbits"? E-mail us via the Contact Form. |
Old magic is reborn as Skyhook Press launches a series of chapter book retellings of fantasy classics from around the world and throughout the ages. Award-winning children's author Aaron Shepard has given us a beautifully crafted work from the Welsh Mabinogion, one of the most magnificent – and neglected – epic sagas in world folklore.
For ages 10 and up, The Mountain of Marvels is perfect for all lovers of Celtic folklore – and their children. Click on the image to learn more!
Visions of Ireland showcases "the land of saints and scholars" as never before. From Inishmaan to Sligo Bay, Belfast to Blarney Castle, Wicklow to Waterford and Armagh to Skellig Michael, this aerial phototour explores all the beauty of the island -- and gives US viewers a glorious excuse to support their PBS stations. Click on the image to learn more!
The program will premiere on PBS stations beginning Saturday, March 3, 2007 at 9 pm.
What would you do if time started flowing backward and the world as you knew it disappeared?
Award-winning author Eoin McNamee has turned his tale-spinning talents from adult thrillers to children's novels, with his new science fiction adventure, The Navigator, just out in January 2007. Click on the image for more on the new book!
John Throne's first novel, The Donegal Woman, has been winning raves since its publication in Ireland in July 2006 -- now it's crossed the ocean for its launch in America. After a "sneak preview" in San Francisco on January 16, 2007, the author will be reading and signing copies of the book at the Irish American Heritage Center, 4626 N. Knox Ave., Chicago from 2-4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 21.
Click on the image to read more about this remarkable work!
Altan fans have a lot to celebrate this fall, with a new album, Local Ground, and concert dates planned from Spain to Southhampton, culminating in a feature performance at Queen Elizabeth Hall in London as part of the Folk in the Fall series:
16 Oct - L'Auditori, Sali 1 Simfonica, Barcelona, Spain
29 Oct - Rosehill Theatre, Whitehaven, Cumbria, England
30 Oct - Nettlebed Folk Club, Nettlebed, Oxfordshire, England
31 Oct - Huntingdon Hall, Worcester, England
2 Nov - Celtic Footprint, Chichester Festival Theatre, Chichester, England
4 Nov - Turner Sims Concert Hall, Southampton, England
5 Nov - Queen Elizabeth Hall, South Bank, London, England
Later in November, there's a return to Ireland, with concerts planned for Duiske Abbey in Co. Kilkenny on 15 Nov and "Fare thee well Enniskillen" on the 25th. Click on the image to read the press release for the South Bank concert!
In honour of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Samuel Beckett, one of the most influential playwrights ever to come out of Ireland, the Gate Theatre Dublin is bringing its celebrated production of Waiting for Godot on an eight-city tour of the United States. The tour opened on October 3rd at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, and runs through November 19, 2006.
The Gate Theatre Dublin has been presenting landmark shows since 1928, and was first asked by Beckett himself to present his work in 1988. Since then, their productions have toured from Cork to China. The current tour represents a rare opportunity for American audiences to see the "definitive" Irish production of a play that has lost none of its power and significance in over half a century.
Tour dates and venues:
3-5 October, Kennedy Center, Washington D.C.
7-8 October, Fisher Center, Bard College, New York
11-15 October, Annenberg Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
18-22 October, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
24-28 October, Skirball Center, New York University, New York
1-5 November, Cal Performances, Berkeley, California
8-12 November, Moore Theatre, Seattle, Washington
15-19 November, UCLA Live, Los Angeles, California
Click on the image to read more about the tour!
What do some of the world's best Irish dancers do when they stop touring with a particular show? In the case of the "Celtic Masters," they get together with a group of friends who danced together in the original Lord of the Dance tours, and create "client-specific" tailored shows for the corporate/private function and arena-based markets!
The eight consist of Conor Smith, Steven Brunning, John Carey, Michael Edwards, Alice Reddin, Catherine Collins, Fiona Kidd and Caroline Fahy, and they've been performing together since 2002. Although the performances to date have been predominantly in the UK for large corporations, they've also become known for the multi-cultural dance extravaganza Skydance. Based in Switzerland, this production includes other acts from around the world and they've incorporated dance numbers with world champion Samba dancers from Brazil and Rock 'n Roll jivers from Texas, just to name a few. Sounds like rhythm heaven!
Celtic Masters will be performing a dance show in Georgia, USA, towards the end of the year, as well as a month-long tour of Germany and Switzerland towards the end of this year/early 2007. The tour will be tailored to perform on consecutive weekends, allowing everyone involved to continue with their own working lives during the week, flying out to dance for weekend shows and then home again! These brilliant performers love the opportunity to perform their own work for different audiences each time, savoring the unique experiences and challenges -- and sharing the fun with a close-knit group of great friends!
Learn more by clicking on the image to go to the Celtic Masters official website.
Cafe Buzz