Karl Seglem (*8 July 1961, Årdalstangen, Norway).
Karl Seglem is an acclaimed Norwegian jazz musician. His main instrument is the tenor saxophone.
His CD production counts about 19 solo albums and 17 albums with different ensembles.
Already at an early stage in his career he became interested in more diverse and genre crossing perspectives.
He has explored Norwegian folk music as a basis for improvisation and composition, fusing the sound of
the tenorsax with goat horns and Hardanger fiddle. Seglem has also been instrumental as a producer and record label manager for NORCD.
»Dear friends! On this special day, for me a joyful celebration jubilee day turning 60 years old, I decided to release another single from my coming vinyl-album.
Thankful having so many listeners abroad Norway, mainly in Germany, UK, USA. It´s a "present" to you for following me and supporting me and most important
buying and listening to my music. TUSEN TAKK. It´s been a rough year but I will keep up my work and feel privileged. I hope to go on tour presenting new
material autumn 2022, and I hope you will continue following me and enjoy music. Wishing you the best summer - with my little Daypoem.«
– Karl Seglem
Horacio Salinas (*8 July 1951, Lautaro, Cautín Province, Chile).
Horacio Salinas Álvarez is a Chilean guitarist and composer and co-founder and musical director of the Chilean group Inti-Illimani Histórico.
In 1967, students at the Technical University of Santiago de Chile founded the group Inti-Illimani, impressed by artists such as Violeta Parra and Víctor Jara.
Oriented towards the folklore of the Andes, Inti-Illimani was considered the cultural ambassador of Salvador Allende's socialist Chile.
When the military coup under General Pinochet was under way in 1973, the group was on a European tour and the members remained in European exile until 1989.
Horacio Salinas afterwards gathered young virtuoso instrumentalists and founded a new formation that made music under the name Inti-Illimani Histórico.
[www.horaciosalinas.com]
Manu Chao (*21 June 1961, Paris, France).
Manu Chao (born José Manuel Arturo Tomás Chao Ortega) is a French-born Spanish musician.
With friends and his brother Antoine Chao, he founded the band Mano Negra in 1987, achieving considerable success in Europe. He became
a solo artist after its breakup in 1995, and since then tours regularly with his live band, Radio Bemba.
Manu Chao sings in Spanish, French, English, Portuguese, Galician, Arabic and Wolof. His music has
many influences, such as punk, rock, French chanson, reggae, ska, Iberoamerican salsa and Algerian raï. While Mano Negra called
their style patchanka (patchwork), Manu Chao speaks of música mestiza. Chao's lyrics often carry a left-wing message, reflecting his
political leanings close to the Zapatistas and their spokesman, Subcomandante Marcos.
[www.manuchao.net]
Roy Harper (*12 June 1941, Rusholme, Manchester, England).
Ian Anderson (of Jethro Tull) said Roy Harper was his "primary influence as an acoustic guitarist and songwriter."
Harper's earliest influences were blues musician Lead Belly and folk singer Woody Guthrie and, in his teens, jazz musician Miles Davis.
He is known for his distinctive fingerstyle playing and lengthy, complex compositions, reflecting his love of jazz and the poet John Keats.
Harper has released more than 30 albums cross his 50-year career.
In 2013, he was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.
[www.royharper.co.uk]
Ken Nicol (*27 May 1951, Preston, Lancashire, England).
Kenneth Stephen Nicol is an English guitar player and singer-songwriter.
He formed the band Nicol & Marsh with his then brother-in-law Peter Marsh in 1974, and landed a major record contract with CBS.
Together with Richard James Burgess, the band became Easy Street. He was a member of the Albion Band from 1997 until 2001.
In 2002, he joined forces with Steeleye Span, working with the band for eight years, most recently on their 40th Anniversary Tour.
He continues to tour and record as a solo artist; his music covers the spectrum from blues to rock taking in folk, jazz and ragtime.
