Great online article re: Irish Bouzouki

Subject: Great online article re: Irish Bouzouki
From: Áine
Date: 07 Dec 03 - 06:44 PM

Just saw a mention of this article by Paul Kotapish (originally published in 2000) on the Irish Bouzouki -- or, how the bouzouki plucked its way into Irish music -- on the Mandolin Cafe site.

It's well written and informative. Enjoy!

All the best, Áine

Subject: RE: Great online article re: Irish Bouzouki
From: pearn
Date: 08 Dec 03 - 07:03 AM

Irish? I didn't know it was Irish - I thought it was a greek instrument. Never noticed Bouzoukis in irish music - but on the other hand; there is always something to learn. I have to read the book!

Subject: RE: Great online article re: Irish Bouzouki
From: The Shambles
Date: 08 Dec 03 - 07:28 AM

The Irish Bouzouki is tuned differently and is flat-backed. If it were bowl-backed - like the greek instrument - bowl-fronted Irishmen would need very long arms to be able to play it.......

Thanks for this. I have spoken to Paul Kotapish when he was touring the UK with Kevin Burke's 'Open House'. He was playing mainly mandolin then and a little bit of guitar - but no zouk.

Subject: RE: Great online article re: Irish Bouzouki
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Dec 03 - 08:45 AM

Tommy McManamon,formerly of The Pogues, and latterly of The Popes, is an officianado of the above.

Simon Emmerson of The Afrocelts also dabbles with the bouzouki. It's sound does seamelessly fit into the mix....which is probably testament to his musicianship.

Subject: RE: Great online article re: Irish Bouzouki
From: Les from Hull
Date: 08 Dec 03 - 11:43 AM

Yes very interesting, mentioning most of the players who were such an inspiration to me that I ending up playing one.

Subject: RE: Great online article re: Irish Bouzouki
From: Thomas the Rhymer
Date: 08 Dec 03 - 12:01 PM

Thanks Aine.. I love to see innovation in the trad world!

Subject: RE: Great online article re: Irish Bouzouki
From: Áine
Date: 08 Dec 03 - 12:44 PM

I'm so glad that you all are enjoying this article as much as I did. ;-)

All the best, Áine

Subject: RE: Great online article re: Irish Bouzouki
From: RiGGy
Date: 08 Dec 03 - 08:56 PM

I was one of the "american kids" that got Stefan Sobell his
Martin [ actually it was a "C1" rather than a "C3".....] &
I got my first real concertina. Nobody got an car engine,
but Stefan did use his to drive us all around the Northeast.
I'm much obliged.

Riggy

Subject: RE: Great online article re: Irish Bouzouki
From: Nerd
Date: 09 Dec 03 - 04:42 PM

Well, guest, the article deals with why the instrument blends in so well with Celtic music. One, because it lends itself to modal tunings, and two, because the instruments now called bouzoukis in Irish music were specifically designed to play Irish music, and have little in common with the Greek bouzouki (different body, different neck, different strings, different number of courses, different tuning). So Simon Emmerson doesn't have to get around the problem of an essentially foreign instrument the way Alec Finn and Johnny Moynihan did in the 1960s and 1970s.

I agree it's a fine article. The organization was a little confusing. (He mentions in the section on Ireland that Irvine et al used four course instruments, as though that was simply an option for them to pick. Two sections later, he gets around to explaining how those four course instruments were designed for Irish music.) But in all, a good summary of these instruments in Irish tradition.

As Pat Kilbride once told me, they're all wooden boxes with modally-tuned strings arranged in courses. If you want to call it a bouzouki, cittern, octave mandola, etc, etc...they're all essentially of the mandolin family today, and a permanent fixture of the music.