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Galway Advertiser 2002/2002_07_18/GA_18072002_E1_058.pdf
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ONE OF Ireland's finest traditional g r o u p s , A l t a n , a r e r e t u r n i n g to Galway Arts Festival a n d t h e y ' r e looking forward to it as Ita Kelly discovers from Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh. "I could write a book on how to pack for travel, or on where to eat in America," jokes Matrlad Nf Mhaonaigh of Altan, talking about how extensively the band have travelled. In the 15 years or so that the band have been together, they have pretty much covered the world. Naturally America and Europe feature strongly in the touring schedule, but Altan have performed at just about every festival and venue worth its salt on the folk and popular circuit. It's been a while since they've played the Galway Arts Festival (last month they enjoyed performing at the press launch) so they are looking forward to playing the Warwick Hotel on July 24 next at 11 pm as part of Galway Arts Festival. Recognised as the leading traditional Irish music band, Altan have essentially remained very true to their music and their roots in Donegal. The core of the band has remained intact with only minor personnel changes and much of the band's success is attributable to their ability to get along, even on those harrowing long American tours. "Why spoil something when it's going wellT says Ni Mhaonaigh; "It's so rare to be able to make your living playing music and especially a minority music like traditional Irish music and we actually realise as a unit that we're very lucky to be able to make our living out of playing what we love. We're also very proud to be able to play Irish music all over the world and go to the best venues - just to be able to do that, gives a great sense of pride." Such is the level of their popularity that there is now an 'Altan Festival' in Japan - last year some 10,000 people attended the open air event. This year, the third, happens on September I in Tokyo and it's an all Irish line-up with Paul Brady and Sharon Shannon joining Altan as guests. "It's just the way things happened for us there, it's going really well. Japan is another experience," says Ni Mhaonaigh; "You go around the world and then you go to Japan, it's a totally different culture, they have great respect for you, 1 love going there." The Blue Idol, Altan's latest album is their ninth and it continues the band's development at the cutting edge of traditional music worldwide. While Altan's new recordings always retain the integrity of their roots and have that hallmark Altan sound, this time it is enhanced by the addition of several guests, Paul Brady joins Ni Mhaonaigh for the opening track 'Daily Growing', Dolly Parton comes in for 'The Pretty Young Girl' a translation by Ni Mhaonaigh's father Francie of a love song from Mayo, which incidentally is also on the album in its original Irish version. Her sister Anna joins in for 'Cuach mo Londubh Bui" - an old song set to new music by Ni Mhaonaigh which also features saxophonist Richie Buckley. Flute wizard Harry Bradley features on a powerful set of reels 'Mother's Delight'; "He's just the most exciting flute player going at the momenl," she says. "There's a great joy and sense of humour in his music." 1 i.ini 0 I K nn joins the band for the new Mark Kelly/Ciaran Tourish composition 'Roaring Water.' Throughout Donal Lunny adds bouzouki and keyboards and Jim Higgins, bodhran. "We always record the band as a unit first," says Ni Mhaonaigh; "Adding guests is not deliberate, it comes from wanting colour and shading, we try to make every album different. You want to be true to yourself and we are always asking 'How can we make it better?'. We put that first track down and Ciaran Tourish suggested asking Paul [Brady] to do the call and answer on it - the song is a great story and it just brought that track alive. What we try to do is balance an album out. We listen to see how we can make it a complete listening album rather than thinking about how many songs or tunes we have." IN T H E world of L a t i n soul a n d j a z z , P u c h o looms large. Born in 1938 in H a r l e m , New Y o r k , Pucho was born Henry Brown and as a kid was a f r e q u e n t v i s i t o r to t h e famed Apollo T h e a t r e , where he watched Count Basie and Duke Ellington. However the biggest influence on the young boy was Tito Puente. Brown emulated his idol by learning Timbals and during the 1950s he played in local bands, answering to his childhood nickname Pucho. The timbals, one of the key percussion instruments in Afro-Cuban jazz, are a pair of cylindrical, singleheaded drums and they had already been used extensively in the 1940s and 50s orchestras of the Great Machito. Pucho joined Joe Panama's band in 1956 and worked under the leader until Panama fired the whole band. "1 took them over," says Pucho, "turning the group into the Latin Soul Brothers." Latin, jazz, and funk styles fused during the 6 0 s to create a new sound Latin soul and b o o g a l o o . Pucho was a pivotal figure during this movement right up to the early 70s when they disbanded. Pucho formed a trio but dropped out of the
Jason Kearney plays Roisin Dubh tonight
Galway based singer and songwriter Jason Kearney will play the Roisin Dubh tonight. Thursday at 930pm.
Altan first recorded with the country superstar Dolly Parton in 1992 for her album Heartsongs - it followed on from their first performance in Nashville when Parton's manager came to see them and asked them to perform with her. They have been good friends since then; "She's such a positive person," says Ni Mhaonaigh; "and her background is actually from the BABELFISH, the eclectic tradition. She appreciates music from ieftfield p o p trio will play everywhere." the Roisin Dubh on Friday, The band enjoy going to Nashville J u l y 19 a s p a r t of t h i s and they've made lots of friends there; y e a r ' s Galway Arts "The common language between us all Festival. is music," she explains. Altan's touring Babelfish are Gerry Horan schedule this year sees them busy in (guitars), Karl Odium (bass, Ireland, England, Sweden. Switzerland, programming) and Catherine the Netherlands. Japan and the USA. Dowling (vocals, guitars, With no let up, they are totally booked keyboards). They met in a up until this time next year. All the strange sort of way, and they band members have individual career have moved in an equally projects that they're working on as haphazard fashion since. well. Dowling has been writing Ni Mhaonaigh herself tries to find songs for a number of years. time for all the television and Initially she dabbled in the presentation work she is offered and singer/songwriter scene, but would love one day lo record a solo unsatisfied, she sought to album; "I'd just love to try songs that I collaborate. Horan, having haven't sung with the band." she says, suffered his way through and of course thcre'd have to be a numerous garage bands, measure of fiddle in there t o o . admired Dowling's vocals Enjoying the music is foremost: "As and the pair began jamming soon as you stop enjoying it there's no together. use in playing it." Karl Odium, a multiinstrumentalist and
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producer, whose recent collaborations include The Frames, and Gemma Hayes, joined and so Babelfish began in March 2001. The three began to meet and record infrequently in the bedroom of a Kilmainham Georgian twostory house. The result was a four-track EP Sometimes, an upbeat fusion of electronica, ambient sounds, simple songs, and Ieftfield pop. Since then the band has enjoyed a regular spot on Tom Dunne's Petsounds. Sometimes was voted Single of the Week on 2FM. A second EP is due for release and there are plans to release an album in the autumn. Their diversity of material makes it difficult lo pigeonhole this band. See for yourself at the RdishVs on Friday.
scene for almost 20 years He was rediscovered by the British acid-jazz movement and reappeared in Manhattan in 1992, as eclectic as ever. From that time on, Pucho and his Latin Soul Brothers once again became popular, playing from Japan to South America. Back in Ireland for a fifth visit, Pucho will be joined by Eddie Pazant on bass, Conor Guilfoyle on drums, Nigel Flegg on
congas, Myles Drennan on piano, Cuco Castellano on bongos, Michael Buckley on sax, and Mark Bradley on trumpet. This is a rare opportunity to see one of the old school mambo kings let loose on the drums. P u c h o a n d the Latin Soul Brothers play Cuba* a t 10pm on Wednesday J u l y 2 4 . Tickets are 1 8 . 5 0 from the festival box office and BarCuba.