Celtic Colours 1999 : Forgotten Roots

Various Artists - International - Europe - Celtic/British Isles

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 1, 1999)
• Original Release Date: August 1, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Stephen MacDonald
• ASIN: B00000JYUN
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: No customer reviews yet. Be the first.
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #401,610 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

About the Artist
The popular young Sydney Mines based group Slainte Mhath combine Scottish bagpipes (by Hamish Moore and pitched in A 440), fiddles, octave mandolin, piano and an exotic array of percussion instruments. Together they create one of the most exciting instrumental sounds to emerge from within the Cape Breton tradition in the past few years. A Glasgow native, Maggie MacInnes comes from a long line of singers from the Island of Barra, Scotland. This is a heritage she shares with countless singers from the Iona / Christmas Island regions of Cape Breton whose ancestors came from Barra during the great waves of Scottish emigration to Cape Breton. Breton bass player Alain Genty first became involved in Breton music in 1989 when he joined the band Barzaz. Since that time Alain has collaborated with other Breton bands such as Den and Gwerz and, in 1994, after the release of his first solo album, he formed the Alain Genty Group. The great Uilleann piper Paddy Keenan is widely recognized as one of the finest exponents of the instrument and the unique "open" style. During the 70's Paddy was a founding member of The Bothy Band and his driving rhythmic piping formed the foundation of that highly influential Irish group. Soig Siberil and the other players on this selection are all veterans of a number of influential Celtic groups of Brittany. This selection features the unique combination of guitar, tenor guitar (four string) and bouzouki. The Black brothers draw their inspiration from folk traditions in Scotland, England and Canada as well as from rich local sources. Their repertoire consists of an array of love songs, shanties and thought-provoking ballads. Shay, Michael and Martin Black are joined here by Mary and Frances on a beautiful old Irish Gaelic song. Cherish The Ladies take their name from the popular old Irish jig by the same name and are led by New York Irish flute player Joanie Madden. Originally the group was organized by folklorist-musician Mick Moloney for a concert series sponsored by the Ethnic Folk Arts Center and the National Endowment for the Arts. From that time, in over 12 years, Cherish The Ladies have grown to become one of the most engaging and exciting Irish groups on the festival and concert circuit. Wooden flute player Chris Norman is originally from Nova Scotia but his family eventually moved to Baltimore. After a year at Indiana University, Chris returned to Nova Scotia where he was introduced to the wooden flute. Since that time he has forged a unique style and extremely varied repertoire that includes Irish, Scottish, Canadian Maritime and Qubcois traditional tunes. Chris recently recorded for the soundtrack of the film Titanic. The tiny village of Dunkeld, Perthshire, Scotland is home to the singer-songwriter and fiddler Dougie MacLean. Throughout his long career Dougie has built up a loyal following for his original music and lyrics which have been described as having a "timeless" quality. During the "Golden Era" of Cape Breton fiddle music, it was not uncommon for two fiddlers to play together at a dance or a house session. This would give the music more drive, lift and volume and also lead to impromptu extended medleys. A Tribute To Cape Breton Violin Duos is fiddler Dave MacIsaac's re-creation of the classic Cape Breton fiddle duos. Gaelic singer Mary Jane Lamond recorded her first album The Land of the Trees in 1994. At that time she began performing with fiddler Ashley MacIsaac as a member of The Kitchen Devils. Her second album, Suas e!, a stunning combination of old Gaelic songs with modern sounds and arrangements, was released in 1997 and helped bring Gaelic music to a much wider audience. The group Llan de Cubel take their name from a mountain in the county of Cuideiru, Asturies. Asturies, a former kingdom, is a tiny country situated on the north of the Spanish state. Like Galicia, another region in Spain, the traditional music of Asturies has strong Celtic roots. With a vibrant regional repertoire to draw upon, Llan de Cubel use traditional instruments such as wooden flute, fiddle and Austurian bagpipes. Fiddler Carl MacKenzie began an extensive recording career in the 70's with the release of his first album on the Rounder label. Carl's repertoire is steeped in the classic Scottish compositions of Neil Gow, William Marshall, J. Scott Skinner and J. Murdoch Henderson and also includes many of the new compositions by Cape Breton composers such as Dan R. MacDonald, Dan Hughie MacEachern, Donald Angus Beaton, Patricia Chafe and Jerry Holland. Since the release of their first album Bachu Cafe, Corrina Hewit and David Milligan have won great praise for the fresh sound that they bring to traditional music. Both have extensive backgrounds in jazz and traditional music and this is apparent in how seamlessly they blend the two idioms. The Orkney Islands are a cluster of islands situated between Northeastern Scotland and Shetland. A Scandinavian influence in the culture exists due to over 600 years of Norse rule ending in 1468. Jennifer (fiddle) & Hazel (piano) Wrigley are from the East Coast of the Mainland, the largest of the Orkney Islands. This track was recorded live at the Glencoe Mills Hall, Thanksgiving weekend, October 1997, during the first Celtic Colours Festival. For many of the international visitors to the festival it was a dream come true to hear both Natalie and Buddy playing together in such an intimate and historic setting. Here, for the third figure of a set, Natalie and Buddy string together a selection of classic Scottish and Cape Breton dance reels climaxing with the great Cape Breton standard Sandy MacIntyre's Trip to Boston.

Product Description
A compilation of Celtic music featuring artists appearing at the third annual Celtic Colours International Festival held in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada in October 1999. As well as a good selection of Cape Breton artists, this collection also features musicians from Scotland, Britanny, Ireland, Spain, The Orkney Islands and the US.