| Celtic fusion (music) | |
| Stylistic origins | |
|---|---|
| Cultural origins | |
| Typical instruments | |
| Subgenres | |
| Celtic electronica, Celtic hip hop, Celtic metal, Celtic new age, Celtic punk, Celtic rock | |
Celtic fusion is an umbrella term for modern music which incorporates influences considered "Celtic," or Celtic music which incorporates modern music. Old-time music is a form of North American Folk music, with roots in the Folk musics of many countries including England, Scotland, Celtic rock is a genre of Folk rock which incorporates Celtic music, instrumentation and themes The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Celtic fusion is an umbrella term for modern music which incorporates influences considered "Celtic" or Celtic music which incorporates modern music Celtic metal is a subgenre of Folk metal that developed in the 1990s in Ireland. Celtic punk is Punk rock mixed with traditional Celtic music. Celtic rock is a genre of Folk rock which incorporates Celtic music, instrumentation and themes Celtic music is a term utilised by artists record companies music stores and music magazines to describe a broad grouping of Musical genres that evolved out of the Folk It is a syncretic musical tradition which borrows freely from the perceived "Celtic" musical traditions of all the Celtic nations, as well as from all styles of popular music; it is thus sometimes associated with the Pan-Celtic movement. Celtic nations are areas of modern northwest Europe which identify themselves with the Celtic cultures specifically speakers of Celtic languages. Pan-Celticism is the name given to a variety of movements that espouse greater contact between the various Celtic nations. Celtic fusion may or may not include authentic traditional music from any one tradition under the Celtic umbrella, but its common characteristic is the inspiration by Celtic identity. Celts (ˈkɛlts or /ˈsɛlts/, see Names of the Celts
The oldest musical tradition which fits under the label of Celtic fusion originated in the rural American south in the early colonial period and incorporated Scottish, Scots-Irish, Irish, and African American influences. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Ulster Scots, also known as Ullans, Hiberno-Scots, or Scots-Irish, refers to the variety of Scots (sometimes referred to as Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa Variously referred to as roots music, American folk music, or old-time music, this tradition has exerted a strong influence on all forms of American music, including country, blues, and rock and roll. See also Americana or Americana (music American folk music, also known as Roots music, is a broad category of music including Old-time music is a form of North American Folk music, with roots in the Folk musics of many countries including England, Scotland, In Political geography and International politics, a country is a Political division of a geographical entity The Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of Music based on the use of the Blue notes It emerged as an accessible form of self-expression Rock and roll (also known as rock 'n' roll) is a form of Music that evolved in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s with roots in mostly African The connections between traditional Scottish and Irish music and Rock music are deep and go back to the origins of American music. As Elvis Costello put it:
"I started with rock n' roll and. . . then you start to take it apart like a child with a toy and you see there's blues and there's country. . . Then you go back from country into American music. . . and you end up in Scotland and Ireland eventually. " [1]
Another manifestation of this syncretic tendency emerged in New York in the 1890s, as bands performing traditional Irish music for the large Irish immigrant community there began incorporating big band influences, adding brass and reed instruments and performing quicksteps, foxtrots, and other popular contemporary dance tunes. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world A big band is a type of Musical ensemble associated with playing jazz music and which became popular during the Swing Era from the early 1930s until the late Quickstep is an International Style Ballroom dance that follows a 2/4 or 4/4 time beat similar to a fast Foxtrot. FoxTrot is an American Comic strip written and illustrated by Bill Amend.
More recently, there has been a flowering of several distinct genres of Celtic fusion. These can be roughly broken down as follows:
Contents |
Celtic rock
The fusion of rock and Celtic music is perhaps the least surprising of the modern hybrids, since rock is partially based on "roots" music, which was originally based on a fusion of African and Celtic traditions. Celtic rock is a genre of Folk rock which incorporates Celtic music, instrumentation and themes Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. Modern Celtic rock acts like Alan Stivell, Gaelic Storm, Sinéad O'Connor, Lenahan, Lordryk, Croft No. 5, Enter the Haggis, The Dreaming, Shooglenifty, Spirit of the West, Ashley MacIsaac, Mudmen and Great Big Sea, and many others have proven the genre's vitality. Alan Stivell (born Alan Cochevelou January 6, 1944) is a French musician whose father came from the small town of Gourin, Brittany Gaelic Storm is a highly-acclaimed Celtic band Their music ranges from traditional Irish and Scottish music Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor (ʃɪˈneɪd oʊˈkɒnɚ (born 8 December 1966 is a Grammy Award winning Irish singer and songwriter Croft No 5 were a Scottish World music &ndash Celtic fusion band composed of Accordionist John Somerville Guitarist Spad Reid Enter the Haggis is a Canadian world celtic rock band based in Toronto Canada. The Dreaming are a Celtic Rock Group based in Scotland The group were formed in 1993 by two friends Charlie Love (vocals/guitars/mandolins and John Anderson (guitars Shooglenifty are an Edinburgh -based six-piece Celtic fusion band that tours internationally Spirit of the West are a Canadian Folk rock band who were popular on the Canadian Folk music scene in the 1980s before evolving a blend of Ashley Dwayne MacIsaac (born February 24, 1975 in Creignish Nova Scotia) is a Canadian professional Fiddler While MacIsaac's Mudmen are a Canadian rock band based out of Ontario. The band was formed in 1998 by Zoy Nicoles and brothers Sandy Campbell and Robby Campbell Great Big Sea (often shortened to GBS) is a Canadian Folk-rock band from Newfoundland and Labrador, best known for performing energetic
Since rock music is so diverse and is influenced by virtually every other genre, the sounds of these groups vary considerably; they include everything from straight-ahead classic rock with traditional instruments to traditional songs played with rock "attitude".
