Issue 9 5/99

FolkWorld News


Two News pages
FolkWorld. Once again, we have two English news pages. The
news & gossip form, where you can post us news items, and the links to aditional news in German language are on the bottom of the second news page.


FolkWorld has moved!!!
FolkWorld/Frankfurt. As you have found out, FolkWorld finally has moved to its own domain, www.folkworld.de - The home of European Music. The former 8 issues will move over as well during the next months. Also, soon you can find FROG - the Folk & Roots Online Guide with several hundred links at www.folkworld.de. Services will be improved during the next few months...
Please update your bookmarks and links to FolkWorld and FROG.


Edward II, Pressefoto Edward II say Farewell to Reggae
England. In October, the English band Edward II gives its Farewell Tour as a Reggae Band in Germany. Reason for the farewell of the Reggae is that the 3 Rastafarians of the band have to go out of religious reasons to Ethiopia until the year 2000. The band is currently working on new musical concepts for the band; definitely, Edward II won't be doing any more reggae stuff. It might be more "cutting edge Roots Music with ethno influences". The Edward II tour from 1.-10.10.99 is the last chance to see Edward II as a Celtic Roots Reggae Band in Germany/Austria/Switzerland. Tour Infos:
Music Contact


25 years Piirpauke
Finland. Piirpauke celebrates this year its 25th birthday. Sakari Kukko founded the band in 1974 to live out his musical ideas which would not stop at cultural or genre borders. Piirpauke was one of the first bands to bring together European and Ethnic Music. Today, Piirpauke still can fascinate its audience with its blend of Rock, Jazz and Ethno/Folk Music. Congratulations to Sakari and his band!
Watch out for a Piirpauke Live Review in one of the next issues!
.


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ERBSES BAUCHLADEN
Erbses Bauchladen ...been hunting for strings for a charango or a rubber ended bhodhrán beater? A low whistle or a rosewood flageolet?
"Erbses Bauchladen", running an online-Shop in the internet since June 1998, is dealing in musical instruments and accessories which are sometimes a little hard to come by. At
our online shop you will find:
Traditional and folk instruments: Giutars, mandolins, banjos, bouzoukis, charangos, bandurrias, ukuleles, fiddles, whistles, recorders, flutes, bodhráns, handheld percussion, castanets, concertinas, chalumeaus, bag-pipes, balaleikas, lutes and lots more from major instrument makers around the world.
Sheet Music, song books and tutors: We carry books, sheet music and tutors for almost all our instruments with many titles from England, Scotland or Ireland.
Strings and accessories: We carry strings and spare parts for all our instruments as well as a variety of accessories (reeds for bagpipes, practice chanters and the like, membranes, drum skins, stands for instruments etc.)
If you are looking for something we do not stock - we will try and get it for you. Make sure, you ask.
Have a look in - it may be worthwhile. http://www.erbses.de


A children's award for World Tales
United States. Tim Jennings' and Leanne Ponder's exciting story telling project "World Tales - live at Bennigton College" (reviewed in FolkWorld No. 4) has won for their album an prestigious Award: It became an "American Library Association 1999 Notable Children's Recording". It is the most high class award you can get for a children's recording, or for any kind of storytelling recording, in the US. Other recipients this year include Meryl Streep, Samuel L. Jackson, and Maria Muldaur. Tim Jennings comments: "We're not dead keen on the "children's" part, but those are the natural consumers of folk tales, so we don't mind too much. (This is also one of the reasons we have "college" in the title of our recording - we don't mind kids liking it. The material doesn't seem to care what age you are - but you can get typed so quick, and we do not want to be in the same category as most children's artists, here in the states, anyway.)"
It's easy to believe that it is hard to get people to listen to this stuff - it doesn't really fit into any box, and also, there is not much time for listening to the art of story telling in these hectic days. Infos on World Tales from
Tim Jennings.


Jane on stage; photo by The Mollis Sherbart
England. From Chris Sherburn & Denny Bartley came happy news (original quote): "Jolly Jane joins juo. Yes, the babe with the drum is leaving her mum." Up to now Chris' sister Jane Sherburn (photo!) had only guest appearances with the duo; and it's good to hear that she is now regularly bringing in the rhythm and smile section into the band. And of course the now-trio neede to find a new name than "Chris Sherburn & Denny Bartley". So they came up with the great name Sherbart.
The happy trio was voted "Best Live Act 1998" in FolkWorld.

