Julie Feeney - Clocks

 Julie Feeney is a talented award-winning Irish artist. Composer, singer, song-writer, orchestrator, comedian, producer… She has a strong curriculum vitae offering a solid base for her third album Clocks, mixed by David Reitzas (who has produced Madonna, Guns N’ Roses and Prince).

It also became No. 1 in the Independent Irish Album Charts, No. 7 in the main Irish charts on its Irish release in late 2012, and Julie has won the praises of chief pop music critic Jon Pareles in The New York Times.

Digitally recorded at Kylemore Abbey Gothic Church, county Galway, the album is airy and fairy, but also somehow tonic and very personal. The singer’s nice mezzo voice, if not loud and exuberant, is nevertheless always perfectly right and neat.

From the first notes of her first song, ‘Dear John’, you are taken away to a dreamy Irish landscape by the river under a full moon. It is indeed a merry and romantic song, both in lyrics and orchestration – with a harpsichord and violins in the background.

It continues on a calm second track, ‘Cold Water’, opening on a binary rhythm which alternates at the chorus with a ternary one, giving a nice movement to the piece. The harp in the background, giving a romantic touch again, is rightly balanced with the presence of a bass guitar. On this one, the Galway-born singer is charmingly pronouncing “pull you through” with a “t” instead of the “th” sound, as any self-respecting western Irish does.

‘If I Lose You Tonight’, number six, will be the album’s favourite song for those Irish music lovers out there. It is a love song strongly traditionally-influenced, on a background of calm fiddle and banjo, and a spectrum of notes echoing all traditional Irish songs. On this one, you can easily picture the pretty windswept green fields of the emerald island.

The seventh track, ‘Moment Out Of The Blue ‘, is a calm anti-war song. On this one Julie uses more her speaking voice, quite emotionally loaded. It can remind one of the way of singing – and even of the voice tone – of Irish singer Sinéad O’Connor.

Like the previous one, the eighth song ‘Happy Ever After’ is more contemporary, with a clearer use of sound effects like artificial brass instruments and organ, and whistling. It is telling the tale of a girl who has got proposed by the king, but who prefers to stay alone in her own wonderland: within her only is her happiness.

Julie Feeney’s Clocks album is an overall very peaceful, subtle pop work presenting a series of elaborate melodies. It is both unpretentious and imaginative, and that’s what makes its originality, charm and quality.

This article appeared on AAAmusic.co.uk.

Conference "Regard sur l'Irlande" : Marie-Louise O'Connell

Marie-Louise O'Donnell

On Friday night a conference about Ireland took place at the Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris, by Irish reporter and senator Marie-Louise O'Donnell. I was expecting something rather standardized about Ireland's contemporary
situation – its economy and political current issues for instance: nothing new under the sun. But I have been given something else entirely.

Instead of listening to a dull explanation of facts and events, Marie-Louise spoke from her heart, from her guts even, about this country that she loves so much and could never be far away from for long. She talked fondly about the proud Irish people, their fundamental artistic character which they have somehow lost and must regain; in brief, she spoke about Irish identity as she saw it, from a cultural, human, sentimental point of view.

Beginning her speech by praising Paris's riches and beauty, she kept the public entertained with humorous notes here and there – mainly jokes about Ireland, and putting in comparison the two together. But those were not malevolent jokes, rather they were gentle pokes as one would do with a longtime, dear friend.

O'Donnell talked with sparkling eyes of her childhood in County Mayo, and when she went to visit her grandmother in a countryside village. It was there, when she was still little, that she became aware of the power of language, of words, of voices. No wonder then that she became an actor and theatre administrator, before becoming a reporter, broadcaster and politician – each of these jobs being closely related to orality.

After the first humorous and nostalgic half of her speech, she went on on a more sensitive subject for Irish people, and a more important issue: the turning point which represented the recent death (30 August of this year) of the Irish poet, senator, lecturer and playwriter Seamus Justin Heaney, who had won a Nobel Prize in Literature in 1995. He was a proud Irish figure, fond of his country – he always emphasized that he was Irish, and not British – and knew that Ireland needed to take back her essence, take back her talent to produce, and stop copying: “The trappings of moderrnity have nothing to do with us.”

Indeed the modern bankers and the like have made the emerauld island drift away from its artistic path. Ireland was – but still is, and has to persist in this way – a country of arts, and of sound, and of writing. When Heaney died, there was a great outpour of grief in Ireland, said O'Donnell, herself repressing some tears. But not one that could be seen for a celebrity; it was the grief felt about a void inside every Irish people, that could not be fulfilled after Heaney's death. And in order “to do him justice”, and do justice to Ireland, the people must take back their country and believe in their talent again, before it is too late.

An unexpected music treat in a pub in
Miltown Malbay (Willie Clancy Festival 2012)

She also talked about how the Irish were brute and to-the-point when they spoke, but always in an honest and relevant way; how it was easy to encounter Irish writers in the street and have a chat over a pint with them if you wanted to.

