Céilí and Concert with Bohola & Paddy Homan
Concerts
- Date
- 9 May 2008
- Time
- 8:00 PM
- Location
- Doubletree Hotel
- Address
- 5801 Southfield Freeway
Dearborn - Town
- Michigan
- Country
- USA
- Contact
- Mick Gavin
- Phone
- 313 537-3489
On Friday May 9th and Saturday May 10th, THE DETROIT IRISH MUSIC ASSOCIATION will be hosting the 2008 MIDWEST FLEADH CHEOIL (Festival of Music) at the Doubletree Hotel in Dearborn Michigan. The festival features a music competition with the first and second place winners qualifying to compete in the All-Ireland Fleadh held in September in Ireland. Over 300 competitors from all across the Midwest will be converging on the Doubletree for the weekend in May. Judges are flown in from all around the US, Canada, and Ireland.
To finance this spectacular event the Detroit Irish Music Association will be presenting a concert and Ceili (dance) which will take place on Friday night, May 9, featuring the Irish supergroup BOHOLA with All-Ireland champion accordianist Jimmy Keane and multi-instrumentalist and balladeer Pat Broaders. Irish Tenor PADDY HOMAN originally from County Cork Ireland, now based in Chicago will also be appearing. These internationally acclaimed artists will be joined by musicians from across the U.S., competitors, judges and local Irish musicians for a mighty session and Ceili following the concert. Step-dancers from the Heinzman School of Dance will also be performing and the Ceili will be led by local dance teachers Kitty Heinzman , Anne McCallum, and Carolyn Brazzil.
Competitions get underway Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m. and will continue until 4:30 p.m. There will be a break until 7 p.m. during which time there will be continuous sessions throughout the area. Then from 7:00 p.m. until 12 a.m. a gigantic battle of the bands will begin . Bands from around the Midwest will compete for a place in the prestigious Ceili Band competition held at the All-Ireland Fleadh in September. The Detroit Irish Musician’s Association has entered two bands this year so come and root for the home team.
Admission to the concert is $15.00, free to competitors and $5 for Saturday pass holders. Passes are $15 for all day or $8 for the a.m only or for the p.m. only programs.
The best of Irish Traditional Music will be at the Doubletree Friday and Saturday, May 9-10, so come along and enjoy the craic (fun) and the music.
For further information contact
Mick Gavin ( Concert and Ceili information) 313 537-3489
Carolyn Brazzil (Competition information) 248 837-8022 BOHOLA
Irish music’s accordion virtuoso Jimmy Keane and the remarkable bouzar player and vocalist Pat Broaders, comprise bohola, Irish music’s newest ‘supergroup” as penned by The Irish Herald, bohola play a driving, muscular and yet very emotive style of Irish music with deep roots in the ‘pure drop’ tradition, infused with the raw and gritty urbanized musical vernacular of the Irish and Irish-American experience. bohola’s debut album Is championed by the Irish Voice as “one of the most impressive debut recordings ever by an Irish traditional music group.” The Courier News added, “Though most of the tunes bohola plays are well over 150 years old, the music comes across more vibrant than the moribund sounds of much of today’s alternative rock. Their sound comes from the Irish version of jam sessions, but bohola puts the noodling of many current jam bands (Dave Matthews, among others) to shame.” The Irish Echo captured the essence of bohola when it reviewed their self-titled release. “The sum here is greater than the parts, and egos are subordinate to both execution and effect. bohola have crafted an album of intricate, nearly invisible latticework, relying not on gimmickry but on imagination and vision. What a welcome concept: muse-Imbuing music.” Barn in London of Irish speaking parents, Jimmy Keane’s accomplishments are far reaching. The son of a sean nos (old style) singer, he is All Ireland accordion champion for five consecutive years. He is a composer and arranger of Irish music and has produced and recorded numerous albums. Many regard Keane as the premier exponent of li-ish music on the piano accordion. Noted University of Limerick Professoi; composer, and musician MIcheäl 0 S(iilleabháin praised Keane as the “savior of the piano accordion.” Emusic described him as “one of the true giants of Irish traditional music of the past fifty years.” Keane has performed and recorded with some of the best musicians in Irish music over the years including Liz Carroll, Michael Flatley, Mick Maloney, Eileen Ivers, and Seam us Egan. However, it was not until he started playing with Pat Broaders that the style of Irish music that Keane plays “really started to jell and this big huge raw and powerful sound came out of nowhere,” reflected Keane. “We were like a glove — instinctively darting in and out of the music as If we were “as-one” playing the same big instrument.” Pat Broader arrived in Chicago from Ireland in the 1990’s. “Pat is a real veteran of the Irish music scene both here and abroad, playing, recording, and performing with many artists and bands over the years,” said Keane. “Pat has this acute sense of music and rhythm that enables him to “lock in” his bouzar (bass bouzouki & guitar hybrid) playing to whatever I might do musically and rhythmically. The synergy that results spurs on bohola and draws in the audience. And his singing is brilliant — if I could sing, I’d love to sing like Pat.” bohola’s key to their sound is the interplay between the musicians and the approach they take to their music. “It is the music that counts,” states Keane. “We really listen to and respond to each other when we play — bending, twisting, and caressing the music as it flows along.” Keane considers bohola fortunate to be able to perform and carry forward the traditional Irish music art form while placing their special touch to the music. “We are here to serve this great music and bring out what we feel is the best nature in the tunes and songs we play.” The Chicago Tribune wrote, “bohola plays 300-year-old jigs and reels as if they were trying to tear the house down. Keane’s rippling accordion playing rapid, swirling melodies, while Pat Broaders accents the rhythm with his staccato bouzouki strumming. Broaders also takes the spotlight to sing plaintive ballads.” “We try to always play from the heart,” said Keane, “and bring to the audience the core and the spirit of what the music we play and sing is about.” In concert, bohola perform music selections that weave in and qut between tunes and songs that can continue for twenty minutes or so, ever evolving and flowing. They play tunes that range from hundred-year-old harp pieces, reels, jigs, slides, polkas and barndances to newly composed pieces in the traditional idiom. And the songs run the gamut from the ancient melodies of Ireland, to songs brought to North America by immigrants, to newly composed songs from here and abroad. All played with a freshness and subtlety of approach that is unique in Irish music today. For more information, please visit the bohola website: www.bohola.com .” 
