Month: March 2021

Imbolc was the ancient Celtic festival in honour of the pagan goddess Brigid, who was evoked in fertility rites and oversaw poetry, crafts and prophecy. A very special celebration of contemporary Irish female artists featuring Erica Cody, Emma Langford, Síomha, Ciara Meade, Dea Matrona, Wyvern Lingo and Lisa Lambe is available to watch on RTÉ player now.

After multiple reschedules and having evolved with the levels from socially distanced live shows to a full broadcast recording, IMBOLC performances were filmed on the shores of Lough Derg at Birdhill and GarryKennedy in early February this year and was part-funded by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht Sport and Media from the Live Performance Support Scheme.

Over 64 artists and crew worked on the show to present an all-female line up hosted by Maykay in honour of the original female goddess generating 141 days of work.

IMBOLC is a celebration of the pagan period of a rebirth following the dark which began on the 1st February, St. Brigid’s Day.

Speaking about this special event artist Erica Cody said, “We have come so far, endured so much, but we have conquered even more. To me, being a woman is celebrating what we have overcome and what we continue to build and achieve, not only today but every day. To spread love and acknowledge our struggles to ALL our sisters.”

Joining Erica at the event, Emma Langford comments, “More than ever before I feel a connection to the pagan festival of Imbolc this year – a time to burst from the bud, to step out of the darkness of winter and into the Spring, to take ownership of the space around us and draw energy from nature. Ireland needs as much light as it can get right now.”

This Spring, we celebrate rebirth with all-female performances from artists:

Emma Langford
Wyvern Lingo
Síomha
Ciara Meade
Erica Cody
Dea Matrona
Lisa Lambe

www.rte.ie/player/movie/imbolc/188399656260

Singer songwriter Fiona Kennedy releases her latest song ‘The Place Of My Resurrection’ hot on the heels of her last track, the very well received ‘All Of The Days’.  Kennedy is no newcomer with several albums and singles to her name and an IRMA Award nomination for her debut album. She’s toured as a solo artist and with her band for many years, opened for Kris Kristofferson & John Martyn among others, and her ability to survive & thrive as a professional Singer/Songwriter was recognized when she won the Network Cork Business Woman of the Year Award in the Arts category in 2018.

“‘Let your feet follow your heart until you find the place of your resurrection.’ This old Celtic saying intrigued me and my exploration of it lead me to writing my latest song.  Life has been turned upside down in so many ways but the Covid crisis is making so many of us dig deeper within ourselves. The saying probably has many meanings but I like to interpret it as finding the place in my life where I feel most fully alive. On a more personal level, ‘The Place Of My Resurrection’ might well be my family home where I’ve been spending a lot of time looking after my mum who’s now 94 years old..!” – Fiona Kennedy

‘The Place Of My Resurrection’ features guitarists Bill Shanley (The Kinks/Gilbert O’Sullivan/Paul Brady) and Billy Kennedy and was produced by Cormac O’Connor in The Maple Rooms Studios Cork, it is released 11th March.

www.fionakennedy.ie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Fiona-Kennedy-Singer-Guitarist-1528276387455580
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/fionakennedysingerandguitarist/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/FionaKmusic

Charlie Le Brun is set to release several Pop/Celtic songs over the coming months.

Charlie Le Brun (born in January 1988 in Rennes, Brittany), is a French singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Brought up in a traditional family from the west region of France called Brittany, Charlie started speaking the local Celtic Breton language from a very young age. During his teenage years, Charlie then started to compose his own songs, with the dream of someday performing on stage, like his pop and folk idols Alan Stivell, Yann Tiersen, Sinead O’Connor, The Chieftains and The Corrs. 

Charlie’s original songs are inspired by the rugged and wild land of his native Brittany, while combining pop music and traditional instrumentations: these authentic songs, of a Celtic pop-folk influence, include lyrics in Breton, French, English and Irish Gaelic. As a leading artist of the new generation of Breton pop musicians, Charlie has now become a very sought-after musician performing at venues including New York, Melbourne and Shanghai.

