My dear friend Gaétan sent out this message and I'm letting you all know, in case you are around this October 3rd...

Bonjour à tous

Je fait appel à vous tous pour m'aider à trouver un vidéaste;

Je suis en train de monter un événement; avec l'aide d'Étienne B. Denis, qui se tiendra le 3 octobre prochain à la Maison de la Culture de Donnacona, dans le comté de Portneuf.

Nous voulons faire sortir les derniers vieux joueurs de tambours à mailloche de la région de Portneuf et les faire jouer devant public en après-midi. En même temps ; une exposition d'anciens tambours sera présentée sur place. Par la suite ; nous pourrons voir des joueurs plus jeunes et plus modernes. Un spectacle de groupes de musique traditionnelle prendra le relais en soirée.

Nous recherchons une personne qui a des connaissances pour prendre des vidéos de cette journée ? Ce sera probablement une des dernières fois ou l'ancien son des tambours à mailloche prendra le plancher sur scène. Qui sait; peut-être pourra-t-on obtenir assez de matières pour en sortir un cd-rom qui serait disponible pour les archives de musique traditionnelle du Québec ?

Je vous remercie à l'avance ; pouvez-vous transférer ce message dans vos réseaux ?

Gaétan Morissette

418-286-2211 (maison)
418-380-2100 poste3287 (travail)

SLATED FOR SEPTEMBER 20


Four-Hour Concert and Live Broadcast to Be Staged on North Shore
Lineup to Include Special Guest Kathy Mattea, John McCutcheon, Michael Smith, Claudia Schmidt, Randall Williams, Haines & Leighton, and the Austin Lounge Lizards.

CHICAGO, August 4, 2009 — Grammy Award-winning folk, roots, and country music singer Kathy Mattea will be the special guest at the fourth annual WFMT Midnight Special Folk Festival on Sunday, September 20, 2009, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., in Skokie, Illinois.

98.7WFMT has announced a lineup of seven artists of national and international stature for its four-hour extravaganza to be presented on a single stage at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Boulevard.

Rich Warren, producer and host of WFMT’s the “The Midnight Special” program, assembled the festival’s talent roster, which includes Mattea, John McCutcheon, Michael Smith, Claudia Schmidt, Randall Williams, Haines & Leighton, and the Austin Lounge Lizards.

“Our goal was to choose a musically diverse group of artists who are incredibly good at connecting with individual listeners,” Warren says. “All these people have mastered the craft of entertainment.”

Warren describes the festival as “a lively celebration of songs with substance, songs that are touching and topical, sublime and satirical.”

A Chicago Tribune article noted that Mattea, who has earned two Grammy Awards and enjoyed great success on the country music charts in the late 1980s and early 90s, “was always more literate folkie than mainstream country queen.” Her 2008 CD, "Coal" (Captain Potato Records), a heartfelt album of mining and mountain songs, is the West Virginia-born singer’s tribute to her Appalachian coal mining heritage. "Coal" was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Traditional Folk category. A CD review in American Songwriter said, “Mattea sings like a woman with a true understanding of the words”.

McCutcheon, an acclaimed singer-songwriter, has received praise from folk icon Pete Seeger, to whom he has been compared for his musicianship, stage presence, and commitment to social and economic justice.

An icon of the 70s Chicago folk scene, Smith has written songs recorded by Steve Goodman and other luminaries. Folkwax magazine calls him an artist who “has repeatedly proved that he is adept at focusing on the ordinary and conjuring the exquisite and extraordinary”.

Schmidt is a versatile singer-songwriter whose discography embraces fourteen albums of mostly original songs. The San Francisco Chronicle’s Derk Richardson called her “contemporary folk music's front-line ambassador of wonder.” A reviewer for the Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange found “a sense of adventure and integrity in every song she does. Schmidt’s voice has a strength and soul of its own”.

Williams, a 30-something performer who trained as a classical singer at a European conservatory, is an audience favorite at folk festivals around the country. Sing Out! magazine says, “Randall Williams explodes onto the scene like a bolt of lightning. … Combine that voice with highly articulate guitar work and superlative songs for a most powerful presence”.

The humorous and engaging Canadian duo of Mark Haines and Tom Leighton perform original and traditional songs influenced by their Celtic and North American folk roots. When these high-energy multi-instrumentalists play multiple instruments at the same time, they sound more like a quartet or even, as the Toronto Sun observed, “a symphony orchestra”.