When she told all her anecdotes, this made me feel like I was back there again. The Irish do have a joy of living, and an openness that you would not find in Great-Britain or in France – without either being crude or too extraverted as in the United-States or in Mediterrean countries. And the arts do take an important part of their everyday-life: it is still easy to find pubs in which small bands – traditional or not – are playing for a few hours in exchange of some pints, to the delight of all.

O'Donnell ended her speech on a poetic touch with one of Heaney's poems, "Land", before taking questions from the public.
In the end, instead of heading home with a notebook full of data, I came back with a head full of memories.

This article was written for this blog only.

The Weave

Liverpool’s vibrant city has just given rise to a new talented jazz band, The Weave, who released their debut album of the same name last July.

The band may be recent, but the members know and have played with each other for a long time – up to 20 years for the two trumpeters Martin Smith and Tony Peers. From Latin jazz and New Orleans to modern jazz and Senegalese dance music, they have had a great range of experiences, resulting in a very mature first album.

It opens dynamically with the noteworthy ‘Thou Spak a Mouthful’, on a syncopated rhythm at the piano and drums. It reveals Martin’s potential, playing as easily as if he were talking; Tony Ormesher at the guitar, and Rob Stringer at the piano are not less eloquent.

The album continues with the band having fun on ‘Caresser Caress Her’. This one is a very stirring piece which would sound a bit like a cover song of the well-known ‘Linus and Lucy’ piano tune, also known as ‘Peanuts theme song’. Whoever likes the original will have a little crush on this one, which makes one’s spirits lift instantly.

Track number three ‘Never Better’ is a very atmospheric track, with a more Miles Davis style, offering three fine solos: on double bass (Hugo Harris), muted trumpet (Tony Peers) and on piano (Rob Stringer). Number six ‘As Within’ is in the same spirit, showing a smart trumpet arrangement.

The dynamic seventh track ‘Cold Wet And Sockless’ has already picked up support from Mark Radcliffe on hisRadio 2 Music Box show. It has an interesting wavy chorus with piano and fast drums (Tilo Pirnbaum), and trumpets on a question-answer mode.

Number eight, ‘Abram’s Air’, is a classic, Satchmo-like jazz track, on which you can easily picture yourself sitting in a dark and smokey American jazz club. This is no wonder, since the two trumpeters have played in a New Orleans-style band for some years, The Brasshoppers. The two players are mutually complementary – as Martin puts it himself, they ”breath together”.

The Weave are not resting on their laurels either: to celebrate their album’s release, they have participated in several festivals last August, like at the Manchester International Jazz Festival and at the Congleton Jazz & Blues.

Bottom line, the good symbiosis of this happy crew transpires in The Weave, a strong starting point with a nice overall British jazz feel, that both jazz lovers or discoverers will appreciate.

This article appeared on AAAmusic.co.uk.

Tayo Irvine Hendrix - Crazy Dayze

Tayo Irvine Hendrix has a sound of her own, and it was well expected.

After all, being Jimi Hendrix's daughter, she could only build up a talent for music – and was given a drum at three years old to ensure this. Since then, Tayo became a percussionist, songwriter and composer as well as a singer.

Her percussion influence can be heard in her new single – ‘Crazy Dayze’ – a dynamic, classic blues piece that opens with plain drums. They are immediately followed by the singer’s husky voice telling you things like “take off your shoes” and “take off my bra”. You are then carried away by riffs of electric guitar, and by the singer’s resonant and warm vocals. Tayo alternates all the while between sensual commandments and voluptuously sung choruses, the piano accompanying her continuously with a syncopated, catchy jazzy rhythm.

The overall piece has a slight 90s-punchiness, sprinkled at the end by bits of flute. It is definitely a nice blues track; the kind of blues corresponding to Tayo’s lively, colourful personality.

‘Crazy Dayze’ will be part of her Tayo Irvine Hendrix’s album EXPERIENCE This, which was mixed by Blake Eiseman, the man accountable for Pink’s notoriety, and who has worked with Usher, Janet Jackson and Aretha Franklin. It is to be released on September 23rd, to start autumn on a swinging note.

This article appeared on  AAAmusic.co.uk.

Turkish revolt: what next?

Turkish revolt: what next?

After the heavy protests against Erdogan's government, little has been said on its outcome.

Violently repressed protesters in Turkey, on June 15, had attracted the attention of the international community. Now, on its aftermath, what is happening?

Ozan B., student at Istanbul's Technical University, is positive about the "big political awareness" it has launched However, he admits that politics in itself remains troubled.

Two months ago, Prime Minister Erdogan had announced Gezi Park's transformation into a shopping centre. This had provoked a movement of peaceful, ecologically-driven demonstration from students.

Soon, governmental police forces dislodged them with water canons and pepper gas, severely harming some participants.

Since then, what had started as the Gezi Park Resistance became a nation-wide movement of protest against Erdogan’s governance, spreading to major cities like Ankara and Izmir.

Already before this, the government had applied a set of very restrictive measures, angering more and more the people.