[www.kennicol.com]
Bob Dylan (*24 May 1941, Duluth, Minnesota, USA).
Bob Dylan (born Robert Allen Zimmerman; May 24, 1941) is regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time.
He has been a major figure in popular culture during a career spanning nearly 60 years: In the 1960s, his songs became anthems for the civil rights and
anti-war movements. In the mid 1960s, he adopted electrically amplified rock instrumentation and recorded three of the most important and influential rock albums.
He has sold more than 125 million records. In 2016, Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature "for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition".
Backed by a changing lineup of musicians, he has toured steadily since the late 1980s on what has been dubbed the Never Ending Tour.
He played his 3000th show in April 2019 in Innsbruck, Austria.
In March 2020, Dylan released a seventeen-minute track "Murder Most Foul", revolving around the assassination of President Kennedy. The song eventually topped the Billboard Rock Digital Song Sales Chart. (By the way, the first time that Dylan had scored a number one song on a pop chart under his own name.) "Rough and Rowdy Ways," Dylan's 39th studio album and first album of original material since 2012, was subsequently released to favorable reviews. Dylan's 80th birthday in May 2021 was commemorated by a virtual conference, Dylan@80, organised by the TU Institute for Bob Dylan Studies. The program featured seventeen sessions spread across three days delivered by over fifty scholars, journalists and musicians, contributing from around the world through internet connections.
Martin Carthy (*21 May 1941, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England).
Since he emerged as a young musician in the early days of the folk revival,
the folk singer and guitarist has remained one of the most influential figures in British traditional music,
inspiring contemporaries such as Bob Dylan and Paul Simon, and later artists such as Richard Thompson.
Martin Carthy is a solo performer of traditional songs; his distinctive guitar style is marked by the
use of alternative tunings (notably CGCDGA) and a strongly percussive picking style.
He has also been involved with many musical collaborations, notably The Watersons since 1972, Steeleye
Span, the Albion Country Band, the Brass Monkey ensemble, and The Imagined Village for all three of their albums 2007–2012.
For many years, he enjoyed a creative partnership with fiddle player Dave Swarbrick; more recently, Waterson–Carthy has provided the platform for his
musical partnership with wife Norma Waterson and their daughter Eliza Carthy.
In 2014, Martin Carthy was awarded the Lifetime achievement award at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.
Enya (*17 May 1961, Dore, Gaoth Dobhair, Donegal, Ireland).
Enya Patricia Brennan (Irish: Eithne Pádraigín Ní Bhraonáin) was born into a musical family in the Irish-speaking area of Gweedore in County Donegal.
She began her musical career when she joined her family's folk band Clannad in 1980 on keyboards and backing vocals, but already left in 1982.
Over the following four years, Enya developed her sound with multitracked vocals and keyboards with elements of new age, Celtic, classical, church, and folk music.
The commercial and critical success of Watermark (1988) propelled her to worldwide fame, helped by the international top-10 hit single "Orinoco Flow".
Enya has won seven World Music Awards, four Grammy Awards for Best New Age Album, and an Ivor Novello Award. She was nominated for
an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for "May It Be", written for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001).
Enya is Ireland's best-selling solo artist (and second-best-selling artist behind U2) with an estimated 75 million records worldwide.
In 2017, a newly discovered species of fish found in the Orinoco River, Leporinus enyae, was named after Enya.
Gunnel Mauritzson (*23 April 1961, Gotland, Sweden).
Gunnel Mauritzson is considered as one of the foremost folksingers in Sweden with roots in the folk music of the Baltic island of Gotland.
She was formerly a member of the bands Nåra and Gunnfjauns
Kapell. About fifteen years ago she started her first solo project that resulted in the CD "Silhuette" (1996) with music by the late Swedish jazz musician
Lars Gullin. She works with her own band, the group Gotland Jazz Operation Project and as soloist in church masses, musical theater and big band concerts.