Photo: Jolly Jane Sherburn; by The Mollis


Towards the design of a new, student-level English concertina
England. Alistair Anderson`s work in teaching and popularising the English concertina is legendary. One of Alistair`s concerns has always been the lack of good quality, affordable concertinas, (a concern shared widely amongst the concertina fraternity) - “the potential interest in the instrument is considerable, especially amongst youngsters”, he says, “but the lack of affordable and suitable instruments has always held things back.”
Now, FolkWorks may shortly be in a position to commission the manufacture, and the purchase of, a substantial number of `student- grade` concertinas. These will form part of Folkworks` “Bank” of borrowable, non-standard, hard-to-find folk instruments, that FolkWorks can use in its education work. “We need to establish a `critical mass` of new players, so that teaching and learning the concertina can be along the same lines as the teaching and learning of more common, less scarce instruments” says Ali.
FolkWorks is interested in commissioning a first order of between 50 and 100 instruments, and are considering an English System instrument of 32 or 36 keys, depending on price. There are, of course, existing sources of moderately-priced instruments, but Alistair sees this major purchase as a great opportunity for the concertina-making fraternity to collaborate and to design a new, standard, student-level instrument that would be more suited to the job than the current moderate/basic models. With the creation, there would then be a steady - and growing - demand around the world, a “catalyst for a new way into playing the instrument” as Ali puts it.
Ali is still looking for help and advice. You can contact him either
via Neil Wayne, or via FolkWorks.


Music for a new Scottish Parliament
Keep It Up (without Kevin MacKenzie); photo by The Mollis Scotland. On the 6th of May, Scotland will vote for their first own Parliament since more than 200 years. Simon Thoumire, the witty concertina player from Edinburgh who has recently started his own successful label Tartan Tapes, thought that this event would be a great reason to celebrate Scottish music in a big showcase. The "exciting piece of music" by Simon features 13 top folk and jazz musicians (Simon, Aidan O'Rourke, Rory Campbell, Fiona Mackenzie, David Milligan to name but five). The premiere of the piece will be two days before the parliamentary elections, on the 4th of May 99, in the Queens Hall Edinburgh; and will that night also incorporate 4 politicians representing the four main parties, who will have to speak for 1 minute on why their party should be elector's choice.
Another clever but still great idea of the crazy concertina player.... Further information directly from him, e-mail
hootz@globalnet.co.uk.

Photo: Keep it Up in Tønder; by The Mollis


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HARLEKIN RECORDS
HARLEKIN RECORDS - Your source for FOLK MUSIC (North America, Ireland, Great Britain), COUNTRY, BLUEGRASS and related music. Always more than 10.000 different compact discs, LP-records and video tapes in stock!
Ask for our catalog (please indicate what you collect).
E-mail:
Harlekin-Records@t-online.de; Jürgen Feuß, Postfach 110142-FW, 28081 Bremen / GERMANY. Phone: +49 421 7 49 10, FAX: +49 421 70 0051


Fiddles at Fowey
The charming harbour town Fowey in Southern England will host a fiddle feast in May. For the second year "Fiddles at Fowey" offers a relaxed weekend of good fiddle music. The residential fiddle weekend will be at Penquite House, Golant near Fowey, from 21-23 May 99. The tutors are Mike O'Connor and Chris Bartram, and the workshops and sessions will be looking mainly at English and Cornish music.
You don't have to read music, and inexperienced fiddlers are welcome. Further Info from Mike O'Connor by phone: (UK) 01841 540042 or
e-mail (mikeoconnor@ndirect.co.uk).


Carlos Nunez; photo by The Mollis

Gold in one day for Galician piper!
Spain/Galicia. Carlos Núñez, the famous and superbe piper from Galicia who is world-wide known from his collaborations with The Chieftains, has finally brought out his second album, 'Os amores libres'. It was long awaited by the Spanish public - and it was surely the first time ever for Spain that a folk music album went Gold the first day it was on sale!
This is indeed quite a sensation, showing once again that Carlos has found a way to attract with traditional music more than just a small scene. Without doubt, the album will be quite a time at No. 1 in Spanish top tens, and will get even better sales than the Platinum debut album "Brotherhood of Stars".
The rest of Europe still has to wait until the album will be released here as well. You can expect a review of the CD in FolkWorld as soon as it is released over here; Spanish folk experts tell us already that it is an excellent album well worth to wait for.
And for those Central Europeans who can't wait to see Carlos live again, we have the good news that he is invited back to Tønder Festival in Denmark this summer, playing there Friday and Saturday.

Photo: Carlos Núñez in Cologne; by The Mollis


Jimmy Crowley back on the road
Ireland. Jimmy Crowley, a living legend in Irish traditional song, is building up his gigs again after a period where he went back to university as a mature student to study Irish folklore and Gaelic. His latest album, UnCorked, has won high praise for its collection of well-loved songs about his native Cork city and southwest Ireland. He is currently working on an album of sea songs from Ireland, Scotland, England and the USA. He has just launched a useful
website.


To the second FolkWorld News page (with Competition)


To the (older) FolkWorld News of Nr. 8
To the (newer) FolkWorld News of Nr. 10

To the content of FolkWorld online magazine Nr. 9

© The Mollis - Editors of FolkWorld; Published 5/99

All material published in FolkWorld is © The Author via FolkWorld. Storage for private use is allowed and welcome. Reviews and extracts of up to 200 words may be freely quoted and reproduced, if source and author are acknowledged. For any other reproduction please ask the Editors for permission.


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