Celtic punk
Celtic punk was essentially invented by The Pogues in the early 1980s and immediately gained popularity following the release of their first album in 1985. Celtic punk is Punk rock mixed with traditional Celtic music. The Pogues are a band of mixed Irish and English background playing Traditional Irish music with influences from Punk rock, formed in 1982 and fronted by Shane Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) It is probably the best established of the modern Celtic fusion genres, and generally includes drums, bass, guitar, and fiddle, sometimes with tin whistle, bodhran, or accordion. The sound is typically fast with aggressive lyrics, rock beats, and melodies.
Bands in this genre include Flogging Molly, Dropkick Murphys,The Real Mckenzies, Smiting Shillelagh, Flatfoot 56, The Vandon Arms, Neck, The Molly Maguires, Mutiny, and Black 47 (who also incorporate hip hop influences). Flogging Molly is a seven-piece Irish American Celtic punk band that formed in Los Angeles California and is currently signed to SideOneDummy Dropkick Murphys are a Celtic punk band formed in Quincy, Massachusetts, U Flatfoot 56 is a Christian punk / Oi! band from Chicago Illinois. Neck is a six-piece Celtic punk band from the North London neighbourhood of 'County' Holloway (known informally thus due to its Irish population Mutiny is a conspiracy among members of a group of similarly-situated individuals (typically members of the Military; or the Crew of any ship even Based in New York City Black 47 is a Celtic rock band made up of Irish expatriates formed in The Bronx by Larry Kirwan and Chris The genre is most popular in Ireland, Scotland, England, the United States, and Canada. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page
Celtic hip hop
The first Celtic-identified hip hop group to gain mainstream notoriety was House of Pain, a Los Angeles based hip hop group which incorporated rhymes about the Irish-American experience into their music. Hip hop music, also referred to as rap music, is a Music genre typically consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rap which is accompanied with House of Pain was an Irish -styled American Hip-hop group who released three albums in the early to mid 1990s before lead rapper Everlast Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West Irish Americans (Gael-Mheiriceánach are citizens of the United States who can claim ancestry originating in Ireland. With a few exceptions, however, their actual instrumentation did not incorporate traditional "Celtic" influences, so their inclusion in the genre is somewhat controversial.
Marxman, an Irish-Jamaican hip hop group, whose explicitly nationalist and Marxist politics gained them notoriety and infamy in the United Kingdom in the 1980s, incorporated traditional instruments into several songs on their first album, but largely abandoned them for a more electronica- and blues-oriented sound that would later form the basis for the emergence of trip hop. Marxman were a Marxist hip-hop group with two MCs Their Lyrics expounded Socialism and an end to economic and social injustice The term nationalism can refer to an Ideology, a sentiment, a form of Culture, or a Social movement that focuses on the Nation Marxism is the political philosophy and practice derived from the work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary Electronic music designed for a wide range The Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of Music based on the use of the Blue notes It emerged as an accessible form of self-expression Trip hop is a music Genre also known as the Bristol sound or Bristol acid rap.
Sinéad O'Connor contributed vocals to several of Marxman's songs and even tried her hand at rapping on her 1994 album Universal Mother with a track about the Great Irish Famine (1845-1849). Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor (ʃɪˈneɪd oʊˈkɒnɚ (born 8 December 1966 is a Grammy Award winning Irish singer and songwriter Universal Mother is the fourth album by Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor.
