An embarrassment of riches - Celtic Connections '17 Preview

This is a preview piece for this year's Celtic Connections, that was printed in the Morning Star on Thursday (19 Jan). The link to the article on line doesn't seem to be working, so here (with a little updating) is the article as written. Updating as well, prompts me to mention that fact that the Lions of Lisbon, has not only had to have an extra performance scheduled, but both are now sold out! Never mind, it will appear later in the year. Watch - as they say - this space! 

Rab Noakes

Having an embarrassment of riches is sometimes a mixed blessing. Imagine being a concert scheduler with Celtic Connections – the very successful music festival that started in Glasgow on Thursday. With the acts attending, clashes must be a perennial concern. This year on one night (2 Feb) you could see Orchestre Baobab, Eliza Carthy, Rab Noakes and Martin Green’s impressive collaboration, Flit, except you couldn’t of course, because they’re all on at the same time.

Still, there are plenty of other shows that are worth seeing, in particular the re-emergence of Shirley

Shirley Collins (photo Eva Vermandel)

Collins (4 Feb), who has released her first new album for 38 years. She leads a strong female presence at this year’s festival. Highlights include Mary Chapin Carpenter (30 Jan), Martha Wainwright (3 Feb), Sharon Shannon (3 Feb), rising star Siobhan Miller (26 Jan) and the ubiquitous Karine Polwart - her Wind Resistance performance spreads over four days (24-28 Jan) at the Tron. Even the Roaming Roots Review this year concentrates on Women of Song (28 Jan).

This year also has a sense of ‘back to traditional folk’, not just the reappearance of Shirley Collins after 35 years, but a concert from Tom Paxton (25 Jan) and both Fairport Convention (24 Jan) and Rab Noakes (2 Feb) celebrating 50 years performing.

Having said that, there is also plenty of new talent performing at this year’s festival. CDuncan (26 Jan) has already created a stir, and I’m looking forward to seeing the Southern Tenant Folk Union (30 Jan). It is often the ‘outside’ venues that break these new acts, and this year brings a couple of new venues to Celtic Connections in South Glasgow’s Glad Café and the West End’s Hug and Pint.

Finally, if you are ‘all folked out’ and fancy something a little different, two important British composers feature this year. Eclectic composer, singer and clarinettist, Anna Meredith is on 4 Feb, and Craig Armstrong and Calum Martin present the outcome of their collaboration to write new music inspired by Hebridean psalm singing (3 Feb).

Too much music? How about a day at the footie? FairPley are reviving The Lions of Lisbon, the play by Willy Maley and Ian Auld about Celtic’s triumph in the European Cup 50 years ago! (29 Jan - two performances). Get tickets on line at www.celticconnections.com

Travelling to come together.

This is my review of the highlights of 2016 . Compiled for the Morning Star (who published it here) this is the original. The Star is excellent at shaping my sometimes unweildy prose into shorter pieces. occasionally however something goes awry. In this case the title of Martin Green's exceptional Flit has disappeared in the Star piece, so here is the full text.

 Celtic Connections kept its key ‘front of the year’ role. Lau and the Unthanks produced a powerful and at times overwhelming concert at Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall that showed us where folk music can go when seized by imagination, talent and technical ability; electronic wizardry fused well with the pure sound of the human voice.

Songs of Separation musicians come together

Another concert demonstrated both cross-fertilisation and how life impacts on art. Inspired by the debates around the Scots independence referendum of 2014, it was the culmination of two years work by ten female Scottish and English musicians living together on Eigg. Organised by double bassist, Jenny Hill, it included Eliza Carthy, and Karine Polwart amongst others. Ironically, although entitled Songs of Separation, the dominant theme was a coming together of national and regional traditions, producing new material, particularly poignant when it dealt (as it often did) with the human tragedy of the migrations across the Mediterranean (Glasgow, Mitchell Theatre). 

Martin Green's Flit

Migration rang out too, in a magnificent highlight to the Edinburgh International Festival (EICC). Again this featured Martin Green (of Lau) and Becky Unthank, along with Dominic Aitchison, Adam Holmes, Aidan Moffat, Karine Polwart and Adrian Utley. Flit married all these talents with the wonders of whiterobot’s (Will Anderson and Ainslie Henderson) torn paper visuals and told us stories of forced and chosen travelling – searching for a place where we feel comfortable

 Elsewhere in Edinburgh we saw a glimpse of the former strength of Scottish drama – with a rehearsed reading of David Greig’s Europe at the Edinburgh International Book Festival – a prescient glimpse back (forward?) into European crisis and its relationship with moving peoples.