About the Gunnel Mauritzson Band it is said:
"GMB makes new, exiting interpretation of music deeply rooted in Swedish folk tradition, performed with lightness, brilliance and love for the free spirit
of improvisation. Together with brilliant musicians Gunnel presents new and old Swedish songs. Some of the music is written by herself and some songs
are traditional folksongs."
[www.gunnel.nu]
Janis Ian (*7 April 1951, Farmingdale, New Jersey, USA).
Born Janis Eddy Fink, the singer-songwriter was most commercially successful in the 1960s and 1970s. Her signature
song is the 1966/67 hit "Society's Child" about an interracial relationship written at the age of 14.
The song's theme was considered taboo by some radio stations, who banned it from their playlists.
In her 2008 autobiography, Ian recalls receiving hate mail and death threats as a response to the song.
Most active musically in the 1960s/1970s, Janis Ian has continued recording into the 21st century. She continues to tour in both the US and the UK.
[www.janisian.com]
Johnny 'Ringo' McDonagh (*30 March 1951, Galway, Ireland).
Johnny ‘Ringo’ McDonagh is regarded one of the most innovative bodhrán players in traditional Irish music.
He began playing the bodhrán in 1967. He is responsible for introducing the rimshot (striking the wooden rim of the bodhrán) as well as the use of brush beaters.
He also began to explore the tone of the bodhrán.
Ringo is probably best known as the original percussionist with the iconic supergroup De Danann.
He remained with the group from 1975 until 1988, featuring on ten of their albums.
He has played and recorded with almost anyone in Irish music including Arcady and even the iconic Irish rocker
Phil Lynnot (of Thin Lizzy fame). "Beat of the Drum" was the B-side to Lynnot’s successful 1982 single, "Old Town," featuring a fusion of blues and Afrobeats.
Rusty Young (1946-2021).
Norman Russell Young was a singer-songwriter-guitarist, best known as one of the frontmen in the influential country rock and Americana band Poco from
1968 to 2013. He was a virtuoso on the pedal steel guitar and celebrated for his ability to get a Hammond B3 organ sound out of the instrument.
After the group's demise he announced his retirement, yet he continued to do guest performances with former members of Poco and other country rock artists.
In 2017, Rusty released his first solo album, Waitin' For The Sun, followed by a new tune in 2019, "Listen to Your Heart."
It was released digitally and benefited a local animal charity. Young died of a heart attack on April 14, 2021.
»Beloved member of the Blue Élan Records family, Rusty Young passed away on April 14, 2021. Rusty was best known as the heart and soul of Poco – the band widely considered to
be one of the founders of the classic Southern California country rock sound. Rusty released his only solo album, Waitin' for the Sun, with us in 2017. He also last released
several singles with Blue Élan over the last two years in addition to a live remake of “Crazy Love” which featured a host of Blue Élan labelmates joining Rusty at Clear
Lake Studios. Watch a video of Rusty singing with the Blue Élan family. We miss him dearly.«
– Blue Élan Records
Patrick Sky (1940-2021).
Born Patrick Linch in 1940, the American folk singer and songwriter was noted for his album
Songs That Made America Famous (1973).
He was of Creek Indian and Irish ancestry and grew up near the Lafourche Swamps of Louisiana, where he learned guitar and banjo. After military service in the early 1960s, he moved to New York City and began playing traditional songs on the Greenwich Village folk scene before starting to write his own material. His song "Many a Mile" became a folk club staple, recorded by Sainte-Marie and others. In 1973, Sky released the satirical Songs That Made America Famous (the album was originally recorded in 1971 but rejected by several record companies).
Patrick Sky gradually moved into the field of Irish traditional music, producing artists and founding Green Linnet Records in 1973. He was recognised as an expert in building and
playing the uilleann pipes. He edited a reissued version of the 19th century dance tune book Ryan's Mammoth Collection in 1995, followed up with a reissue of Howe's 1000 Jigs
and Reels. He died on May 26, 2021, while in hospice care for cancer in Asheville, North Carolina.