Charlie’s tracks will be released online on all digital music platforms.

‘LORIENT (feat.Eve Belle)’ >> March 5th 2021
‘MER D’IROISE’ >> April 2nd 2021
‘RIVE COTE MER’ >> May 7th 2021
‘AR REDADEG’ >> June 4th 2021

charlielebrun.com

Irish singer/songwriter Robert O’Connor today releases a nine-track deluxe edition of his acclaimed EP, ‘Transcendence’. The record, co-produced by O’Connor together with Peruvian EDM collaborator Skynem GT, features five singles including his latest ‘Too Late’, which was released on February 26.

‘Too Late’ is accompanied by a music video, which Robert says was shot by friend and fellow Irish artist Klara McDonnell, “in an hour on Sunday morning,” and quickly edited by Irish photographer Matt n Black, who shot O’Connor’s clips for previous singles ‘Destination Anywhere’ and ‘Over (Before It’s Begun)’.

He explains the concept: “With only a walk in the park permitted, I dream of a time when we can dance together in a club again.” O’Connor says the idea was sparked when a review for the single sympathised with him releasing a dance record during lockdown.

Robert will conclude the campaign with a remix bundle for ‘Too Late’ released across all streaming/download outlets on March 12, featuring remixes by Gareth Shortland (Steps) and Matty Graham (Leona Lewis). 

‘Transcendence’ is out now, including a special signed limited edition CD available exclusively through Bandcamp: https://robertoconnor.bandcamp.com/album/transcendence-deluxe-edition

Website: http://www.iamrobertoconnor.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/robertoconnor
Instagram: www.instagram.com/iamrobertoconnor
Facebook: www.facebook.com/iamrobertoconnor
Tik Tok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZSxaeVBb/
YouTube: www.youtube.com/robertoconnormusic
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3cGgPditxbsHzV6v6jRAXC?si=jUuMwo-GQH2R_WzMX-FA4w
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/ie/artist/robert-oconnor/68165886
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/iamrobertoconnor
Bandcamp: https://robertoconnor.bandcamp.com

‘Used To Be’ is the poignant new single from the exhilarating afro-Irish singer Tolü Makay which follows the huge success of the debut EP ‘Being’, and subsequently her version of the classic The Saw Doctors song ‘N17’ accompanied by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra.

‘Used To Be’ is the first song to be shared from Tolü’s debut album, coming later in 2021. Stream/Buy here: https://lnk.to/_UsedToBe

Originally from Nigeria and raised in the Irish midlands, Tolü has used her music as a medium to speak the truth, from singing in a gospel choir as a teenager to working with songwriter and producer Enda Gallery on this latest release.

A seasoned vocalist possessing classic soul influences from the likes of Erykah Badu, Nina Simone and the Nigerian/French singer/songwriter Asa, Tolü’s trajectory has seemed destined for the stars since the release of her debut single ‘Goodbye’ in 2018. ‘Used To Be’ is an emotionally epic piano ballad, a story of unrequited love. Escorted by a colossal orchestral arrangement, Makay draws the listener into a tender monologue which grows into a powerful declaration of a deep yearning.

Such a magnificently grand sound was created under wonderfully humble conditions due to consecutive lockdowns in Ireland throughout 2020. Makay relished the opportunity to delve into the recording process saying that, “although studios were closed due to restrictions, we found a way to create the right sound in the kitchen space we recorded in, by getting three mattresses and laying out duvets as I stood on a yoga mat.”

A true collaboration of its time, Tolü and Enda Gallery worked from their makeshift studio in Kilfenora, near the west coast of Ireland, before sending the track off around the world to musicians who added further instrumentation, “Within a day everyone we asked to record strings, guitar, keys had sent us back a perfect replica of what we needed and even extra that it all aligned with the time we had.”

