Sell Out Sligo Live @ Celtic Connections 2012
30-01-2012
This January ‘Celtic Connections’ invited ‘Sligo Live’ to curate an evening of music, sharing the best of Ireland with Scotland. The sold-out show happened at St Andrews On The Square. The 18th Century former church is considered one of the finest neo-classical churches in Britain, and now Glasgow's Centre for Scottish Culture, promoting Scottish music, song and dance.
Audiences arrived for the nights headliners accordionist Máirtín O’Connor with guitarist, singer and fiddler Seamie O’Dowd. Individually both are rightly famous for their musical prowess. Combined their performance ran a gauntlet of emotions from the subtle yet inventive arrangements of slower numbers to blistering jigs and reels.
Producer WGBH (Boston USA) was in attendance and most impressed by Sligo outfit The JPTrio later posting...
“Great instrumentalists with a lot of innovation and terrific percussion. But the singer is what caught my attention. Singers are rare jewels and when they are this good they catch my attention. Niamh Farrell, totally new to me, sang sean-nos (old) style and also did a great version of Wade in the Water. Versatile and one to watch for. I certainly will be.”
The Gorgeous Colours caught the attention of BBC Scotland who featured 4 live tracks from the band on Mary Ann Kennedy’s Global Gathering. And you can now watch them in action on BBC Celtic Connections video highlights of the 2012 festival.
As its name suggests this scottish festival is all about the connections – “celebrating them, creating them, discovering them, reviving them”. An ethos shared by Sligo Live who has been actively talent spotting Scottish Acts at Celtic Connections for the upcoming autumn bank holiday festival. Sligo Live Producer, Rory O’Connor “The Scottish strand of our 2011 programme, made possible by Creative Scotland, was a huge success; really adding to the vibrancy of Sligo Live in 2011 and introduced a raft of superb Scottish acts to a new audience.” Expect no less in Sligo in 2012.
