Review: Mary Black:Donal Lunny in Shanghai

Subject: Review: Mary Black:Donal Lunny in Shanghai
From: Shanghaiceltic
Date: 19 May 04 - 06:40 PM

Last night (19th May) was the start of the Irish/China festival in Shanghai and to kick it off there was a three hour concert at the old Majestic theatre in Shanghai, a lovely art deco building built in the 1920's when it was the heart of the British Concession.

The line up was impressive. Donal Lunny was the musical director and with him he had;

Mary Black, vocals
Cara Dillon, vocals
Roisin Elsafty, vocals
Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill, fiddle & guitar
Pat Crowley & Martin O Connor, accordians
Liam Bradley, bass
Sam Lakeman, keyboards

Donal Lunny of course was on bouziki, guitars and bodhran.

The first set consisted of two groups of instrumentals and Roisin Elsafty singing sean nos style to Eleanor A Run.

This was follwed by an incredible set by Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill. This was the first time I had seen Martin hayes live and his hallmark seemed to be a slow start building up to some very very fast fiddle work.

The third set saw Cara Dillon come on stage to perform some beautiful songs, Black isthe colour, I am a youth inclined to ramble, Green grows the Laurel. She has a very beautiful voice and I am adding her to my wish list for CD's

Mary Black's set was good too. Ellis Island, Song for Ireland and several others but I did not think her vocals as good as those of Cara Dillon or Roisin Elsafty.

The final set was combined of all the musicians. There were songs such as the Rambling Irishman, Red is the Rose, Spanish Lady and more tunes from Martin hayes and Dennis Cahill.

The sound quality was excellent and the venue quite cosy so everyone got a decent view of the stage.

Donal Luny had obviously been at the Chinese dictionary as he was able to give short intros to the style of song/tune they were about to do, which pleased the predominantly Chinese audience no end.

If there was a down side it was not the musicians but the audience. Why oh why cannot people turn off their bloody mobiles? It is a real problem in China. Good musicians, lovley music and then bling bling, beep beep,.....

Subject: RE: Review: Mary Black:Donal Lunny in Shanghai
From: Amos
Date: 20 May 04 - 02:08 PM

Interesting that the "cell phone ethic" is less observed in China than it is in San Francisco, SC. Why's that, do you rteckon?


A

Subject: RE: Review: Mary Black:Donal Lunny in Shanghai
From: Shanghaiceltic
Date: 21 May 04 - 12:45 AM

I am not being in anyway racist in my comment here but there does seem to be a thing about the Chinese and their cell phones. No matter how many times they are told to turn them off or mute them they do not. It is almost as they consider them a part of their body and therefore it is their personal right to use them when they want to.

Not only that when they do get a call they will often answer it in loud voices disturbing all around them.

When I have held business meetings/presentations here I have requested people to turn off their phones, invariably they do not. Quite often you try and make a presentation and they are playing games or sending text messages.

Even once interviewed a person for a job and his phone went off. Rather than switch it off he held a ten minute conversation with his mate. He did not get the job.

One of the frsutrating things about living in China.

Subject: RE: Review: Mary Black:Donal Lunny in Shanghai
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Oct 10 - 04:46 AM

When I have held business meetings/presentations here I have requested people to turn off their phones, invariably they do not. Quite often you try and make a presentation and they are playing games or sending text messages.

Even once interviewed a person schmuck for a job and his phone went off. Rather than switch it off he held a ten minute conversation with his mate. He did not get the job.

One of the frsutrating things about living in China.