Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Traditional Welsh folk group Calan suggests that Accordion, Harp, Clogs could be next Guitar, Bass, Drums on “Solomon,” out May 12th.

Upcoming UK tour to be followed by runs in Australia, North America, China later this year. See the video for “Apparition” at Yahoo! now.

+++


Calan (L-R): Angharad Jenkins, Sam Humphreys, Bethan Rhiannon, Patrick Rimes, Alice French. Photo credit: Richard P Walton.

+++

PLAY, POST & SHARE


See the video for “Apparition” at Yahoo! and read all about the song via Atwood.





+++

“Grace, daring and sheer joy.” — The Daily Mirror (UK)

“Stunning. Gorgeously crafted songs, sprightly foot-tappers, verve and raw excitement.” — The Belfast Telegraph (UK)

The untraditionally traditional Cymru, Wales-based group Calan is the only Gwerin (translation: Folk) band to be held in a detainment cell at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport alongside a death metal band from Estonia. Calan is also the only band of any genre to follow-up that experience by performing alongside Sting at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the 50th birthday celebration of famed opera singer, Sir Bryn Terfel Jones.

These facts, even without listening to a note (or a foot stomp) from Calan, makes them rock stars, albeit rock stars on a mission to prove that traditional music, based on folklore and taught and performed through the generations, actually does rock. With 2017 performances in Australia and China following several months touring the US and UK supporting the new album Solomon (Sain Records, May 12th), Calan is on its way to accomplishing that.

Despite the ancient roots of Calan’s music, this brash, young group is comprised of a new generation of ambassadors, striving to take their sound to new audiences, raising some eyebrows with their deliberate presentation, while also raising the international profile of traditional Welsh music. Get used to this: Accordion, Fiddle, Pipes, Harp, and the percussive sound of Clogs are the new Guitar, Bass, and Drums.

To date, Calan has gone from busking in the streets of Cardiff to introducing Welsh traditional music to curious music fans in the UK, Belgium, Italy, France, and on several tours of North America, playing festival shows on huge stages to tens-of-thousands, as well as at local folk club shows, unrestricted by sound systems, while standing on tables and jumping off chairs.

The musicians making these old sounds new, blasting their way through the old reels, jigs and hornpipes, include Calan vocalist, accordionist, and wearer of the clogs, Bethan Williams-Jones, who sings in both English and Welsh, and learned her style of award-winning clog dancing from her father, who was also a champion.

Soloman’s first single is “Apparition,” a Calan original based on entries in the bizarre diaries of Rev. Edmund Jones, a minister and soothsayer living in Wales during the 18th century. The writings affirm Jones’s belief in fairies, and discuss the legend that claimed that when the coal and iron industries came to Wales, the fairies disappeared, as fairies don’t react well to metals. No word on how fairies react to Estonian death metal.

Solomon, the latest album by Calan, arrives via Sain Records on May 12th, 2017. The band launches a UK tour later this month (see dates below), with dates in Australia, North America, and China to be announced. Members of Calan are available for interviews. Contact Josh Bloom at Fanatic for more information.

+++

Calan
Solomon
May 12th, 2017
(Sain Records)
  

Track Listing:

01. Kân
02. Ryan Jigs
03. #DeportationSelfie
04. Apparition (SOUNDCLOUD | YOUTUBE | MP3)
05. Hayes and Quinn's
06. Madame Fromage
07. Pe Cawn I Hon (If She Were
Mine)
08. Yr Eneth Ga'dd Ei Gwrthod
(The Rejected Maiden)
09. Synnwyr Solomon
(Solomon's Wisdom)
10. Dennis, Polca!
11. Yr Hwiangerddi (The
Lullabies)
12. Big D

+++

Calan – Live

4/20/2017: Hereford, UK @ Courtyard Arts Centre
4/21/2017: Farnham, UK @ Maltings
4/22/2017: New Milton, UK @ Forest Arts Centre
4/23/2017: Hitchin, UK @ Folk Club
4/24/2017: Maldon, UK @ Blue Boar/Mac Theatre
4/25/2017: Norwich, UK @ Arts Centre
4/27/2017: Baston, UK @ Barn
4/28/2017: Bangor, UK @ Pontio
4/29/2017: Settle, UK @ Victoria Hall
4/30/2017: Gateshead, UK @ Sage
5/02/2017: Glasgow, UK @ Cottiers Theatre
5/03/2017: York, UK @ National Centre for Early Music
5/04/2017: Sheffield, UK @ Greystones
5/05/2017: Otley, UK @ Courthouse
5/06/2017: Bury, UK @ Met
5/07/2017: Liverpool, UK @ Philharmonic Hall Music Room
5/09/2017: Wavendon, UK @ Stables
5/10/2017: London, UK @ King's Place
5/12/2017: Ivybridge, UK @ Watermark
5/13/2017: Bridport, UK @ Arts Centre
5/14/2017: Horsham, UK @ Capitol Theatre
5/16/2017: Bristol, UK @ Colston Hall Lantern
5/18/2017: Swansea, UK @ Taliesin AC
5/19/2017: Brecon, UK @ Theatr Brycheiniog
5/20/2017: Cardigan, UK @ Theatr Mwldan
5/25/2017: Fareham, UK @ Ashcroft Arts Centre

+++

Calan Links


+++

Contact Josh Bloom at Fanatic Promotion


No comments: