“… to the boisterous and almost faultless takes of British group Monster Ceilidh Band that played the violin, accordion and mandocello.” (John Tiong, New Strait Times)

“Monster Ceilidh Band provided [...]]]> Here are some quotes that came in the press about Monster Ceilidh Band participation at the 13th Rainforest World Music Festival, in Sarawak, Malaysia:

“… to the boisterous and almost faultless takes of British group Monster Ceilidh Band that played the violin, accordion and mandocello.” (John Tiong, New Strait Times)

“Monster Ceilidh Band provided new vibes to what we all call ‘old folks tunes’ nowadays” (cyrildason, Sarawak Bloggers)

“Monster Ceilidh Band, who aimed to show the “old, bearded men back home that ceilidh can be fun” enchanted the crowd with their energetic, quirky tunes” (Nazreen Tajul Arif, virtualmalaysia.com)

“Monster Ceilidh Band bring their brand of footstomping ceilidh music to Borneo’s very own rainforest world music festival” (eventful.com)

‎”Rave party energy: Monster Ceilidh Band, hailing from Newcastle, England, is a zany folk dance quartet with a difference” (ecentral.my)

‎”Hailing from Newcastle, England, is the Monster Ceilidh Band, a twisted folk-driven quartet that is built to fuel the good vibes and stomping mayhem. Renowned for rave party energy and heavy metal chord progressions, Monster Ceilidh Band has also been championed by influential British-based fRoots magazine and concert dates with The Levellers and Eliza Carthy have edged the group closer to mainstream visibility.” (e-borneo.com)

‎”As the sun set, the time came for everyone to converge at areas around the main stage as well as the tree stage. Many others took their places at the Dewan Lagenda, ready to partake in a night of enchanting and energetic music performed by groups from seven different countries, namely Shanbehzadeh Ensemble of Iran, Kimura Ono Duo (Japan), Minuit Guibolles (France), Braagas (Czech Republic), Leila Negrau (Reunion Islands), Monster Ceilidh Band (United Kingdom) and Farafina (Burkina Faso).” (The Sarawak Tribune)

“Aside from dancing to the beat of world music from heavyweights like Farafina (Burkina Faso), Monster Ceilidh Band (UK) and Novalima (Peru), it’s the festival vibe that bring loyal followers back for more and attract newcomers to the event.” (Jean Goon, MSN Entertainment)

‎”In the ‘Fiddling Around’ workshop, bowed instruments took centre stage as musicians from Monster Ceilidh Band, Bisserov Sisters, BraAgas, De Temps Antan, Debu, Reelroad’b and Musafir Gypsies of Rajasthan shared their gems of information. Led by Carly Blain of the UK-based Monster Ceilidh Band, it was a session of furious fiddling, showcasing the versatility of bowed instruments from around the world.” (“RWMF workshops a hit with music fans”, Borneo Post)

“Newcastle-based Monster Ceilidh kept the vibes going with quirky arrangements of folk music” (Madanmohan Rao, music.techsparks.com)

‎”This year, the Festival will see headlining acts like Farafina from Burkina Faso, Monster Ceilidh Band from the United Kingdom, and Novalima from Peru, rocking the stage.” (about the Rainforest World Music Festival, klue.com.my)

“The performers for the second night of RWMF2010 were not that bad, which we could see bands like Ensemble Shanbehzadeh from Iran, Kimura-Ono-Dua from Japan, Minuit Guibolles from France, Braagas from Czech Republic, Leila Negrau fron Reunion Island, Monster Ceilidh Band from United Kingdom and Farafina from Burkina Faso. All of them were awesome! They made the party gone wild with their instruments and musics.” (amieyalen.com)

“For the four member 20-something-year-olds in the Monster Ceilidh Band from the United Kingdom, this has been a year of discovery, for music and travel. This is the first year we have been off the leash,” enthuses Kieran Szifris, the mandocello player in the group. “I had to ask someone where Borneo was first of all, laughs Amy Thatcher. We’re still not quite sure where we are!” On stage, in front of thousands, their music inspired dancing as the crowd kicked it up in the rain soaked mud of the arena.” (Maria Bakkalapulo, National Geographic)

‎”Monster Ceilidh Band from the UK had beautiful tunes as they try their best to diminish the idea that folk tunes are only meant for old men with long beard” (cyrildason.com)

‎”The Monsters were a great addition to the fest, and did a great job” (Randy Raine-Reusch, Rainforest World Music Festival)

“Thank you so much for an amazing concert. I hope I will soon have to see you again on a stage somewhere in the world” (Jutta Skau)

“And once again, AWESOME stuff back in the Rainforest World Music Fest!” (Amresh ‘Moose’ Jessy)

After a highly successful breakthrough year in 2009 and a critically acclaimed debut album, Make Me A Dancer, the Monster Ceilidh Band will be [...]]]>

The brilliant and exhilarating music of the Monster Ceilidh Band has its roots in tradition; but the combination of their talents has produced something innovative, contemporary, fresh and dynamic.

After a highly successful breakthrough year in 2009 and a critically acclaimed debut album, Make Me A Dancer, the Monster Ceilidh Band will be hitting Grassington with a thrilling folk-dance performance. The music’s up-tempo, happy and energetic – dance music with its feet in the heritage and tradition of the British Isles.

