Irish Music Magazine - Dec 2000 / Jan 2001

Ireland

Irish Music Magazine 2000 Awards

December 17th at Dublin's HQ Hall of Fame is the venue to celebrate the annual accolades that our readers give to the Irish Music industry. These awards have now become a benchmark in the professional careers of many artists.

Bringing It All Back For Christmas

Paul O'Brien talks to Philip King and John Dunford about the latest incarnation of Bringing It All Back Home

Andy Irvine - Way Out Yonder

Jim Kelly meets the constantly travelling folk singer in the form of Andy Irvine.

Still Time For A Tune

Ita Kelly catches up with Charlie Lennon on the release of his new album 'Still time for a tune'

Prime Considerations

Seán Laffey, discusses the traditional threads running through her latest Green Linnet album with Niamh Parsons.

School Time Again - The Frankie Kennedy Winter School

Spanning the old and new years, the Frankie Kennedy winter school offers some of the finest performances and the most relaxed sessions of winter, writes Martin McGinley.

Calico: Dead Cool And Deadly

Songdogs is the title of Cork band Calico's second album released on their own Black Hat Music label. John O'Regan listens for the call from the wild.

A Family Album

John O'Regan talks with the Mulcahys of Abbeyfeale who released their debut album on the Shanachie label.

Close To Her Heart

Mary MacNamara epitomizes all that is good and continuing in traditional music, from a family steeped in music in that most musical of places Tulla in County Clare. Ita Kelly brings us a health check on the heart of the tradition.

United Kingdom

Re-Connecting

It's the eighth Celtic Connections festival, of course. Alan McIntosh Brown talks with the Festival Co-ordinator Colin Hynd.

Berried Treasure

Scottish traditional singer Aileen Carr tells Alan McIntosh Brown how she was influenced by the birthplace of a folk festival.

A Topical Affair

The Topic release, Past Masters of Irish Dance Music (TSCD604) is an anthology of truly classic Irish dance music, it has been compiled, edited and co-produced by Reg Hall. Peter Quinn finds out the background.

Europe

A Vintage Bottle Of Tonder

While all the world's economists looked at Denmark on 28th September to see the Danes voting against the introduction of the Euro currency, lovers of Celtic music had a different date and a different reason to consider Denmark in 2000 writes Michael Moll.

From Wicklow To The Alps

John O'Regan hears a new traditional voice in the Wicklow Hills in the form of Zena Prichard.

North America

Eileen Ivers

Eileen Ivers is an Irish New Yorker with world music inclinations. David Ingram catches a live show in California and wonders how come Eileen is so eclectic.

A Big Kitchen Ceilí

The fourth annual Celtic Colours International Festival on Cape Breton Island, made it a perfect spiritual focal point for all concerned with the vibrancy of Celtic music writes Seamus Bellamy.

If The Shoog Fits

Seamus Bellamy sweated it out with the Shooglenifty when they hit foggy Halifax on Canada's East Coast.

Regulars

Tuition Tips from Waltons

The second part of our series on the banjo, from Gerry O'Connor. This month, we look at one of the lessons in his video Banjo Techniques and learn about those all important pivot notes.

Story Behind the Tune

The Shores of Loch Breda. Conor McCarthy collects a tune from Paddy O'Donoghue a founder member of the Tulla Ceilí Band.