Thursday, November 17, 2011

Irish Singing and Language On the News Via Liet

  National Public Radio (NPR) in the USA has a wonderful segment about the Liet International Song Contest, a singing competition designed to emphasize the minority languages of Europe. The Segment is: A Televised Singing Competition With A Mission.

  Aoife Scott from Dublin is singing in Irish in the competition finals and she is featured at multiple stages of the segment. Minority languages around Europe are discussed, and Aoife talks about how at 18 she realized her parents had given her a gift in teaching her the Irish language.

  Dol Eoin and the six-piece band Macanta from Scotland, will compete performing in Scottish Gaelic (pronounced gallic). Irish and Scottish Gaelic were essential different dialects of one language until the 1700s. Although between the ages of 0 and 5 his grandparents and parents spoke Gaelic around him, they and he let it fall into disuse as he got older. But then he had a dream in Gaelic, and this prompted him to spend two years recording an album all in Scottish Gaelic.


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More Irish Musicians in Shamrock Road blogs:

Brían Ó hAirt (Brian Hart)
Bernadette Nic Gabhann
Aoife Clancy
Matt and Shannon Heaton

Tracking Gibberish: JYPQ83SXNGAD

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Who Is One of the Northern Ireland Justice Champions?

Forum wins prize for work on interfaces:

The Justice Minister in Northern Ireland set up a competition for a designation called, "Justice Champion" or "Justice Champions."

There were 58 nominations and only three awards of Justice Champion were made this autumn, 2011.

One of the selected Justice Champions was the Foyle Interface Forum.

The Foyle Interface Forum was started to provide an alternative to sectarian violence and is an umbrella organization which synergizes the efforts and skills of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), the Youth Justice Agency, local politicians, community workers, Apprentice Boys of Derry, and Housing Executive representatives. (The Youth Justice Agency is described as follows: The principal aim of the Youth Justice Agency is to reduce youth crime and to build confidence in the youth justice system. The Agency works with children aged 10-17 years who have offended or are at serious risk of offending.) (The Apprentice Boys of Derry help organize the celebrations, principally by the Protestant community, on Saturday August 13th of every year which marks the annual anniversary of the ending of the Siege of Derry in 1689.)

A Foyle Interface Forum group was begun to reduce the number of sectarian attacks at interfaces in Derry (also known as Londonderry). Such attacks include stone throwing, harassment, mugging, rioting, and attacks with weapons.

The Foyle Interface Forum used its resources to assist those most at risk of offending and turning their energy away from violence.

As a consequence, reports of violence by one community against another are down from former years in Derry.

Friday, November 4, 2011

Bua in Concert

Sorry to those in the Capital District but this one snuck up on me. And sorry to those out in webland who cannot attend a concert in upstate New York.

Bua's promo at Old Songs says, "A quartet comprised of some of America’s most talented young musicians, Bua plays Irish traditional music with “a precision and intensity that is rarely heard on this side of the Atlantic.” Their sound stands out among modern bands in the genre by “keeping the music down the path of tradition” and reminding listeners of such fondly-remembered greats as The Bothy Band and Planxty."

I add: Performing both instrumental and sean nós singing, they have something for everyone.

Click here for tickets and details of the event.

More about the group Bua. And of course, there is the interview with Brían Ó hAirt, one of their members on this blog.

If you can't make it to Voorheesville, NY, they will also be appearing at:

Six on the Square Oxford, NY
Sat. 11/5/11 7:30pm

Woods Hole Folk Music Society Concert Series 68 Water Street Woods Hole, MA
Sun. 11/6/11 7:30pm