SCOTTISH winter music festival Celtic Connections launched its programme for 2017 yesterday, with what is probably the most eclectic line up in their 13-year history.
Organisers themselves admit it is a “startlingly long way from Sandy in Grease to Celtic Connections”, but Olivia Newton-John will “cover that distance” in a concert with country stars Beth Neilsen Chapman and Amy Sky where they will explore grief, personal loss and survival.
Festival boss Donald Shaw launched the programme yesterday, saying the Let’s Get Physical star would be one of 2,100 musicians from across the world heading to Glasgow for the annual celebration of of roots, folk and world music.
Martha Wainwright, Billy Bragg, Fairport Convention, Shirley Collins and Karine Polwart were among some of the other big names announced yesterday.
Laura Marling will open the festival with the world premiere of orchestrations of her songs by Kate St John with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. But as always with Celtic Connections, some of the most exciting concerts are the ones buried deep down in the thick 17-day programme.
This year’s Roaming Roots Revue, celebrating musical links between Scotland and America, is dedicated to “The Women in Song”, a key theme of the festival, with performances of music by Kate Bush, Joni Mitchell, Nina Simone, sung by well known musicians including Emma Pollock.
The Beat Bothy night, which mixes electronic and Celtic music returns after a year off. The night was a staple Celtic Connections event in the Arches before that club shut down. Skye’s Niteworks are set to headline.
One of the more poignant gigs will A Night for Angus, with Shooglenifty paying tribute to their fiddler and “Shoogle-wife” Angus R Grant who died earlier this month after a short illness.
La Banda Europa led by Jim Sutherland, star-studded folk orchestra Unusual Suspects, fiddle super-group Session A9, Edinburgh’s Dallahan, the premiere of piping project Tryst, Ireland’s festival favourites Sharon Shannon and Four Men & A Dog, are all lined up.
There’s a big Canadian contingent as well, with Le Vent Du Nord, De Temps Antan and Russell deCarle all coming to Glasgow.
Scottish artists Evelyn Glennie, Pictish Trail, Liz Lochhead, Aidan Moffat, King Creosote, Siobhan Miller and Anna Meredith all have gigs scheduled during the festival.
Shaw said: “A breath-taking range of styles and traditions radiates throughout Celtic Connections 2017. Artists who have shaped the present day and artists who are re-defining music for the future will take to the stage. Artists whose lives and cultures could not be more different will come together to share their stories, passion and skill. At the heart of it all is the simple life-affirming experience of being at a live music performance during a world leading festival. We can’t wait for Celtic Connections 2017 to begin.”
Alan Morrison, former music writer for The National, and now head of music at Creative Scotland, said: “Celtic Connections is now firmly established as the winter destination of choice not only for lovers of folk and traditional music, but also for anyone who wants to embrace culture on a global scale.”
One of the more interesting tales in the programme, is that of Aziza Brahim, born and raised in the Saharawi refugee camps lining the frontier between Algeria and Western Sahara. As a young teenager she fled these camps and the regime of political oppression that followed Morocco’s 1975 invasion of Western Sahara to live in Cuba.
As an adult she returned to the Saharawi camps and began singing and playing in different musical ensembles. She is now a best selling world music artist whose work is infused with influences of her Western Sahara roots and Barcelona, where has lived since 2000, and remains a spokesperson for the
Saharawi people and their ongoing struggle.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here