The 1916 Easter Rising gave us a number of shows, including Edinburgh TUC’s dramatic and musical look at James Connolly at The Hub as part of the EIF; labour leader, rebel general, family man, and songwriter (who knew?). The centenary provoked one Scottish event after another, including a great new historical walk around Glasgow, and a new play on the little-known Margaret Skinnider – schoolteacher, feminist and sniper – whose story was the successful centrepiece of 2016’s Glasgow MayDay Cabaret in Oran Mor.

Finally, the world of Cuban film cemented the second Havana Glasgow Film Festival in November. The key themes of music, history, community and real life featured in the celebration of Cuba’s Cine Pobre festival. And the look at the key role of the Soviet Union in sustaining the Cuban revolution – Los Bolos en Cuba – took us neatly forward to next year’s important centenary.

Havana Glasgow Film Festival - final four days have many jewels. HGFF preview 2

The Havana Glasgow Film Festival enters its final four days with the arrival of Cuban film and video

Arturo Santana

director, Arturo Santana. Flying in from Havana yesterday - thanks to sponsorship from Unite - to talk about his much-acclaimed first feature film Bailando con Margot (Dancing witb Margot) – Thursday 17, 20 15 in the GFT A ‘neo-noir’ mystery, Bailando con Margot follows the femme fatale, Margot de Zarate and her involvement (or not) in an art heist. Santana made his name (as most Cuban directors do) directing music videos.

A review of some of the highlights so far is on the Culture Matters blog and it also refers to the welcome support for the festival from the Cuban ambassador to the UK, Teresita Vicente Sotolongo, who came to see Amor Cronico – Cucu Diamantes love letter to Cuba.

Sheila, meet Aidan!

Other highlights still to come include Where you’re meant to be  - a great film following Arab Strap’s poet Aidan Moffat crossing swords with determined doyenne of travelling singers, Sheila Stewart as he tries to rewrite traditional Scottish folk tunes (Wednesday 16, 19,30 in the CCA – it will be followed by a Q&A with director Paul Fegan.  Cuba Libre – Thursday 17. 14.45 CCA - a historical drama on the Spanish American War in Cuba follows Chris Dolan’s fascinating story of anarchist Ethel MacDonald, who broadcast from Republican Spain during the Civil War. An Anarchist's Story is in the CCA Thursday 17, 12.50pm). 

Back to Cuba we then can see Los Bolos En Cuba – Friday 18. 19.45 CCA – a warm, nostalgic and irreverent film exploring the times of the 'eternal' friendship of Cuba and the Soviet Union

On Friday morning also, there is an important masterclass by Festival co-Director, and writer, Hugo Rivalta. He will be talking about cinema’s role in the Cuban revolution. - 11.00 Friday 18 in the Glasgow School of Art (Reid Building).

The final day focuses on Cuban animation (CCA 17.30 on Saturday 19), and the success of the festival will be celebrated in Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Museum, from 12.30pm where Gordon Cree will be playing Cuban salsa on the huge organ, and some recently discovered Cuban film archives, brought to Scotland for restoration, will be shown.

The programme is available on the Havana Glasgow Film Festival website - http://www.hgfilmfest.com/ programme

Guests and Supporters as Cuban Film Festival begins - HGFF preview 1

This week sees the start of this year’s Havana Glasgow Film Festival (HGFF), on 11 Nov, and guests have already started to arrive from Cuba and other parts of the globe. On Tuesday the Cuban screenwriter and HGFF co-director, Hugo Rivalta arrived from Havana. He will be introducing two films in the 9-day festival, and also running a master class at the GFT – Cuban Cinema’s place in the Revolution – on Friday 18 Nov.

Hugo said, “It's a privilege to be back for the second HGFF. I am very content, as I’ve just finished talking to a group of writing students about my work process. These Glasgow students make me feel very appreciated. I couldn't believe the programme Eirene and Barbara have prepared, it's so interesting and huge. 

Hugo Rivalta

“I am looking forward to talking more and meeting lots of people and am especially pleased to welcome Arturo Santana, one of the most prestigious directors of video clips in Cuba to talk about his highly anticipated first feature film Bailando Con Margot. He arrives next Tuesday and I’m sure he’ll be welcomed as I was.” 

Eirene Houston, the Festival Director, is especially pleased that we will be welcoming the Cuban ambassador – Her Excellency Teresita Vicente Sotolongo to the festival on Saturday (12). “ Her visit is a symbol of the support from the Cubans for this festival and I'm very happy that she is coming with her husband and another friend, to take part and enjoy our films.” Eirene says. “She’s coming in particular to see Amor Cronico the popular 2012 road movie by actor and director Jorge Perrugoria (star of Fresa y Chocolate, and new director of the Cine Pobre film festival).”