No Ceilidh dancing experience necessary, the Monsters will talk you through all the moves!

Sat 12th June | Town Hall, Grassington | Tickets £16 – Under 16′s £8 | 8pm

Jin Hi Kim Music Alive Composer-In-Residence with New Haven Symphony Orchestra Performing with NHSO for her composition Monk Dance for Korean Barrel Drums and Orchestra Conducted by William Boughton

Thursday, April 22, 7:30 PM Beethoven & Beyond Woolsey Hall, New Haven, CT, USA

Info: www.newhavensymphony.org/page/event/beethoven-beyond-85.htm

Rafael Toral talks about his performance at the Kings Place Festival 2009, at Kings Place, London. He played on 05 September 2009, as part of an evening curated and produced by Red Orange dedicated to new and rediscovered musical instruments. More on that evening’s programme here.

EUROPEAN PREMIERE: Three of Canada’s most provocative creative musicians with backgrounds in varied and complementary styles and traditions.

Tanya Tagaq, from Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, has pioneered a contemporary form of Inuit throat singing, which is traditionally done by two women, so that it functions in solo and in unconventional collaborative settings. Tagaq has [...]]]>

EUROPEAN PREMIERE: Three of Canada’s most provocative creative musicians with backgrounds in varied and complementary styles and traditions.

Tanya Tagaq, from Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, has pioneered a contemporary form of Inuit throat singing, which is traditionally done by two women, so that it functions in solo and in unconventional collaborative settings. Tagaq has performed and recorded widely, but is perhaps best known for her work with Björk during concert tours and on the 2004 recording, Medúlla.

Jean Martin is an energetic and creative force in Toronto’s music scene as a percussionist, multi-instrumentalist, composer, engineer, and producer. Martin runs Barnyard Records which, in a short time, has become one of the leading creative music labels in North America and features recordings by, among many other groups, Barnyard Drama, a multifaceted collaboration that hinges around his highly sympathetic partnership with creative vocalist, Christine Duncan.

Vancouver violinist and multi-instrumentalist Jesse Zubot’s career is similarly varied, and includes performance, composition, and production for his independent record label, Drip Audio. He came to prominence in acoustic roots groups Zubot & Dawson and The Great Uncles of the Revolution, but is virtually unlimited stylistically as an instrumentalist. Like Martin and Tagaq, he brings the rare combination of extraordinary sensitivity, technical excellence, and radical imagination to this promising pan-Canadian creative music summit.

“Remember the old ad campaign for Memorex cassette tapes, with the guy in chair being blown away by the sound? You may wish to strap yourself in for the concert featured in this edition of The Signal, as you may have a similar experience. The concert features the improvising trio of Jean Martin, Jesse Zubot, and Tanya Tagaq. Their performance was a tour de force (literally). Tanya Tagaq led the trio in an incredibly powerful and emotional journey, featuring her trademark throat-singing. Sensual, primordial, beautiful, terrifying.” Laurie Brown – CBC Radio 2

Laurie Brown of the CBC aired an incredible performance of Tanya, along with Jesse Zubot and Jean Martin, at the Guelph Jazz Festival on her program The Signal last month and lucky for all of us who weren’t there it is available to stream online. For the full program visit: http://www.cbc.ca/radio2/programs/thesignal/thesignallistenagain/2009/09/28/saturday_september_26.html

Tanya Tagaq at London International Festival of Exploratory Music (LIFEM), Thursday, 05 November 09:

In recent years, a growing number of Japanese musicians have appeared on the UK music scene, performing at prestigious festivals, thanks in part to the enthusiasm of certain promoters. This recent popularity has been attributed to the uniqueness and versatility of Japanese music and musicians, appealing to the [...]]]> >

In recent years, a growing number of Japanese musicians have appeared on the UK music scene, performing at prestigious festivals, thanks in part to the enthusiasm of certain promoters. This recent popularity has been attributed to the uniqueness and versatility of Japanese music and musicians, appealing to the desire of music fans to experience something new and original.

For this event, the Japan Foundation has invited UK-based Japanese artist, DJ Scotch Egg, who has gained a reputation for mixing music from techno-related genres, including gabber and chiptunes, to talk about his musical career and artistic philosophy. He will be accompanied by Franck Stofer, of the artist agency, Sonore. Franck has been a passionate advocate of the creativity of contemporary Japanese music, and will share his views on the state and nature of the Japanese music scene as seen by a non-native living in Japan and working as part of the Japanese music industry. The evening’s proceedings will be chaired by Alan Cummings, Freelance Writer for music magazine, The Wire.

This event is organised in association with the London International Festival of Exploratory Music (LIFEM) which is committed to exciting music from every conceivable genre and origin, while continually challenging musical boundaries. DJ Scotch Egg will be showcased as part of this year’s LIFEM lineup, together with two other Japanese musicians, Oorutaichi and Midori Hirano on 7 November at Kings Place.

As well as complementing the performances by these three Japanese artists on 7^th November, this event also provides an opportunity to learn more about Japan’s exciting and innovative contemporary musical culture.