During the week we discovered a very talented writer Called Harris Tobias who has become a new member on tradconnect. He had penned some lyrics for a song and asked if anyone might put music and singing to it.

We were very taken by the gentle humour in the song and he kindly let us work on it. When we did we found we couldn't stop until we had finished. This is what we came out with. We hope you…

This is a selection of the best tracks that we have discovered on Soundcloud over the last week or so.  Some have been featured on the site and some not.  Follow us on Soundcloud and we will discover your music.Tradconnect on Soundcloud…

From the East to the West will take place in Dublin, from the 5th - 7th of December. It consists of a series of events that will demonstrate common themes in traditional music and dance practices from the Eastern Mediterranean and the Celtic World. Interesting themes that will be explored are songs and circle dances,…

DIT ( Dublin Institute of Technology) has conferred an honorary doctorate on music legends The Chieftains, in recognition of their outstanding contribution to Irish music nationally and internationally and their role as cultural ambassadors for the country.  Members of the traditional music group, which was formed…

Canadian fiddler Chrissy Crowley has released a couple of tracks from her new album titled Last Nights Fun, released in March this year.  Its a follow up to her 2010 album The Departure and displays a musician grounded in the music of Cape Breton.  Her music is in her own words taking "a new direction; a path of fearless…

On Wednesday 27th November, Matt Molloy will launch Fintan Vallely's  new book A Complete Guide to Learning The Irish Flute at the Harcourt Hotel in Dublin at 6pm.

"This is a unique visual and descriptive ‘method’ for all levels of learning and playing on the keyed and unkeyed ‘Irish’ wooden flutes. Tried and tested, this is a greatly…

Chatting to Edel Fox and Neill Byrne is quite an enjoyable experience. The bright and lively characteristics that exists within their music also seems to apply to them as individuals. They have just completed a busy Summer/Autumn promoting their new album called, appropriately enough, The Sunny Banks.…

This is a newly released 30 minute programme on the group Caladh Nua. It was shown on TG4 earlier in the month and is a great insight into their formation, history and music.  We have featured the group on Tradconnect over the last few years but they have been quite of late.  Caladh is an old Irish word meaning "Harbour" or "Shelter…

If this track is anything to go by then the album it is taken from called  "Forgotten Gems" by Peter Carberry and Padraig McGovern will be a must have recording.  It is simply outstanding music with a flow that seems in sync with your own natural rhythms, drawing you in with it sheer unadorned beauty.  It is…

This track by Stephen Doherty and Partick Doocey is taken from their album called The Foxford Way. It was released late last year we think and has somehow passed us by. Stephen Doherty is from Foxford, Co. Mayo in the West of Ireland, and is a busy touring musician. He continues to tour with Gráda, Irish Legends, Slide, Atlantic Steps and various…

Scottish group Dáimh have released their fifth album called Tuneship, a follow up to their 2010 album Diversions.  They have been twice nominated for Scottish Folk Band Of The Year at the Scots Trad Music Awards with singer Calum Alex twice nominated for STMA Gaelic Singer Of The Year. Dáimh "fuse together music from across the Celtic diaspora in a…

We caught up with the Mórga on their recent Irish tour and did a review of the gig.  It was upstairs in The Grand Social…

This is a track taken from the new album by Spanish group Stolen Notes. The album is called The Loot and on the basis of this they must be the best Spanish group playing Traditional or Celtic music at the moment. Its extremely cohesive and tightly arranged music.

The group are from…

Nights in Shanaglish was an album released in late 2012.  It was essentially a recording of a pub session in Whelan's in Shanaglish, Gort, Co. Galway.  The goal was to record their local session in as natural a setting as possible.  Despite what the purists might think they also included elements of country and western because that also forms a…

Here is another sample of some crossover music, this time with a sprinkling of jazz thrown into the traditional pond.  It's a self composition called Hornpipe 1. The group is called Cua and we came across them some time back with their  impressive mix of genres and styles. Cua are a duo and they have just released…

  RED!  Funny how some “classic” albums are associated with colours – Planxty’s first is commonly described as the “black” album (a title actually used by Metallica and Prince),  the Beatles had their White Album, and so on.  The Bothy Band’s debut recording, simply titled “The Bothy Band 1975” was issued with a red cover, and, almost 40 years later,…