PADDY HOMAN If you enjoy a good Irish song performed with passion and feeling, get yourself a copy of ‘Far from the Land’, the debut CD album of Cork tenor Paddy Homan which was officially launched by Lord Mayor of Cork, Sean Martin at the Mercury Lounge, Washington Street, Cork recently. Described as “the emerging voice of Ireland”, Paddy was at his harmonious best when performing some of the tracks from the album prior to his fourth tour to the USA over the St Patrick’s Day holiday period where he sang at six concerts. The launch was a concert in itself and guests were welcomed by Paddy’s good friend and colleague from Mercy University Hospital when he was studying at UCC, Tony O’Regan from Bandon. “The theme which weaves together these songs on my first CD is a love of Ireland expressed through her ancient and contemporary songs,” said Paddy who thanked everyone associated with it, especially his family. “That love and passion were carried across the oceans by the emigrant Irish, reinvigorating the musical traditions of those who remained at home. These are songs I learned in my youth and in my travels and I hope that your enjoyment is as great as mine has been in making them available to you”. A native of Fair Hill on Cork city’s north side and a post pupil of North Monastery schools, Paddy Hoinan, a social worker based in Portlaoise, has performed in the tenor role in the opera ‘Cannen’, delighted audiences at numerous benefit concerts, performed at Maynooth College before former President Mary Robinson and former US Ambassador to Ireland, Jean Kennedy-Smith and sung at 60 venues in the USA. Paddy sang ‘Roisin Dubh’, ‘Macushla’, ‘The bells of Shandon’ which are on the album, and also ‘Boolavogue’ and ‘The banks of my own lovely Lee’. He was accompanied by talented Kerry musicians Tom O’Connor on flute and Thomas O’Sullivan, uilean pipes and also Cork pianist Eleanor Malone. Other songs on the 13 tracks album, each of which are described on the inner cover, are ‘She is far from the Land’, ‘By the short cut to the Rosses’, ‘Mna na hEireann’, ‘An island Shelling song’, ‘Beautiful dreamer’, ‘Bantry Bay’, ‘Star of the County Down’ and ‘Danny boy’ while Tom and Thomas finish with Fr. O’Flynn’s jig selection. ‘Far from the Land’ was produced by Paddy Hoinan and Bob Lyons under the label Fair Hill Records, mastered and recorded by Ruairi O’Flaherty, Co. Kerry, and Blarney Recording Studio and the album was designed by Eoghan Bourke. Congratulations was extended by the Lord Mayor on what he said was another important coniribution to Cork 2005 European Capital of Culture years and by special guest John Spillane from Glenbrook who recalled how impressed he was on hearing Paddy for the first time three years ago at ‘An Spailpin Fanac’ bar at a function for Murister Literature Centre. John also delighted the audience by singing “The cherry tree’, The mad woman of Cork’ and ‘Hey dreamer’ title track of his new album. Other entertainers were Paddy’s Feis Maitiu award winning niece Aisling O’Leary who appropriately played ‘Dochas hun Naomh Padraig’ on the recorder and Big Mo O’Connor of Cork band Natural Gas. Co-producer of ‘Far from the Land’, Bob Lyons from Kennebunkport, Maine, USA, said he first heard Paddy Homan in a Dingle pub four years ago and was astounded by the brilliance and clarity of his voice. After introducing himself, they became great friends and coincidentally Paddy was a social studies student at UCC where his (Bob’s) wife Nona was working. It was Nona who chose the title of the album which is now on sale in ‘The Living Tradition’ music store, MacCurtain Street, Cork, and ‘Blarney Woolen Mills’ or on the internet at www.paddyhoman.com. Excellent fare from chef Conor and staff was sewed at the impressive new Mercury Lounge, owned by Bob and Frances O’Leary and run by Mark O’Regan directly opposite the re-furbished Cork Courthouse. Guests included Prof. David Morgan, UCC and his wife Deirdre; John McCarthy, Finbarr and Anne Moloney of Concem, one of many deserving causes Paddy has benefited through his singing which also include Cancer Care. Cork poet Paddy Galvin; Jack O’Leary, Castlelyons; singer Alison Arnopp from Bandon, Paddy Murray, Blarney; Mary Johnson, Jim Walsh of Cork Singers Club; Dan O’Leary of City of Cork Male Voice Choir; Rosarie Raymond, Paddy’s mother Elizabeth and his sister Margaret O’Leary who was very busy selling the CDs with Josephine McCaughey. Present also was retired head of singing at Cork School of Music, Bobbie Beare from Bandon, who, on again hearing the voice of his former student declared: “Now that’s what singing is all about. This man sings from the heart and from his whole being.”