“For example, they voted new laws bringing extra limitations on alcohol consumption; and on the appearance, [restrictions] over socialisation and contact of young couples in public spaces”, says Dr Raptopoulos, teacher of Middle-Eastern politics at the University of Pireus, Greece.

What are now the consequences of this two-month-old revolt? The first and main one has affected Erdogan's image.

“Erdogan received a heavy blow. According to a gallop […] after the protests, his popularity had dropped from more than 50% to 35%,” says Dr Raptopoulos.

“It is important, since he aimed to make constitutional amendments that would permit the shift to a Presidential system.

“This way he could have become President towards the end of his mandate, earlier than 2015,” he adds.

Indeed since February, the Prime Minister was considering to replace the existing parliamentary system with an executive presidency, which worried the opposition, seeing an attempt at a totalitarian regime.

"It's good that Erdogan is going through a hard time. He has turned people against each other for too long", confides Ozan.

Indeed, since Ataturk's quick secularist policies in the 1920s and 1930s, Turkey had become polarized between Islamic and Western values, a rift on which Erdogan played.

Erdogan's policies also came at the cost of freedom of speech, with several cases of jailed journalists and academics. Again recently, an outlet of Facebook speaking for the minorities has been shut down.

The symbol of this group, a pomegranate, was supposedly against Facebook's standards. An excuse indeed rather obscure.

As for the protesters themselves, Dr Raptopoulos says, “Turkish justice has been very severe with the participants. Arrests continued to take place in the offices and homes of ordinary people many days after the end of protests.” Now, police remains in the street, but no trouble is occurring anymore, according to Ozan.

Now, the next step will be to see if those protests and their influence in politics will have an impact on Turkey's bid to join the European Union, negotiations being discussed since 2005 already.

This article was written as an assignment for the London School of Journalism.

Second bail refusal for mafia boss Rancadore

Domenico Rancadore, 20 yeas ago

Domenico Rancadore has been refused bail for a second time at Westminster Magistrates’ Extradition court yesterday in the morning.

Running away from the Italian authorities for 19 years, Rancadore is charged for being one of the heads of the powerful Sicilian Mafia ‘Cosa Nostra’.

Yesterday’s review, aimed at a second bail out application, ended with District Justice Quentin Purdy saying to him: "It seems to me clear that if you are released on bail there is a risk you will disappear. I can see no grounds to grant you bail and be satisfied that you will return."

He also said that he had to serve 7 years in jail. Rancadore actively lived under a false identity with no other explanation than avoidance of police: therefore there are no conditions for bail grant.

Indeed, all of Rancadore’s documents were Italian, such as passport and driving license. A prosecutor said that Rancadore had been reluctant to use his real name for some matters because he had no trust in the Italian authorities.

For the record, Rancadore had been already acquitted in Italy once , but arrested again on the very next day for the same charges of being involved in the Sicilian mafia.

The prosecutor tried to make a point of law by saying that the European warrant was inconsistent with the Italian one.

A prosecutor said Rancadore did not want to go back to Italy, after he allegedly said, “They will kill me”.

He had been acquitted of Mafia-related crimes after the 'Maxi Trial' in Italy, on December 16, 1987, and came to the UK in 1993. He was convicted in his absence of Mafia links in Italy after he went on the run, and he came to the UK knowing all this, said a prosecutor.

He is detained since his arrest by Scotland Yard officers two weeks ago in his home in Manor Waye, Uxbridge, West London.

Rancadore will appear before this court again on September 20.

This article was written as an assignment for the London School of Journalism.

London, 'Safe Haven'

London, “safe haven”

Crisis in Maida Vale does not exist: prices rise, people buy, and life goes on.

House prices continue to rise in Maida Vale, and people keep on investing in the area in spite of the recession, according to an estate agent of the area.

Max Martin, an estate agent of Pembertons, at 125, Shirland Road., says, “Whether they are English, Greek, French or Italian, all big fortunes come and invest in central London.”

He adds, “You don't feel the recession in central London. All that is zone 1, 2... Everyone wants to buy here.”

Inflation in the housing market has made a lot of noise in the news, July having been the fastest growing month since November 2006. But for him, the media create this illusion. As he puts it, London is a “safe haven”.

In Maida Vale, where Martin has worked for five years in this estate agency – so since the beginning of the 2008 crisis – he says that he has seen no change in business. “Just prices have increased, but there are still people to buy.”

Mary Ashworth, resident of Wymering Road since ten years, says she has not felt the recession whatsoever. She adds, “I am actually also renovating one of my apartments on rental. It costs a bit of money, but it is worth it on the long-term with future lodgers.”

Indeed, when walking in the streets of Maida Vale, it makes one wonder how come so many houses are being under construction.

“These are just works of maintenance. Putting new floor, touching up a bit... Every seven years, people do their property up,” says Martin.

Since central London is such a “safe bet”, people are ready to make investments and renovations which will add to the capital gain of their property. Whether it is for buying or renting, there will always be someone to pay the price.

This article was written as an assignment for the London School of Journalism.