Celtic music Archives - Sliotar - Celtic music from Ireland

Kitty’s Welcome to Limerick

November 14, 2018 by sliotar

Celtic music, Kitty's Welcome to Limerick, Uilleann Pipes

Kitty’s Welcome to Limerick is the third track from our new album Voyage, and this one is all about the Uilleann Pipes. Have you ever spent a substantial amount of time looking at Uilleann pipes? I don’t mean when you first saw them, but actually looking at them. I have. and often the first thing that comes to my mind is how someone came up with the idea in the first place? Obviously, there has been gradual development over decades and centuries.

Bagpipes have been part of many cultures throughout history. The earliest known record dates back to 1000 BC in Turkey, but my personal assumption is that they have been around a lot longer than that. Obviously, Uilleann pipes are a young instrument in the history of pipes, but they are also the most sophisticated form of bagpipes, both in design and musical capability.

They are a difficult instrument to master, and most pipers would devote their whole life to this task. There is something evocative about the sound like it is connecting with our soul and stirring up feelings of our ancestors that have been hiding in our DNA for centuries. It speaks to us in ways no language can.

Kitty’s Welcome to Limerick starts with the solo pipes, and slowly builds up to a full band arrangement. It is a great way for you to experience the full range of this amazing instrument.

Sliotar Tour Update 3

August 1, 2018 by sliotar

Celtic festival, Celtic music, Lughnasad, Patreon, Prazdniny v Telci, Sliotar

Wow! What a tour. I am back in the Sliotar headquarters (my small 3 square meter home office) sipping coffee and looking back of the whirlwind that was this summers tour. It is time for the final Sliotar Tour Update 3 from this summers tour.

Lughnasad

Last when I left you I was just about to head to the festival grounds of the Lughnasad in Nasavrky. It turned out to be a fantastic weekend! The show at the Lughnasad was the only show on the tour that we got some rain. But it did not stop you guys dancing the night away with us at this wonderful Celtic festival. We loved it so much! And once again it was you guys, the audience who made the show for us. We cannot wait for the next time we get to play at this beautiful festival again.

Wonderful thank you to all the organisers at the Lughnasad; you guys made us feel so special. And when we feel special, we play special shows 😉

Prazdniny V Telci

Speaking of special, after Lugnasad it was time to head for Telc. Since the very first time we arrived through the gates of Telc with our old tour bus, Prazdniny V Telci has had a special place in our hearts. In Telc, time stands still, and you forget about the worries of the rest of the world. Milan, his family and all the organisers, run a fantastic festival, which is hard to capture in words. You got to be there, feel it and take it all in. Our show ran into the late hours of Sunday night until we sang the last notes of “I’m not ready.” It was somehow perfect, “I’m not ready to leave it all behind just yet” somehow captured how we felt. The tour had been special, having the new album made it even more special, and you guys made it the best!

Thank you!

Thank you to Karel and everybody at the Zach’s pub, the incredible team of organizers at the Keltska Noc, everyone at the Vagon Klub, and even more so Hakka Muggies for making it happen, all the organizers at the Kurim Castle, the kick-ass team at Lughnasad and our extended family at the Prazdniny V Telci. All of you worked so hard, and we are always in gratitude to you and your work. And last but not least, you guys. If you don’t come to the shows, there will be no more shows. It is hard to put an accurate number on it, but we estimated around 4000 of you guys came to see us during the two weeks. It makes us humble and grateful. We can only hope we lived up to your expectations.

Should we ask for your help?

Now as I sit here and write this, I am looking at the workload ahead of me. We need to set up the webshop for the new album, and the website needs some updating. I have hours upon hours of video material to go through, and hundreds of photos to edit. We are getting ready to gear up for the 2019 tour booking, which is going to take a lot of the next three months. I need to make some music videos for the new album tracks… I think I need more coffee.

In fact, it is starting to feel like we would need a few helping hands to support us to get everything done. But as you might understand based on the size of my small home office, this would require office space, and all of this would add up to a lot more expenses. I have a good understanding of WordPress and can make some nice websites. But having an expert help us would make our site so much better. I also love editing videos; the only limitation is the hours in a day. Mailing CD’s, making T-Shirts, social media… and some booking help would always be welcomed.

As you can see from the above, having a team like that, would not be the cheapest operation, but it would help us grow Sliotar and help us create new opportunities for more tours and more content. So I am asking you guys should we ask for your help? And would you be willing to help us? Maybe we could set up a Patreon campaign? If you don’t know what Patreon is, watch this video.

And I am not trying to make a sad swan song here. The fact is, we barely break even from the tours. I know it looks from the outside when you see us on a big stage that we must be doing well. The truth is, we all need to have other projects and jobs to pay rent and eat. That is why it took us six years to make a new album. I know we are going deep here, but I would like to know if you guys think this would be a good idea. So let us know in the Facebook, Twitter and Instagram comments what you think about it? Would you be willing to help us? Or do you think this is a silly idea and we are asking for too much?

That’s all for now. We look forward to hearing your thoughts. Don’t forget to keep it Celtic!

