Skarpi needs help for his Radioshow.

Subject: Skarpi needs help for his Radioshow.
From: skarpi
Date: 13 Nov 00 - 05:45 PM

Hello all,Okei I need help once again this time it is about my radio show that I may have in the Goverment channel 1. And this is the topic. A) Why are the tradional music in Ireland so strong and is there or are no other music played in Ireland?

B) The national spirit and how it comes out in the tradional ( I like to call it pup music.)?

C) The Gealic and the connection of it to the music?

There are two more things but for now this is enough.

So the show are in four episodes and I have to split this into four parts. Ii will talk and play music and the show is about 35 min. long. Now I want to know if you can help with this. Can you? All the best skarpi Iceland.

Subject: RE: Skarpi needs help for his Radioshow.
From: MMario
Date: 13 Nov 00 - 09:11 PM

an ambitous project. Skarpi, I do hope the mudcatters will come through for you. I myself don't have enough knowledge to even know where to begin, but I'm sure somebody will

Subject: RE: Skarpi needs help for his Radioshow.
From: katlaughing
Date: 13 Nov 00 - 09:44 PM

I'll bet Aine, Big MIck, Liam's Brother, Seamus Kennedy, Alison in Oz and many others will be able to help.

This sounds like a wonderful project, Skarpi! Good for you!

Góoa nótt,

luvyakat

Subject: RE: Skarpi needs help for his Radioshow.
From: paddymac
Date: 13 Nov 00 - 11:43 PM

Skarpi - Let me first qualify my remarks by saying that I am an American, but one with many close friends in Ireland and one who tries to visit often. That said, my thoughts on your first question are:
1) People in Ireland, like most every place else where the airwaves are filled with an assortment of sounds, have eclectic tastes in music. Many different forms can be found there, especially in the larger towns and cities. American traditional country & western music (as distinct from the contemporary Nashville sound), or adaptations of the style, is but one popular non-native form in Ireland.

2) My inclination is to credit the resurgence of traditional music in Ireland on Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann (CCE), which has been promoting traditional music for fifty years now. Fionn has also suggested some credit should go to Gael Linn (?), but I'm not familiar with that entity. (you might want to take a look at Mrs. Duck's recent thread on 'Why not English traditional') The CCE program has been phenomenally successful with young people because of the tangible and intangible rewards available to them. You might consider dedicating one of your shows to a chat with them - or about them in some detail.

Perhaps it would help to spur the Icelandic government into sponsoring such an effort in support of Icelandic traditional forms.

Good luck, and best wishes to you.

Subject: RE: Skarpi needs help for his Radioshow.
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 14 Nov 00 - 12:09 AM

Skarpi, I think you should change the questions. For example, traditional music is not very strong in Ireland. I was there last year, and we had to look hard for traditional music. It is not common.

Rather, you should ask, why are there people all around the world who like it? Then you could demonstrate appealing aspects - the beautiful melodies, the jolly dance music, the unusual tonality of the slow airs, the fascinating work of O'Carolan.

As for the national spirit, I think that's meaningless. There are Scottish, American, and English tunes (mostly older ones) which cannot be told from Irish music.

I bet your audience will be happiest if you just talk about types of music (jig, reel, hornpipe, slow air, ballad) and then play examples for them.

Subject: RE: Skarpi needs help for his Radioshow.
From: GUEST,Liam's Brother
Date: 14 Nov 00 - 07:54 AM

Skarpi min!

Good to hear from you. How are things in Iceland?

There are a few reasons why traditional music is so strong in Ireland. First, the Irish have a living tradition so there were pipers and singers and fiddlers in all parts of the country that kids could learn from. Second, there is a very strong organization (CCE) that sets standards, organizes competitions and runs festivals to keep up the level of interest. Third, because of the Riverdance phenomenon there have been places for young people to go with there music and perform, record, tour and make money. Fourth, the guitar - heavy, rhythmic guitar - has played an increasingly important role in instrumental music, meaning the music has a strong beat and sounds exciting to the average ear.

Rarely do you have a good thing happen without have a corresponding bad effect. I cannot tell you that I feel all of the 4 points I mention above are 100% good for Irish traditional music but they have been important in its attaining its current level of popularity.

All the best,
Dan

Subject: RE: Skarpi needs help for his Radioshow.
From: SINSULL
Date: 14 Nov 00 - 11:46 AM

Skarpi,
Good to hear from you. If it helps: I have been amazed at the interest in Irish dance and music that Riverdance produced here in the States. There are Irish dance classes held in Irish bars all over Queens. The really amazing part is the young men of all ages who participate. They wouldn't be caught dead in a ballet or tap class but consider step dancing manly. Hate the noise myself.
Mary

Subject: RE: Skarpi needs help for his Radioshow.
From: Peter K (Fionn)
Date: 14 Nov 00 - 05:21 PM

Thanks to Paddymac for pointing me here. Interesting thread. And I hope there's some way you can post the show here, Skarpi, Rick Fielding style! I can only add my thoughts - nothing definitive.