Korrontzi: Etxepare Award for Musical Career
In the 5th edition of the MUSIKA BULEGOA SARIAK awards, organized by the association Euskal Herriko Musika Bulego Elkartea (EHMBE), KORRONTZI has been awarded with the "Prize for Musical Career"; Prize awarded by the Etxepare Institute of the Basque Government.
The award given to KORRONTZI recognizes all the work that the group has carried out throughout its 17 years of existence. During this period, KORRONTZI has published 10 discographic works, has been recognized with different awards worldwide, such as the one received in 2008 as Best European Band, has offered performances at the most important international festivals of "world music", traveled to countless countries such as Brazil, Malaysia, Canada, Reunion Island, Slovenia, Morocco, Greece, the Czech Republic, and a long etcetera, where it has been a showcase for the Basque Country, showing its music, dance and culture.
They have been intense years in which there have been no shortages of difficulties or joys. For all this, KORRONTZI wants to thank all the people who have worked with the group during all these years: promoters, managers, organizers, collaborators, sponsors, record labels, technicians, musicians… And especially the Institute Etxepare for their support of the band, since the award given is a stimulus to continue working in favor of culture.
Uilleann Piper Louise Mulcahy receives Markievicz Award
Na Píobairí Uilleann would like to convey its congratulations to uilleann piper Louise Mulcahy who was presented with The Arts Council’s Markievicz Award by Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media Catherine Martin TD.
From a well-known musical family in Abbeyfeale on the Limerick-Kerry border, Louise has performed and recorded extensively both in Ireland and internationally, with her father, Mick and sister, Michelle. As a solo artist, Louise’s first solo production, ‘Tuning the Road’ was released in 2014 and she was part of Na Píobairí Uilleann’s ‘A New Dawn’ publication of young pipers released in 1999.
A leading researcher into the history of women in uilleann piping, Louise has been an active member of Na Píobairí Uilleann since first attending classes as a student and is now a regular contributor as a teacher and performer. Louise frequently performs on the prestigious Alain Froment set of pipes on loan from NPU bequeathed to the organisation by the late Liam O’Flynn.
Speaking about today’s announcement, Na Píobairí Uilleann Chief Executive Gay McKeon commented: “On behalf of NPU and indeed the piping community I’d like to pass on our very best wishes to Louise who has been a wonderful ambassador for piping and traditional music and a most worthy recipient of this significant award. I wish her the very best in her continued musical and research endeavours.”
Administered by The Arts Council on behalf of the Dept. of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, The Markievicz Award, worth €25,000 to recipients, was established to honour Constance Markievicz – herself an artist – as the first woman to be elected to Parliament and appointed to cabinet and is intended to provide support for artists from all backgrounds and genres to provide time and space in order to develop new work that reflects on the role of women in the period covered by the decade of centenaries 2012–2023 and beyond.
Na Píobairí Uilleann (NPU), the Society of Uilleann Pipers, was founded in 1968 when there were fewer than 100 uilleann pipers remaining. Today NPU is a thriving arts organisation dedicated to Sharing the Sound of Ireland through Access, Education, Performance and Preservation.
International Songwriting Competition
The International Songwriting Competition (ISC) is pleased to announce its 2020 winners. Now going into its 20th year, ISC is the world’s largest and most prestigious international songwriting competition, receiving more than 26,000 entries from 158 countries. More than $150,000 in cash and merchandise is awarded to 71 winners in 23 categories covering all genres of music.
