Féile Róise Rua returns this Thursday (19th May) with an unmissable Livestream from Árainn Mhór island in partnership with Other Voices. It will also stream on Folk Radio UK’s Facebook page.
Hosted by Ye Vagabonds’ Brían MacGloinn (recently interviewed here) and pioneering Celtic musician Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh the Livestream will feature songs and stories from some of Ireland’s finest artists including Helen Diamond, Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill, Jimmy Canavan, Saileog Ní Cheannabháin, Seosamh O Neachtain and more.
Helen Diamond – We reviewed Helen’s self-titled 2018 debut here. “The performances of every song on the album have been crafted with equal care. Attention to detail and respect for the tradition are there throughout, alongside a recognition that respect doesn’t preclude innovation…The album will no doubt find its way into the traditional music collections of archives all over the world but it also needs to be listened to for the sheer enjoyment of a remarkable voice.” Johhny Whalley
Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill is considered one of the most influential female singers in Irish Traditional music. As well as being a highly regarded keyboard player and composer, she has played in Irish bands such as Skara Brae, The Bothy Band, Relativity, Touchstone, and Nightnoise.
She followed her late brother Mícheál Ó Domhnaill in playing the piano at a young age (6). Rather than reading sheet music, she learned pieces of music by ear, by listening to Mícheál playing. She later wrote her first song at the age of 17 that was entered in the National Song Contest and her song was sang by Danny Doyle. Later, the Irish record label Gael Linn ran a competition with the lucrative prize of being able to record a song in a studio and have it released. She entered along with her brother Mícheál, sister Maighréad and Donal Lunny. Although they didn’t win, they were featured on the b-side of the single – the a-side featured the winners Clannad with An Bealach Seo ‘Tá Romham. Even now, when talking about her playing, she talks of intuitive patterns of music that come to her from inside. While she listens to music from across the globe, she has a particular fondness for Irish music, for the sadness, happiness and joy it contains…”It’s all in those notes and the way they are put together”.
Here she is performing with Matt Molloy and Dónal Lunny in 2013:
Jimmy Canavan is a Connemara Sean-nós singer and regarded as one of the best. He is sure to bring any room to an attentive silence when he sings. Here he is singing at Féile Róise Rua 2020:
Saileog Ní Cheannabháin – earlier today, I was singing the praises of filmmaker Myles O’Reilly who has returned to making music and is about to release his third solo album. It was thanks to him that I was introduced to the music of Saileog Ní Cheannabháin. Myles got together with Islander to make a documentary called Backwards to Go Forwards which looked at the creative surge in Irish music and featured the likes of This is How we Fly, Cormac Begley, Radie Peat of Lankum, Cormac Mac Diarmada & Brian Flanagan of Rue, Ye Vagabonds, Slow Moving Clouds, The Bonny Men and Zoe Conway + John Mc Intyre. Saileog and Muireann Ní Cheannabháin (Muireann of Mongoose) performed a beautiful Sean Nós song Uileacán Dubh Ó on Maghermore Beach in Co. Wicklow:
Seosamh O Neachtain – Of course, any celebration of Irish Traditional music would be lost without the dancers. Seosamh Ó Neachtain is one of a number of performers who are rejuvenating the Gaeltacht tradition of sean-nós dancing.
Taking place in Early’s Bar, a historic music pub on the island, viewers will feel like they are at an intimate music session with these guests as they sing, play and interact with the audience.
‘While the past two years left us with a vacuum of live music on the island, we were so lucky to find an opportunity for connection with people all over the world through our collaboration with Other Voices. We’re hugely excited now to welcome visitors back to the island this May, while also inviting people from across the globe to join our live stream session again on Thursday the 19th of May.’ Brían Mac Gloinn of Ye Vagabonds
Féile Róise Rua was set up in 2018 as a voluntary community-based festival to revive the local music and song tradition on the island, in particular the music of local singer and song collector Róise Rua.
“All of us at Other Voices are delighted to deepen and strengthen the relationship with Féile Róise Rua. The Féile this year will be so special as Arranmore Island will host a brilliant gathering of singers and welcome an audience to listen to them and experience the magic of being wrapped up in the warm cocoon of a song.” Philip King, founder of Other Voices.
The performances will be streamed worldwide via Féile Róise Rua and Other Voices’ Facebook & YouTube and on RTÉ Culture on 19th May at 8pm and fans can set a reminder here.
As part of the livestream the Féile Róise Rua community also hope to raise money for the local community centre which is central to life on the island, as well as for Gemma’s Legacy for Hope – a charity supporting mental health services in north-west Donegal.
For more information, go to www.feileroiserua.com or follow Féile Róise Rua on social media.
The festival is funded by the Arts Council of Ireland, Foras na Gaeilge, Ealaín na Gaeltachta Donegal County Council and Three Ireland.