Other visitors include Anita Curbelo from Cine Pobre and from closer to home – Director of Where you’re meant to be – Paul Fegan. He will talk about his film featuring Aidan Moffat and folk legend Sheila Stewart. Alejandro Valera (from Cuba but currently living in Glasgow) will tell us stories about the making of Amor Cronico.

First Minister adds her support

And while she won’t be visiting officially, First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon MSP has welcomed the festival’s second year, She told the festival she was ‘sure it would bring even more energy, colour and passion to Glasgow and its people.”

The Festival runs from the 11^th-19^th November across a number of venues in the Glasgow School of Art, the Centre for Contemporary Art and the Glasgow Film Theatre, finishing at Kelvingrove Art Gallery.

In addition to the screenings above, other noteworthy events are – a lecture on the role of parody and satire in Cuban culture – from renowned Cuban specialist Dr Stephen Wilkinson. This will be Friday 11 at the GFT starting sharp at 11.00am. The first film of the festival will be La Rumba Me Llama that same evening at 7.30 in the GSA’s Vic café bar.

On Saturday an event on Local Cultures and Local Identities takes place in the GSA’s Reid Building. Short films from TV Serrana – a community-based broadcaster from the Cuban Sierra Maestre will be complemented with short films from Scotland and followed by a panel discussion. The day will also feature a screening of Amor Cronico, (Everlasting Love). A ‘road’ movie with a difference!

On Sunday too, the day is given over to a significant feature of Cuban film – Cine Pobre. Translating as ‘Low-Budget Film’ this is film shot with no or minimal resources, and has its own festival in Cuba. Eirene Houston was a juror this year, and has brought back the cream of the crop! Also part of the day is a documentary of the life of Humberto Solas, founder of Cine Pobre and a famous filmmaker. Also showing is El Tren de la Linea Norte (the Northern Line Train) Marcelo Martin’s journey from Moron to Punta Alegre through an area of ‘forgotten Cuba’. The day finishes with a screening of the American film that won the overall Cine Pobre festival, Tangerine.

A day off on Monday, allows us to gird our loins for the rest of the festival, and Tuesday brings

Hector Medina in VIVA

Paddy Breathnac’s Viva, an Irish film made in Cuba about Havana’s underground drag scene. What, trans sex workers and drag queens in a Cuban Film Festival? Who knew?

That’s it for part one, tune back here at the beginning of next week for a summary of what’s to come at the end of the week, including the visit of Arturo Santana.

In addition to support from partner Glasgow School of Art, sponsorship from Unite, and other TUs, the Festival is supported by the Cuban Film Institute (ICAIC), and Glasgow City Council. The Usheru Cinema app is also providing ticket sales support.

The programme is available on the Havana Glasgow Film Festival website - http://www.hgfilmfest.com/ programme

Second Cuban Film Festival launches in Glasgow

The Second Havana Glasgow Film Festival has launched its new programme online this weekend. The festival has built on last years’ initial success extending its run from seven to ten days in November and increasing the number of films.

This year it features a special day concentrating on Cuba’s low-budget film festival (Cine Pobre). There is an extended piece on Cine Pobre and connections between it and Glasgow's festival on the Culture Matters blog, here. Festival Director, Eirene Houston was asked to join the panel of judges earlier this year, and has brought back a selection of the winners to show – including the overall winner, an American film – Tangerine - shot entirely on a smartphone!

Eirene says, “We’re looking forward to an amazing ten days of Cuban and Scottish Film. In addition to a UK premiere of Cuban film, Bailando con Margot (Dancing with Margot) – a first feature-length film from award-winning director Arturo Santana, we have a fascinating documentary about Cuban director (and founder of Cine Pobre) Humberto Solas, and Oliver Hill’s La Rumba Me Llama (Rumba Calling).

Eirene Houston (pic Martin Shields)

“From Scotland, Paul Fegan’s gem of a film about Aidan Moffat and his encounter with folk icon, Sheila Stewart – Where you’re meant to be, and a session with short documentaries from the Sierra Maestra Community and from Scotland. The local cultures of our two countries will be seen, side-by-side!”

Other films include a couple of hits from last year’s festival (La Pared de las Palabras and La Pelicula de Anna) and a Cuba/Scotland History day where the Spanish Civil War story of Ethel MacDonald (An Anarchists Story) will be screened along with Cuba Libre (the story of two brothers in Cuba’s war of freedom from Spain).