J.P. from Sliotar

Sliotar playing in a Celtic village at the Nasavrky Lughnasad festival

July 11, 2018 by sliotar

Celtic music, Celtic village, Lughnasad, Sliotar playing in a Celtic village at the Nasavrky Lughnasad festival

This is our kind of gig, Sliotar playing in a Celtic village at the Nasavrky Lughnasad festival. The surroundings of the Nasavrky Lughnasad festival are something else! It is a reconstructed Celtic village that gives you an insight into how the Celts used to live. During the festival, there are people dressed up as celts all around the festival grounds. In fact, the only real signs of modern life are in the bar and the stage with its sound system.

Stepping back in time

There were fire pits roaring, farm animals wandering around and Celtic crafts being made right in front of your eyes. You could walk on the protective walls of the village and stroll through the craft market. The music was fantastic as the festival crowd danced the night away. There are some great bands this year as well, so I would expect nothing less than a great few days.

Helping out fellow Celts

We ended up playing at the Nasavrky Lughnasad last summer at a very short notice. Basically, a band that was coming over missed their connection flights due to delays and on the day of the show, we got the call. We feel very strongly about the Celtic music community, and if we can help a friend in need, we will do our best. So as a result, Sliotar cancelled our night off and headed to the festival. After several hours of driving at a small road, we arrived at the festival. It ended up being a great night.

Sliotar at Nasavrky Lughnasad

This year we are coming back. And this time it is all well planned ahead. So guys, you have got to check out this amazing place, and no better time to do that than on Saturday the 28th of July when Sliotar will be performing a monster set in the Celtic village! Check out the event HERE. And don’t forget to keep it Celtic!

J.P. from Sliotar

Happy St. Patrick’s day!

March 17, 2018 by sliotar

Celtic band, Celtic music, Dublin, St. Patrick's day, Temple Bar

St. Patrick’s Day

Once again it is that time of the year, on St. Patrick’s day our dear old Dublin town turns green. The streets of Temple Bar will be packed with thousands of tourists trying to get that “real Irish pub” experience. But if it is a real Celtic band you are looking for, Sliotar will be in the Porterhouse from 2.30pm to 6 pm, not playing the cliche ballads that will pour out of every other pub in town, but our own mix of modern Celtic music. Oh yeah, and we might just end up sampling a few real Irish beers from the Porterhouse menu as well 😉

Hope you guys are having a great St. Patrick’s day, where ever you might be celebrating it. And don’t forget to drink responsibly 😉 Happy St. Patricks day to you all from Des, Ray, and J.P.

Sliotar 2017 Summer tour

September 11, 2017 by sliotar

Celtic festival, Celtic music, Keltska noc, Keltska Noc Celtic festival, Sliotar, Sliotar 2017 Summer tour, Sliotar Celtic music, Sliotar clan, Sliotar newsletter, Tour documentary, Vagon Club, Zach's pub

As previous Sliotar tours go Sliotar 2017 Summer tour around some of the Celtic and folk festivals in Europe was a short one. At the same time, it feels like Sliotar found their fire once again. The response we got from you guys was amazing. Also as a band, we seemed to be more focused and playing particularly well this year.

Follow our Journey

All of the above is why we now have some great plan for 2017. If you would like to follow this journey and even be a part of it, do us a big favor and join our news letter HERE. We will be explaining to you guys very soon all the details of our plan and how you guys can help us. But let’s just say 2018 is going to be a big year for Sliotar and you do not want to miss it.

Sliotar 2017 Summer tour video

Many of you might have seen this already, but here is a short video from the Sliotar 2017 Summers tour. First of all, we hope you guys like it, but also if you know a festival, event, venue or something else where you’d want to see us next year, share it with them. Sliotar is just a humble band, but our strength is in our followers, and that means you. Together we can spread the word far and wide! You can also watch the video on YouTube HERE

Celtic Music-The history and the essential elements

September 4, 2017 by sliotar

Brittany, Celtic music, Celtic Music-The history and the essential elements, fiddle, Galicia, Ireland, Scotland, Sliotar, Uilleann Pipes, Wales, Whistle

The world folk music, with a wide range of styles and music forms, gained a lot of popularity across the globe in the recent years. However, no music style matches the popularity and uniqueness of the Celtic Music.

Whether featuring in the famous films such as Titanic or this beautiful music playing at more intimate music festivals, the folk music fans love both the uniqueness and liveliness of this music and the style of the instruments used.

Understanding the history of Celtic Music

The term ‘Celtic Music‘ is an umbrella term used by the record and music industry. It covers the traditional music of the Celtic countries including-

Ireland
Scotland
Wales
Brittany (in France)
Galicia (in Spain) and other areas which have come under the influence these places

However, it is important to note that the music of the Celts comes from a cultural group with influence beyond just the Celtic countries. Also, some of the instruments are a relatively new inclusion.

What makes the Celtic Music unique?