The Austin Lounge Lizards, a rollicking quintet of satirical folk, bluegrass, and country gadflies, recently released a single inspired by government bailouts. The song’s hard-luck narrator asks, “How do I get to be too big to fail?” (A music video is available here)

Tickets are $25 for balcony seats, $55 for main floor seats, and $125 premium main-floor seats with admission to a backstage VIP reception. Tickets are available by phone at (847) 673-6300 and online. Free on-site parking is available behind the theater. Public transportation: El: Yellow to Skokie, then bus: 97 Skokie (Old Orchard).

The all-ages festival will also air live over WFMT 98.7 FM, with a simultaneous live Webcast.
The festival takes its name from “The Midnight Special,” the station’s eclectic, long-running Saturday night program of contemporary and traditional folk music, comedy, show tunes, and more.

The WFMT Midnight Special Folk Festival is underwritten by the Maxine Yefsky Family Trust.


Festival Schedule

The performance schedule for the 2009 WFMT Midnight Special Folk Festival is as follows (all times are approximate):

3:00– 3:02 p.m.: Introduction by Rich Warren of 98.7WFMT
3:02–3:27 p.m.: Randall Williams
3:29–3:54 p.m.: Claudia Schmidt
3:56–4:21 p.m.: Michael Smith
4:25 –4:55 p.m.: The Austin Lounge Lizards
4:55 –5:15 p.m. Intermission
5:15–5:20 p.m.: Song (“Kisses Sweeter Than Wine”) dedicated to longtime WFMT listener and folk music supporter Art Yefsky, whose family trust underwrites the festival. Artist to be announced.
5:20–5:45 p.m.: Haines & Leighton
5:47–6:20 p.m.: Kathy Mattea
6:20¬–6:54 p.m.: John McCutcheon
6:54–7 p.m.: Grand Finale with all festival artists

Slight Imperfection concert at Salem Roadhouse (family friendly!)
Saturday, September 19, 2009 7:30pm

Two full sets of original, celtic, and contemporary music with a lovely array of refreshments and home baked goodies!

Cost: $15
Salem Road House Cafe
(Townley Presbyterian Church)
829 Salem Road
Union, NJ 07083

Celtic Harp and Song (family friendly!)
November 5, 2009,Thursday, 7pm

Free concert!

Bound Brook Memorial Library
Somerset County Library System
402 E. High Street
Bound Brook, NJ 08805
(732) 356-0043


EVERY SUNDAY!

Cafe Monet's Evening of Celtic Harp Music
Sundays at 6:00 pm

Cost: No cover, BYOB ( Great Food and Fabulous Cappuccinos)

Cafe Monet
309 Millburn Ave
Millburn, NJ 07041

Reservations recommended (973)376-8555
(Please confirm music for this evening when calling)


For those of you around Vermont on Sunday 6th of September, take your time to enjoy this one-day festival in Randolph! It's the New World Festival, starting at noon and going into the night till midnight. A full day filled with Celtic and French Canadian music and dance!

Enjoy the performances of Les Batinses, Dent de Lion, Fiddleheads, Gadelle, Reveillons!, and many more... I know many of my friends will be around! Have fun!

Bengal.

Bonjour!

Here are four dates for your agenda.
Open sessions and musicians are welcome.

Bretonne Session
Friday, August 21.
All musicians welcome.

Irish Session
Friday, September 4.
All musicians welcome.

Two Extra Sessions

Irish Session

Thursday, August 27

Will Flewitt and girlfriend Sue from Brighton in East Sussex will play at the Le Cheval Blanc on Thursday 27 August. Sue plays fiddle and Will plays the Uilleann pipes and mandolin. Will and Sue would like to meet French musicians playing Irish music.

Scottish Session
Wednesday 2 Septembre
Andrew MacIntyre: small pipes and whistles
Ros Gasson: fiddle
Corinne Clarke: fiddle
Gordon Wilson: fiddle
Ann Ward: concertina and flute
Roy Carbarns: guitar
Marta McGlynn: concertina
Carol Rae: piano
Musiciens Bienvenue!


Merci pour votre soutien!
Thank you for your support!


A bientôt!

Micheál

Hotel Le Cheval Blanc
34, Rue de la Madeleine
22130 Plancoet
Brittany

Réveillons! is coming to the French Farmers Market on Saturday, Sept. 12!

