Spiorad

Talitha MacKenzie | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 24, 1996)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Shanachie
• ASIN: B000000E5C
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #315,322 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

New York-born and Edinburgh-based vocalist Talitha MacKenzie has made her greatest impact since adopting the musical traditions of the Scot Gaels. Mouth Music, her short-lived collaboration with computer programmer Martin Swan, yielded a chart-topping album in 1988. Her solo album, Solas, reached the top three on the Euro World charts in 1994 and was followed by the equally-successful album, Spiorad, two years later. According to the Manchester Guardian, MacKenzie is "one of the most exciting vocalists on the folk/world stage."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Spirit of Gaelic Singing Fused With a Pop style, March 11, 2002

By 

Shanshad "shanachie_shadowfax" (Discworld) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Spiorad (Audio CD)

Talitha Mackenzie takes traditional Gaelic songs and adds pop rhythyms and jazzy backgrounds to transform these songs into something new and intriguing. It's a bouncy album with a strong emphasis on beat. Good for dancing to. Talitha's strong vocals are backed by a wide range of instruments, congas, marimbas, saxaphone, electric violin, to name just a few. This album does combine a lot of unusual sound and voice combinations, but it seems to all work well together. If you prefer the more traditional Gaelic singing and acoustic back up, this probably won't fit the bill.
Nearly all the songs on this CD are Gaelic in origin, with the exceptions of #4 Hopa! (Bulgarian), #5 Ajde Jano (Serbian) and #8 Changerais-Tu? (Breton). Translations of all songs are provided on the liner notes.I add this CD into the mix when I need something upbeat and a little unusual to spice up an afternoon. If you can, check out a sample of a song or two here, #3 Fionnaghula is one of my favorites and #6 Fear A' Bhata is simply beautiful.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Addictive!, November 30, 2004

By 

Texas Celt (Dallas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Spiorad (Audio CD)

Before listening to this CD I was apprehensive. I enjoyed Ms. MacKenzie's previous works, "Mouth Music" and "Solas", tremendously but didn't know how I'd feel about a album that strayed a bit from the traditional Gaelic essence of those albums by including a Serbian tune and a French (Breton) song.

I must now admit that I am addicted to the song "Changerais-Tu?" It fills me with a bubbly sense of glee that climaxes in a silly giggle each time I hear the goat holler. I listen to this song over and over and over again. I've learned the words by heart and find myself singing it around the house, while I'm walking the dogs, while we're waiting to be seated at restaurants, etc.

My wife has threatened to leave me if I can't kick this thing. Can someone out there help me? Please?

Oh, there are good Gaelic tunes on here too.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous, August 27, 1999

By 

B. E. Taylor "btaylor322" (Exeter, New Hampshire United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Spiorad (Audio CD)

Fabulous! A really excellent CD, a must for lovers of superb singing! More, more!