Manau, a French hip hop group of Breton origin, created the first truly consistent fusion of Celtic music and hip hop in two critically acclaimed albums incorporating a wide range of traditional instruments and melodies and combining them with hip hop beats. Manau may refer to Manau (group Manau Nepal Brittany (Breizh bʁejs Bretagne; Gallo: Bertaèyn) is a former independent Celtic kingdom and Duchy, now incorporated into They were sued by Alan Stivell for allegedly plagiarizing his arrangement of a Breton song (Tri Martolod). Alan Stivell (born Alan Cochevelou January 6, 1944) is a French musician whose father came from the small town of Gourin, Brittany
More recently, Emcee Lynx, a Scots-Irish hip hop artist from Oakland, California known for his anarchist politics and anti-war activism, has incorporated samples of traditional instruments into his music alongside lyrics about growing up as a Celt in America. Lynx, or Emcee Lynx is an Anarchist hip hop artist from Oakland California in the San Francisco Bay Area who has achieved significant Ulster Scots, also known as Ullans, Hiberno-Scots, or Scots-Irish, refers to the variety of Scots (sometimes referred to as Oakland (ˈoʊklənd founded in 1852 is the eighth-largest city in the U California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Anarchism is a Political philosophy encompassing theories and attitudes which support the elimination of all compulsory Government, i The term anti-war usually refers to the opposition to a particular nation's decision to start or carry on an armed conflict unconditional of a maybe-existing just cause. His band, Beltaine's Fire, plays a live fusion of hip hop, rock, and Celtic music. Epitunes. com described them thus:
Beltaine’s Fire musical style is unlike anything you’ve heard of before. Fusing traditional Irish and Scottish music with rock, folk, and rap elements, Beltaine’s Fire has succeeded in creating a truly unique sound that is still instantly accessible. [2]
They are currently the only band playing a true fusion of Celtic music and Hip Hop with live instruments instead of relying on sampling. Their first full-length album, the Weapon of the Future, was released Dec. 10th, 2007 via their website. [3]
Most Celtic hip hop music clearly approaches the equation from the hip hop side of the fence, preferring to reference Celtic identity in its lyrics. This is at least partly due to the origins of hip hop music in African American culture and the ongoing controversy in American hip hop around white hip hop artists, something that is much less of an issue in France and the United Kingdom. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located
Celtic New Age
Celtic New Age artists such as Enya, Afro Celt Sound System, Iona, and Gary Stadler incorporate traditional melodies and lyrics with synths and pads to create a mellow relaxed fusion that has proven highly marketable. Enya (born Eithne Patricia Ní Bhraonáin on May 17 1961, Gaoth Dobhair, County Donegal, Ireland, sometimes presented in The Afro Celt Sound System is a musical group which fuses modern dance rhythms ( Trip-hop, techno, etc Gary Stadler is a New Age pianist composer songwriter and producer specializing in contemporary Celtic-influenced themes and atmospheres Enya, for example, is one of the best-selling female musicians in the world.
Celtic electronica
The genre of Celtic electronica blends traditional Celtic influences with modern electronic music. Artists such as Martyn Bennett and Mark Saul whose backgrounds are in traditional Celtic music tend to favor traditional instruments, melodies, and rhythms, but augment them with drum machines and electronic sounds. Martyn Bennett ( February 17 1971 &ndash January 30 2005) was a Scottish musician who was born in St Mark Saul is a Celtic fusion musician from Melbourne Australia. Others, like Dagda, approach the fusion from a background in electronic music that eschews traditional instruments and incorporates traditional melodies played on synths into a New Age-influenced trance sound. Dagda is an Irish New Age band It comprises Red Keating and Phillip O'Rely. Trance is a style of Electronic dance music that developed in the 1990s
Celtic metal
During the 1990s, a subgenre of folk metal emerged that combined heavy metal music with Celtic music. Celtic metal is a subgenre of Folk metal that developed in the 1990s in Ireland. Folk metal is a sub-genre of Heavy metal music that developed in Europe during the 1990s The pioneers of the genre were Cruachan, Primordial and Waylander. Cruachan is a Celtic metal band from Dublin Ireland formed in 1992 and reformed in 1999 accredited with being one of the founders of the genre - Folk Metal Primordial is a Blackened Doom Metal band formed in 1991 in Skerries, Ireland, by Pól MacAmlaigh (bass and Ciáran MacUiliam (guitars Waylander is a Northern Irish band influential in the realms of Celtic Folk metal.
Celtic-influenced world music
Many Celtic fusion artists integrate musical traditions from all over the world into their sound. The clearest example of this is Afro Celt Sound System, the members of which bring to the band strong backgrounds in either African or Irish musical tradition. The Afro Celt Sound System is a musical group which fuses modern dance rhythms ( Trip-hop, techno, etc The Irish fusion group Skelpin incorporates Spanish flamenco, Middle Eastern, and American soul elements and instruments into its music. Skelpin' is an Irish folk music group based in San Diego, California. Other artists such as Loreena McKennitt take inspiration from numerous diverse traditions around the world, although their focus may be on Celtic music
Others
Other, less well established hybrids include Celtic reggae, as played by bands like PaddyRasta, Pubside Down, and (again) Sinéad O'Connor. Loreena Isabel Irene McKennitt CM (born February 17, 1957) is a Canadian singer composer harpist and pianist most famous for writing recording
As might be expected from musicians playing a style of music defined by its fusion of disparate elements, many bands combine multiple styles. Shooglenifty, for instance, incorporates reggae, rock, and electronica into their musical style; Croft no Five does the same with rock, funk, and jazz. Shooglenifty are an Edinburgh -based six-piece Celtic fusion band that tours internationally
Books
"Irish Folk, Trad and Blues: A Secret History" by Colin Harper (2005) covers Horslips, The Pogues, Planxty and others.
See also
References
- ^ irish quotes
- ^ Beltaine's Fire is the Featured artist for the day on Epitunes. The following is a list of notable Musicians who compose or have composed Celtic fusion music com for August 30th. http://www.epitunes.com/Members/epitunes/Blog/Beltaines-Fire-Artist-of-the-Day-August-30
- ^ Beltaine's Fire
References
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