They will be performing from 12:30 to 3 pm at River Island Park and from 5:30-8:30 at the Marketeers Reception to be held at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs School Hall (both located in Woonsocket, RI). Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Romeo Berthiaume
Northern RI Council of the Arts

Flames of the Dance
14th January 2010 - Theater Itzehoe, Itzehoe, Germany, 8pm
15th January 2010 - Neues Theater, Emden, Germany, 8pm
16th January 2010 - Stadthalle, Kleve, Germany, 8pm
17th January 2010 - Medio.Rhein. Erft, Bergheim, Germany, 7pm
19th January 2010 - CCN Weimarhalle, Weimar, Germany, 8pm
21st January 2010 - Stahlpalast, Brandenburg a. d. Havel, Germany, 8pm
22nd January 2010 - Kulturhaus Stadtgarten, Neuruppin, Germany, 8pm
23rd January 2010 - Kulturhaus, Bischofswerda, Germany, 8pm
24th January 2010 - Kulturzentrum, Wittenberg, Germany, 7pm
26th January 2010 - Kaiser-Friedrich- Halle, Mönchengladbach, Germany, 8pm
27th January 2010 - Stadthalle, Wilhelmshaven, Germany, 7pm
28th January 2010 - Stadthalle, Gifhorn, Germany, 8pm
29th January 2010 - Deutsches Haus, Flensburg, Germany, 8pm
30th January 2010 - Kolosseum, Lübeck, Germany, 8pm
31st January 2010 - Festhalle, Stadthagen, Germanym 8pm

Lord of the Dance
23rd November - Spencer Theatre, Alto, NM, USA, 7.30pm
19th January 2010 - De Geerhallen, Norrköping, Sweden, 7.30pm
29th April 2010 - Fisher Auditorium, Indiana, PA, USA, 8pm
1st May 2010 - Hershey Theatre, Hershey, PA, USA, 2pm & 8pm

Magic of the Dance
15th January 2010 - RAI Theater, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 8.15pm
13th February 2010 - Philharmonie am Gasteig, München, Germany, 8pm
22nd February 2010 - JAKO Arena, Bamberg, Germany, 8pm

Riverdance
18th-19th December - California Theatre of the PA, San Bernardino, CA, USA, 8pm
19th-20th December - California Theatre of the PA, San Bernardino, CA, USA, 2pm
20th December - California Theatre of the PA, San Bernardino, CA, USA, 7pm
23rd-24th February 2010 - Stadsschouwburg, Antwerpen, Belgium, 8pm
25th February 2010 - Kursaal, Oostende, Belgium, 8pm
26th February 2010 - De Soeverein, Lommel, Belgium, 8pm
27th February 2010 - Vorst nationaal, Brussels, Belgium, 8pm
28th February 2010 - Vorst nationaal, Brussels, Belgium, 2.30pm
6th-8th April 2010 - Stanley Center for the Arts, Utica, NY, USA, 7.30pm
9th-10th April 2010 - Hanover Theatre for the PA, Worcester, MA, USA, 8pm
10th April 2010 - Hanover Theatre for the PA, Worcester, MA, USA, 2pm
11th April 2010 - Hanover Theatre for the PA, Worcester, MA, USA, 1pm
11th April 2010 - Hanover Theatre for the PA, Worcester, MA, USA, 6.30pm

Spirit of the Dance
7th October - Southport Theatre, Southport, U.K., 7.30pm
13th October - Princess Theatre, Torquay, U.K., 7.30pm
14th October - Leas Cliff Hall, Folkestone, U.K., 7.30pm
22nd October - Hexagon Theatre, Reading, U.K., 8pm

For complete schedule for these and other shows please visit our tour section at Celtic Cafe.

Quebecois composer / performer Jean-Paul Loyer is very ill at the moment and unlikely to recover. This was a message I received from Peter Jellard:

A quick message to let you know about Jean-Paul. We heard from Camille that he is in hospital in Joliette, in palliative care. She doesn't know how long he will be around, but says that it is a matter of weeks. Sounds like he still has his sense of humor, and is receiving good care.

Jean-Paul is best known for his CD OJNAB: Le Messager and his work with Andre Marchand in Detournement Majeur and Les Freres Labri. He has composed dozens of fantastic tunes on banjo and guitar.

Lisa Ornstein

Willie Beaudoin passed away this week. He was a wonderful guitarist and fiddle player, a member of the Beaudoin family of Burlington, Vermont. He had a long and full life, and was much loved by his family and friends.