Wherever I mentioned Gael Linn, it was probably a historical reference and to do with culture generally. Saving the language was (is?) their main thing. I agree CCE have done a terrific job, but other countries have had similar initiatives so why did CCE succeed?

My guess is that it's more to do with the inspiration and legacy of individuals (Willy Clancy et al) and the fact that bands like the Dubliners and the Chieftains really cut it with big names both sides of the Atlantic.

Also the fact that commercial, western values have been slower penetrating into Ireland than many other places. For instance I know kids who have hardly heard of CCE,who just play fiddle etc because mum or dad did. If that has been a factor, I'd say it's on the way out, judging by the stupefying rate at which Ireland is changing these days.

And don't forget Riverdance, even though I can't personally take much of Michael Flatley *BG*. This had a massive impact in giving traditional Irlsh real street cred like Mary describes. BR>
The long-time struggle for the Irish nation must also be a factor, but again not the whole story - I know liberal presbyterians (no - it's not an oxymoron - they were at the forefront with the United Irishmen remember!) who are up to their oxters in Irish traditional. (And much of it really is distinguishable from the other sorts, Leeneia!)

Being just back from Crete, then going to Ireland for a few weeks, I was struck at all the local traditional I'd heard on Crete radio, whereas it was mostly C&W in Ireland. But still I think you're being a bit hard Leeneia - you've got to look, but it is out there to be found, on a scale many countries would envy.

As for its spread around the world, I guess it's followed the diaspora - expats of any nation always being likely to be more enthusiastic than those who stayed at home. Then again, there is a fairly strong jewish music tradition, but it doesn't (to me) seem to have taken root on anything like the same scale. On which equivocal note I'll say goodnight all as I'm nearly asleep. Sorry if all this makes no sense to those of you still awake - at least I refreshed the thread, Skarpi!

Subject: RE: Skarpi needs help for his Radioshow.
From: Margo
Date: 15 Nov 00 - 12:45 PM

Scarpi, My cousin is from Minnesota USA and he plays bluegrass music. He and his partner (Leo Rosenstein and Dick Kimmel) toured the UK playing bluegrass and were very well recieved. A lot of people in Scotland and Ireland like bluegrass.

And looking at the American traditional music, you can find elements of Irish and Scottish (and of course English) influence in our early ballads and songs. It's no wonder, since our early population was from so many different places... Margo

Subject: RE: Skarpi needs help for his Radioshow.
From: GUEST,Sam Pirt
Date: 15 Nov 00 - 12:56 PM

I've got to hand it to you mate you've open a HUGE can of worm here and thats just the start.

Heres my answers to your questions,

Why is Irish music so strong in Ireland, is there no other music played in Ireland?

Well to state the obious Irish music is played most in ireland because the music is Irish. It may make more sence to ask why Irish music has had such huge success commercially and on a world wide level. In many countrys like sweden and denmark they also play Irish music well. I can't answer that you will have to ask some swedes about that. In Ireland and every country they always have more than just their music being played. I am English but I do not play strictly English music I have an International reportoire.

The national spirit and how it comes out in the music?

I do not know about this as I am not big on the political side of things so I can't help much there

I'm also lost on the gaelic as well

I hope I have been of some help, they sound good programs I hope they go well.

Cheers, Sam

Subject: RE: Skarpi needs help for his Radioshow.
From: SINSULL
Date: 15 Nov 00 - 12:58 PM

Skarpi,
Your input is required on the "Hello...Goodbye" thread.
Goodbye
Mary

Subject: RE: Skarpi needs help for his Radioshow.
From: skarpi
Date: 15 Nov 00 - 04:34 PM

Halló all, well it seems that i have a enough to work with, but my boss at the radio told me yesterday that I coult also talk about why and how the wars started in Ireland In the 11th century I think it started then.So I What shall I do? Shall I mix it together? Is that possible? Well I have to think about it. I coult talk about 1798 , I have a book about it with many songs lyrics both in gealic and english. Well All the best skarpi Iceland.

Subject: RE: Skarpi needs help for his Radioshow.
From: Greyeyes
Date: 15 Nov 00 - 07:41 PM

Skarpi, I have posted on the English tradition thread about the effect in Ireland of the people having their culture and tradition supressed by the English making it even stronger.

Fionn has touched on the enthusiasm of expats.

Personally I think the Riverdance issue is being overstated. Irish music has had a huge following since long before Michael Flatley.

A fascinating subject, but I don't envy you.

Subject: RE: Skarpi needs help for his Radioshow.
From: GUEST,CraigS
Date: 15 Nov 00 - 09:45 PM

Oi! The pop charts of the world are littered with Irish boy bands and singers, not to mention semi-respectable (ie more than teen appeal) acts, such as the Corrs or U2. The Irish, with the help of a Mr "Eurovision" Logan have won the Eurovision song contest more times than anyone, the place is full of country music in the peculiarly Irish form known as Showbands, and this guy thinks that all the Irish musicians are sitting in pubs playing "diddly music" (which is Irish contemptuous for folk). The thing about finding folk being played in Ireland is that one has to know where "the crack" is - usually it's somewhere in England. The thing about doing a radio show is that one should have an idea how difficult the subject is before approaching it.