The Celtic music is generally played in ensembles, with the melody instruments playing in unison (or octaves), not in harmony.
The music tends to be repeated many times. The musicians use ornamentation to keep it engaging, fun, and interesting for the audiences and the musicians.
Some of the ornamentations used in the Celtic Music instruments such as Uilleann pipes, fiddle and flute consists cuts, rolls and crans and are quite distinctive.
One of the distinguishing features is the fact that this music type typically has few rests. This makes it a challenge for wind instrument players to find places to breathe in between the notes.
Sliotar is a well-known name in the Celtic Music community. The band has been pushing the boundaries of modern Celtic and folk music for two decades.

Some interesting things about the Celtic Music

Celtic music is a popular type of music that makes a lot of use of the Mixolydian and Dorian modes and pentatonic scales.
The music dates back hundreds, if not thousands of years and there are no formal rules to the style of music as such.
One of the main elements of Celtic music is the use of microtonal bends. These are also found in blues and Arabic music.
In Celtic and modern folk music, musicians sometimes abandon the traditional and the formal style of music playing and create innovative sounds with the instruments such as Uilleann Pipes, Whistle, Fiddle, Irish Flute etc

2017 Sliotar summer tour vlogs

August 29, 2017 by sliotar

2017 Sliotar summer tour vlogs, Celtic band, Celtic music, Clan Hannigan, Hakka Muggies, Keltska noc, Keltska Noc Celtic festival, Sliotar, Tour documentary, Vagon Club, Zach's pub

Through out the 2017 Sliotar summer tour I had a camera with me. Some of you know I film vlogs, and have been doing so already for few years on my personal YouTube channel. This summers tour made 11 episodes of vlogs and hopefully it gives you a good “behind the scenes” look at what Sliotar tour looks like.

One of the best tours ever

We have everything here. Starting from driving through a thunderstorm in the dark. Then we captured the wonderful Keltska Noc festival with from some of the wonderful music to all the way to to the afterparty. We travel to Prague where Sliotar had a night off with some great Jazz, and our show at the Vagon club with the wonderful Hakka Muggies. Our Plzen show at the Zach’s pub due to the weather turned into a very intimate show. And even though the weather still didn’t give us a break in Kurim, the night with the Clan Hannigan was just magic. Just when we thought we would have a night off, we got a last minute call from our manager. There was another local celtic festival in trouble, due to a band canceling last minute. Sliotar was glad to help. And last but not least the wonderful Prazdniny v Telci, which has a special place in our hearts.

So why do I do this?

Why do I sped hours of filming, documenting and editing our journey? Two reasons. First, we feel a strong connection with our audience at the live shows. We spend hours talking to people after the shows. Now we want to make that connection even stronger. You guys come to the shows with open hearts, and in return we want to share with you guys ours. But also from a selfish point of view, I make these tour vlogs because I would love to see some of my favourite artists share similar material. So it makes sense for me to do it.

It is all here in a YouTube playlist, which makes almost a feature length documentary. So grab some popcorn, crack open a beer. It does not get much more real than this!

J.P. from Sliotar

Keltska Noc Celtic festival 2017

July 24, 2017 by sliotar

Celtic community, Celtic festival, Celtic music, Keltska noc, Keltska Noc Celtic festival, Sliotar, Sliotar Celtic music

Keltska Noc celtic festival is the biggest Celtic festival in the Czech Republic. They are becoming fast an important feature in the European Celtic music scene. Last Saturday we performed our 15th show at this wonderful festival. It is always a special show for us as a band. I still remember back in 2002 while we were playing a small local festival in Denmark. We met a blond haired saxophone player who always seemed to have a smile on his face. We made a friend that summer night, and little did we know that our paths would always be twined.

Those of you who have been at the Keltska Noc festival, you probably already guessed that I am talking about Tomas Somr. Tomas is someone we all call a good friend. He painstakingly has built the festival from a small idea to a globally recognised event. With the festival growing, the team around the festival has grown as well. And we feel lucky and honoured to call most of that hardworking team our friends as well. You guys know who you are and I would just like to let you know Sliotar really appreciates everything you guys do!

For those of you who were wondering, yes the power did go at the end of our 2017 show at the Keltska Noc. The thing about festivals is that there is an allocated time slot for every act. And we were only about one minute away from the end of our set. For us to continue after the power got sorted would have taken time away from all of the performers after us, and that would have not been fair. Sliotar considers the musicians, dancers and all the other acts on the European celtic music scene as a community, which we are very proud to be part of. It was us and the organisers who mutually agreed that it was best for us to stop at that point. We hope you guys understand and still enjoyed the show, we had great time! Thank you to Bobbie Šafranováfor the photos from our show!

J.P. from Sliotar

celtic-music

Kitty’s Welcome to Limerick

Sliotar Tour Update 3

Lughnasad

Prazdniny V Telci

Thank you!

Should we ask for your help?

Sliotar playing in a Celtic village at the Nasavrky Lughnasad festival

Stepping back in time

Helping out fellow Celts

Sliotar at Nasavrky Lughnasad

Happy St. Patrick’s day!

St. Patrick’s Day

Celtic Music-The history and the essential elements

Understanding the history of Celtic Music

What makes the Celtic Music unique?

Some interesting things about the Celtic Music

2017 Sliotar summer tour vlogs

One of the best tours ever

So why do I do this?

Keltska Noc Celtic festival 2017

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