Please visit the Obituary for WILFRED BEAUDOIN

Best,

Lisa Ornstein

Salut la compagnie!

Pour ceux qui restent dans la région de Québec, ou bien, même pour ceux qui restent un peu plus loin, je tiens à vous signaler du prochain spectacle solo a capella de Gérald Côté, le vendredi 14 août au cabaret l’Intendant (sur la rue en face de la gare du palais à Québec). Il y a un site Internet où vous pouvez le voir à l’affiche, www.intendant.net, et il y aussi la possibilité de réserver par téléphone.

Or, s’il y en a de ma région qui veulent y aller (car moi, je veux *vraiment* y aller), s.v.p., faites-moi signe et peut-être qu’on pourrait aller le voir ensemble. C’est tout d’abord une question de covoiturage (car c’est un peu long, aller tout seu' à Québec) mais si on se mettait à deux ou à trois, pour faire un ‘tit voyage de même, peu-être que ça pourrait faire l’affaire...!

En tous les car, sérieux, il faut aller voir Gérald en spectacle. Je l’ai vu une fois en 2007, et je peux vous dire qu’il donne tout de lui-même, corps et âme et voix! En d'autres termes, y'é bon, celui-là!

Salut ben vous autres!

Benoît

[Merci, Benoît!]

«Chante et conte» - Vendredi 14 août 20h

Gérald Côté: Né à Arthabaska quelque part dans les années cinquante, Gérald Côté a tout
pour sortir d’un conte de Louis Fréchette. Chanteur et déclameur avec une voix à débâcler des rivières, il livre a capella ses compositions et interprétations dans un style traditionnel disons très… personnalisé! Fin raconteur, il nous propose aussi un survol de sa vie en jobs, en voyages
mais surtout, en anecdotes sur ce qu’il a appelé : « son école de théâtre »c’est-à dire : ses trente ans passés comme préposé aux bénéficiaires dans une résidence de personnes âgées ou, devrait-on plutôt dire : de personnages âgés. En découle, une première pour lui qui en rêve depuis des années, un spectacle mis en scène par Michel Faubert, où se côtoient le rire et l’émotion mais aussi, le charisme d’un québécois haut en couleur.

The Sea Shanties festival of Paimpol (Festival du Chant de Marin) is starting tomorrow with many attractions for the visitors! I actually planned to be there but my vacation days didn't overlap unfortunately. I was so excited to be there and be part of this great event that counts with many great artists and many activities to everyone! Besides that, I would love to see François performing with the band Sol'Marin.

The festival counts with one night of celebration of Quebec culture, presenting many Quebecois Trad artists as Bernard Simard, Le Vent du Nord, Les Charbonniers de l'Enfer, and others.

Check out more names and references on the festival:

A musical journey towards America and some of the big names of overseas music such as Buena Vista Social Club, Lénine, Barbatuques, Mariana Caetano, Marissa Nadler… These bands will complete an already appealing programme: Yuri Buenaventura, Pascale Picard Band, Zachary Richard, Les Tambours du Bronx (Drums from the Bronx), Cocoon, Soft… and last but not least the icon of Rock, Marianne Faithfull.

There will also be a high quality programme of Breton music giving way to new talents (les Grooves Boys, Raggalendo, Skilda, Franci Jackson Project…) who will stand next to the one thanks to whom everything (re)started: Alan Stivell. Creations will also be part of the programme, those of the 40th anniversary of the ‘Bagad de Lokoal Mendon’ named « Kejaj », with numerous guests (Gilles Servat, Louise Ebrel, Pascal Lamour, Dom DufF, Pat o’May…).

Finally, there will be plenty of Sea Chanties, with the great seniors (Cabestan, Michel Tonnerre, Djiboudjep…) and the newcomers of the maritime scene, a creation by ‘Les Souillés de Fond de Cale’ with the ‘Bagad’ (traditional Breton music) of Plouha, and more than 50 bands and our special favourite: the Johnson Girls, breath-taking chanty-women coming from New York.

On August 7th, 8th and 9th, music and singing, but also the wooden vessels of the Navy will be on the front stage on the quays of Paimpol.


I am excited for the many Brazilian artists too! That will be a great festival with lots of fun! If you are around and have the chance, stop by and enjoy!! And then come back and share a bit your experience... :)