Previous collaborations between Tolü and Enda include ‘The Greatest Gift’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfytfMSFEv4

‘Used To Be’ by Tolü Makay is out on all digital platforms NOW (Friday 5th March) via Berlin based label WELCOME TO THE NEW WORLD. This is the first taster of Tolü’s debut album, due for release later in 2021. Stream/Buy the single: https://lnk.to/_UsedToBe

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tolu_makay/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ToluMakay / @ToluMakay
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tolumakay
Spotify: http://spoti.fi/2Puk1SP
Apple Music: http://apple.co/3sHdIcL
YouTube Music: http://bit.ly/3qe7Upr

Live Dates

2021 Ireland Tour – The Tolü Makay Experience
28/05 – Grand Social, Dublin – SOLD OUT
04/06 – Grand Social, Dublin – SOLD OUT
05/06 – Grand Social, Dublin
12/06 – Róisín Dubh, Galway
13/06 – Cyprus Ave, Cork

2021 Festivals
13/08 – 15/08 – Wild Roots, Hazelwood

2022 Tour
March ‘22 – USA tour with ‘Ireland In Music’

D. Cullen kicks into 2021 with ‘All The People’, a vibey, melodic, psych-pop tune with a warning not to shut out the people who love you.

“It is a song about isolation and the perils of not reaching out for help,” D. Cullen explains. “About maintaining a wall between you and the people you love. It is so easy to shut them out of your thoughts and your struggles even though they are the people who care for you and want to help.”

This sweet, upbeat, guitar-driven tune was co-written with Sinead McConville and features Binzer Brennan in a barnstorming drum part, is his second co-production with renowned New Wave Producer Roger Bechirian (The Undertones, Squeeze, Elvis Costello) whose angular mix balances late 60s / early 70s mixing concepts with modern sensibilities to perfect effect.

B4bzy starts off his 2021 with the release of his hot new single ‘IG Baddie’.

‘IG Baddie’ is a fresh UK Afroswing track that pays homage to all of the beautiful ladies pursuing careers as social media influencers.

In this song, B4bzy details the experiences that a social media influencer (‘IG Baddie’) would go through and vividly gives his depiction of what the day-to-day life of an Instagram influencer would consist of.

This track follows the success of his recent recent single ‘Mo Por’, that has accumulated over 50,000 streams. Off the back of his collaborative E.P. with Bola G that produced several hood anthems like ‘Mama Su’ and the critically acclaimed banger ‘Bellfast’. No stranger to the national airwaves, B4bzy has been 2FM’s track of the week on numerous occasions!

At the vanguard of the most recent incarnation of the Irish hip-hop movement is Limerick-based collective, narolane records. Founded by Denise Chaila, MuRli and God Knows – all breakout artists in their own rights – narolane comprises rappers, singers and producers who are pushing the boundaries of creativity and collaboration beyond any previous limits. 

On Friday 5th March, ‘Water’ by Narolane: God Knows X Denise Chaila X MuRli will be released as an introduction to narolane records. 

Mixing the three MC’s inimitable vocals with an underlying hypnotic refrain, narolane describes ‘Water’ as “a baptism”.

“The narrative of suffering as being inherent to Blackness is a stain on the spirit. Sometimes, to challenge toxicity, you must call it out, reclaim who you are, reconnect with the truth and wash yourself free to breathe,” say the founders. “When we believe in our joy, we are cleansing off the lies of oppression, of inferiority, of dehumanisation and poverty – and exchanging them for the truth of the life within us.” 

People say that Irish hip-hop is having a moment. In reality, this is a moment that has been building for a long time. Ireland’s history and its people embody so many of the elements that make up hip-hop culture and that has manifested in the island nation’s musical output for decades. Music by those who challenge societal stagnation and the status quo; music by artists who are unafraid to call out injustices; music that really heralds change. 

Undoubtedly, narolane is at the helm of the movement’s current incarnation. ‘Water’ is their powerful statement of intent to “flesh out the truth of our entitlement to dignity, to joy, to life. To pure water.”