Celtic Connections Preview
Just as Celtic Connections comes round again this is a great interview with Donald Shaw and Joe Boyd talking about cultural revival and featuring Martyn Bennett with Cuillin Music from 1999.
This year Celtic Connections will be at the SSE Hydro for a special Homecoming Scotland Burns night, with artists like the Mahotella Queens from South Africa, and the Raghu Dixit Project from India, and late late at the Festival Club, in the newly refurbished Art School.
Donald Shaw: “Most people’s perceptions of Scottish folk music 25 years ago would be Andy Stewart on the hogmanay show, singing “A Scottish Soldier”” …
What a load of tosh, 1974 was … Battlefield Band, Humblebums (earlier), John Martyn, even Billy Connolly – you know, politically-committed singers who came from a tradition and were going somewhere – unlike today’s homogenised corporate product, guaranteed not to offend. And what’s so wrong with Andy Stewart anyway?
BTW, to qualify as “celtic” one has to be capable of speaking a Celtic language – something I guess perhaps 0.1% of participants at Celtic Connections are capable of?!
It’s a bit of a snorefest to be honest. And aye, there should be more Celtic languages heard and used.
http://tocasaid.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/those-tenuous-celtic-connections.html