Over the years many Scandinavian songwriters have become winners in ISC, but for the first time in its history, the competition’s highest honor, the overall Grand Prize, is awarded to Scandinavian songwriters. This year the Grand Prize is awarded to Swedish folk/pop duo Smith & Thell (comprised of Maria Jane Smith and Victor Thell) and songwriter/producer Peter Kvint for their co-written song “Goliath.” The Grand Prize includes $25,000 in cash (US) and more than $40,000 in additional merchandise and services. “We’ve always written about our real stories and our real life history. It’s always beautiful to be acknowledged for telling your own, real-life story,” said Smith & Thell. “’Goliath’ is about facing your fears and learning that no challenge is too big to handle. It’s an honor to hear that the message of the song reached through to the jury and to win this prestigious award especially during these challenging times.”
Smith & Thell met as teenagers at a music event in their hometown of Helsingborg, a coastal town in southern Sweden and began to write songs together, both for themselves and other artists. They are no strangers to Swedish fans as many of their singles, including the ISC-winning song "Goliath," have topped the Swedish radio charts. They premiered "Goliath" at the Swedish Grammis Award show where they took home the award for the 2019 Songwriter of the Year. The song (from their 2021 album Pixie's Parasol) delivers a message of hope, determination, and perseverance. Although it was written in response to a year that was particularly challenging for them personally, the song's impassioned and uplifting themes are universally shared in light of recent events throughout the world. They described "Goliath" as their anthem for the underdog, saying “No one is too small to make a difference. A reminder to us all that we’re so much stronger than we think.” Their co-writer, Peter Kvint, is one of the most sought-after and successful songwriters and producers in Sweden, having written and/or produced many international, chart-topping hits for global artists such as Britney Spears, Heather Nova, Natasha Bedingfield, and Trace Adkin, as well as numerous Swedish artists.
“Music is remarkable in that it can change the way you see the world. The song "Goliath" does just that and is relevant to everyone personally, as we all have struggles to overcome. The message is one that everyone can relate to and is one of those anthemic songs that makes you feel good and uplifted,” said ISC Founder and Director, Candace Avery. “Moreover, the song is perfectly crafted and is ear candy with a chorus that sticks in your head long after the song is finished. This is the first time the Grand Prize has ever been given to Swedish songwriters, and we are very excited to be awarding our highest honor to these very talented artists.”
In addition to the Grand Prize winner, many other deserving songwriters also share in the prestige and kudos of winning their respective categories in ISC. These winners hail from all over the world (56% of this year’s winners come from outside the USA) and represent diverse cultures while ranging from talented amateurs to seasoned songwriting veterans. The 23 categories include all genres of contemporary music, from Pop to World Music to Country to Instrumental, and many more.
Entries are now open for ISC 2021.
AMERICANA
1st PLACE Gene Evaro Jr.
2nd PLACE Merry Ellen Kirk
3rd PLACE Jared Griffin
BLUES
1st PLACE Zechariah Lloyd
2nd PLACE Frank Bey
3rd PLACE Clarence Spady
FOLK/SINGER-SONGWRITER
1st PLACE Dan O'Rourke
2nd PLACE Jemma Johnson
3rd PLACE Sean Murphy
WORLD
1st PLACE Sreekanth Hariharan
2nd PLACE Jean BelOny Murat (BélO)
3rd PLACE Ceshia Ubau
HONORABLE MENTION
Markus Rill, John Németh, Vanessa Collier, Lajkó Félix, Sultans Of String Ft. Yasmin Levy,...
SEMI-FINALISTS
Adrian Duffy,
The Cumberland River Project feat. Misko,
Bad Temper Joe,
Chelsea Williams,
Conor Kilkelly,
India Ramey,
Jim Stanard,
Kaurna Cronin,
Kenny Foster,
Kris Angelis,
Padraig Jack,
Roman Miroshnichenko,
Seth Aaron Jones,
Skylar Rogers,
Tom Freund,...
Unlike other years, it is more exclusive, but with just as much 'enthusiasm'.
We will have to wait another year for the well-known formula with 20 internationally colored concerts, an extensive children's entertainment zone, a varied range of attractive stalls, a well-attended instrument builder's market and a wide range of workshops.