Los Bolos en Cuba

Other films will include El Tren de la Linea Norte – a journey through forgotten Cuba, and Los Bolos en Cuba – Enrique Molina’s warm and sometimes irreverent documentary rescuing the memory of the relationship between the Soviet Union and Cuba.

Visiting film makers include, in addition to Arturo Santana from Cuba (brought over thanks to sponsorship from Unite the union), Festival co-director Hugo Rivalta from Cuba, Alejandro Valera from Cuba via Glasgow, and Paul Fegan from Glasgow.

The Festival runs from the 11^th-19^th November across a number of venues in the Glasgow School of Art, the Centre for Contemporary Art and the Glasgow Film Theatre, finishing at Kelvingrove Art Gallery.

In addition to sponsorship from Unite, and other TUs, the Festival is supported by the Cuban Film Institute (ICAIC), and Glasgow City Council. The Usheru Cinema app is also providing ticket sales support.

The programme is available on the Havana Glasgow Film Festival website - www.hgfilmfest.com/programme

People on the Move - Edinburgh Festivals 3

My third compilation of reviews from the Edinburgh Festivals has been published in yesterday's Morning Star. Covering a range of shows with a general theme of migration, it is a masterpiece of editing! Unfortunately a couple of mistakes have crept in, which I'll take the opportunity to correct here.

Sheila Stewart and Aidan Moffat (pic Neale Smith)

In my review of Where You Are Meant To Be, Aidan Moffat and Paul Fegan's film (****) the Star article says that Sheila Stewart's mother died before the film was released - unfortunately it was Sheila herself who succumbed.

In the review of the Book Festival discussion of the Palestinian struggle (*****), two phrases I used to describe the books of the two authors have been 'Capped up' as though they were the books' titles. For accuracy's sake the two books discussed were Ben Ehrenreich's The Way to the Spring: Life and Death in Palestine, and Yasir Suleiman's Being Palestinian. 

The other shows reviewed here are Flit! (*****), Martin Green's multi-musician piece on migration themes; Leftover (***) a piece on refugees by Acting Coach Scotland; Before the Hudson and the Liffey (****) a piece on James Connolly's life in Edinburgh and Leith; and Cafe Palestine, (****) excerpts from a piece by young people from the Palestinian refugee camp at Aida, near Bethlehem.

One of the Morning Star's greatest contributions to the life of Britain is it's cultural coverage (says he as a regular contributor!). I would advise buying it regularly, for that alone - although there are many other good reasons!!

Songwriting Talents Old and New(ish). Edinburgh Festivals 2

My first compilation piece from Edinburgh is in the Morning Star today. It includes the Angel review in last Thursday's blog, and also a review of Road - Jim Cartwright's slice of Lancashire life under Thatcher (to be posted later) - and two reviews of singer songwriters. Rab Noakes has been around for a little while now. and made a triumphant return after a break fighting cancer. While Roy Harper's son Nick, is not a callow youth (he first recorded in 1994 for f***'s sake!) his live set now has the kind of range and depth that deserve bigger audiences than Edinburgh's Jazz Bar can provide. The full reviews of both artists are below.

Rab Noakes – Acoustic Music Centre - August 14 – (*****) 

Noakes returned to the fringe after a year out – fighting tonsillar cancer – and delivered a superbly

Rab Noakes. pic by Alan McMillan

polished and sparkling solo set.

Although he understandably concentrated on his newest album – I’m Walking Here – for the largest number of the tracks, he also went back into the history for Branch (his best-known single) and Jackson Greyhound – a reflection on the civil rights fight in the Southern States.

As must be an occupational hazard with songwriters, Noakes has used his fight against cancer to inspire new songs – in particular the defiant, That won’t Stop me! And the more reflective Water is my Friend.

Add in some treatments of other songwriters’ material – like Michael Marra’s The Guernsey Kitchen Porter – and you have a full picture of a singer-songwriter back on top of his game. It’s good to see him back! He's got a show in Cupar in October.

Nick Harper. pic by Mark Hunt

Nick Harper – The Jazz Bar – until August 27 (then on tour) (****)

Harper’s unique guitar playing ensured his talents as musician and writer are displayed to the full.

Son of singer-songwriter Roy, Harper uses a finger-picking style all of his own. As his song Simple proclaims, he has ‘everything he needs, no drums, no bass’ to produce intelligent, articulate songs.

A short set nevertheless marked both the passing of Prince (Purple Rain) and Evo – his tribute to Bolivian President Evo Morales.

His undoubted talent deserves a bigger venue than this.