We make a virtue of necessity to rebuild the festival from scratch. The concept is simple: 1 concert stage, 1 bar zone, a limited but tasty and healthy catering, a few (real) free stages, lots of space and space for fun and music.
A range of top Scottish music artistes are to perform at this year’s ‘HebCelt Survival Sessions’, the hybrid live and digital event being staged by the Hebridean Celtic Festival Trust, 14th-17th July 2021.
There will be a series of limited-audience live shows staged at the Stornoway Arts Centre, An Lanntair, featuring a special Between Islands show, Saltfishforty, Colin Macleod, Staran, Sian, Fara, and the Tumbling Souls which will all be live streamed for a global audience.
Pre-filmed digital content will provide a Survival Sessions exclusive special from the Red Hot Chilli Pipers, as well as music from the Elephant Sessions, and a range of pre-recorded curated content featuring local artists. Also included will be the 2021 offering of Postcards from Scotland which will feature an exciting range of top Scottish artists.
Fairport’s Cropredy Convention
Fairport Convention announced that their annual music festival, Fairport’s Cropredy Convention, has been postponed for the second time.
The three-day event had been scheduled to take place on 12-14 August this year. It will now be staged over the weekend of 11, 12, 13 August 2022 on its usual farmland site in Oxfordshire. The organisers hope the current line-up of acts will be carried forward. Artists booked to appear this year have provisionally agreed to transfer their bookings to 2022. Highlights are expected to include Trevor Horn Band, Clannad, Steve Hackett’s Genesis Revisited, Richard Thompson, and host band Fairport Convention.
Festival Director Gareth Williams said: “We’re left with no other choice than to postpone our festival again. We have reached the point where we’d need to spend big money but without any certainty we could go ahead. The dilemma we are facing is simple – proceed and risk potentially going out of business or postpone for a year and live to fight another day.
So far, despite over six months of lobbying, the government has failed to support any form of Covid-related cancellation insurance scheme for the festival industry. Also, there has been no guidance on what mitigations might be required post Step 4. This has made it effectively impossible to plan this year’s event.
Like the rest of the festival industry, we’ve tried everything we can to keep going but I’m afraid we would be placing Cropredy’s future in serious jeopardy if we were to go ahead.”
“Football may be coming home and so are we – to the Glemham Hall estate – as long as the regulations in August allow.
However, we continue to move forward, cautiously.
None of us can tell exactly what the situation will be, even though the Government’s latest proposed date of 19th July for the full lifting of all restrictions gives us much hope.
Whatever is announced in July, we are still working on the assumption that it is highly likely that there will be a new set of regulations in place for festivals and large gatherings in order for them to confidently proceed.
With this in mind, we have drawn up an initial plan for a COVID secure FolkEast Festival based on Step 3 of the Government’s current road map.
FolkEast remains flexible and will adapt to the on-going situation as it unfolds so that we can come together again, confidently in a safe environment, to enjoy first class music in good company.
The 2021 festival will be different but there will still be plenty of folkeastyness to enjoy!
Please take a look at 2021- Our Plan before you purchase your tickets so that you are aware of what FolkEast 2021 has in store for this, the No-vid year.
We hope to see you there x”
Like many other festivals, Tønder Festival is cancelled this year. Now we present Plan B: a string of first-class concerts in the Tønder Culture Centre – Schweizerhalle from 19th to 29th August 2021. Thus The Circle will be Unbroken – and festival guests can at last find some satisfaction in Tønder in August. For months, the management, workers and volunteers have been champing at the bit to open a Tønder Festival, even in the teeth of corona restrictions. They have invented a new kind of concert to replace the festival that, for the second year in a row, will not be. Corona restrictions, assembly limits and separation put paid to the festival. “Tønder Festival divided into sections is not something we can envisage,” says Maria Theessink, Artistic Director and Press Officer. “We have calculated the costs imposed by splitting the festival into sections, and concluded that it is neither possible nor desirable. We do not want a half-hearted Tønder Festival that compromises the total experience. So, with regret, we have chosen to cancel this year’s festival.”
The festival management has been considering its alternatives these past few months, including a total cancellation. Tønder Festival has come up with a Plan B. This entails replacing the festival with a series of concerts in the Schweizerhalle culture centre from 19th until 29th August 2021, plus workshops and events involving festival music, its atmosphere and its community.
“We are distraught that there will be no festival in 2021, but from the word go we have been totally determined that, no matter what, we will not see our legendary circle broken. We are duty bound to ensure Tønder Festival’s survival in the long term. We can live through another year without the festival as we know, because we have something to put in its stead,” says Maria Theessink, and continues:
“We have the world’s best and most loyal volunteers, who have shown a creativity that has us swelling with pride. At the same time, the solidarity shown us by Danish and foreign musicians proves to us once again that Tønder Festival is special, and it will take more than a virus to bring us down.
Our hope is that Tønder Festival’s audiences will support our new initiatives. We can hardly wait to show you our new programme!”
We have revealed our plans for a covid-safe festival including a refreshed line-up to celebrate the best of British based folk artists. We have elected for outside stages and more outdoor activities to ensure we can meet any possible covid related regulations that might be in place by August Bank Holiday.
The new line up released today includes Kate Rusby, Oysterband, Show of Hands, Afro Celt Sound System, Seth Lakeman, The Christians, Dervish, Lindisfarne and The Young’uns.
Shrewsbury will host the only festival appearance of The Lost Words: Spell Songs with Karine Polwart, Julie Fowlis, Seckou Keita, Kris Drever, Rachel Newton, Beth Porter, Jim Molyneux and illustrator Jackie Morris and shanty sensations The Longest Johns are also on the bill.
Musicport Festival 2021 - Going ahead!
Musicport in Whitby is a rarity among the country’s music festivals this year, in that it hasn’t been cancelled. Organiser Jim McLaughlin said: “We’re excited that, despite all the uncertainties over travel, we’ve been able to maintain the international flavour of Musicport in its 21st year. A special collaboration with English Folk Expo sees the famed Hungarian band Muzsikas who performed the soundtrack to The English Patient journey to Whitby. We will be operating at reduced capacity and making special arrangements to make sure staff and audiences feel safe and comfortable, observing all relevant guidelines. I think we’re all ready for a bit of a Musicport celebration, so fingers crossed that nothing gets in the way this year!”
Artists booked include: The Men They Couldn’t Hang My Darling Clementine Les Negresses Vertes (France) She'Koyokh Muzsikas (Hungary) Tankus the Henge Le Vent du Nord (Canada) Graham Fellows Monsieur Doumani (Cyprus) Dizraeli Mary Coughlan Justin Adams & Mauro Durante Catrin Finch & Seckou Keita Les Triaboliques Cleveland Watkiss (The Great Jamaica Songbook)
The festival is all indoors but with added safety measures - the use of spaces has been reorganised, creating dedicated eating areas, a dedicated socially distanced area in the venue’s theatre, a dedicated DJ/club stage area and reduced overall capacity to enable more distancing.
The recent easing of travel restrictions means the organisers can retain international elements, with artists coming from France, Hungary, Cyprus, etc, making Musicport one of very few international music events this autumn.
The Blues Is A Universal Feeling
And Benjamin Tehoval is the living proof. Born in Romania in 1946, he grew up in Paris, and settled down in Brussels in the late 1980s. He's never lived in the South, nor anywhere else in America. But as Denise Duffy, Music Maker’s co-founder, puts it, “It shows how universal the blues feeling is, it's like a magnet. He appreciates American blues in a way that most Americans don’t.”
Meet Benjamin Tehoval @ Music Maker!
Gooikoorts Folk Festival
HebCelt #SurvivalSessions
Tønder Festival
