National Concert Hall Workshops

Samhlaiocht has programmed a number of music workshops for young families and Children. The workshops will take place on Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday in Siamsa Tire and promise to be an absolute treat for the whole family, young and old alike.

"The National Concert Hall is an amazing resource and we're delighted that they're coming to Kerry," said Jason O' Mahony, Director of Samhlaiocht. "The NCH workshops have been a highlight of Easter weekend festivities for the past number of years and we're delighted to be able to continue with the workshops. While cutbacks have significantly reduced the Easter weekend festivities this year, it's great to be able to still put on the National Concert Hall workshops."

The workshops are geared towards younger children and their parents. Four classically trained musicians from the National Concert Hall lead the workshops and the participants in a wonderfully entertaining musical journey as children experience the magic of music.

The workshops are themed by age group with workshops aimed at the under 3's and their parents and at the 3-year-old to 8-year-old age group and their parents. Participants will create magical sounds and rhythms under the expert guidance of National Concert Hall musicians.

All workshops are child friendly and the facilitators are famous for bonding brilliantly with both children and parents! Workshops not to be missed!

The workshops take place in the Rehearsal room of Siamsa Tire in the Tralee Town Park. Booking is with Samhlaiocht on 066 712 9934.

Samhlaiocht Workshops, Easter Saturday and Sunday, April 3rd and 4th, 2010

Saturday:
10.00 am to 11.00 am - Family session with U3's
11.45 am to 12.45 pm - Family session with 3 to 8 yr olds

Sunday:
10.00 am to 11.00 am - Family session with U3's
11.45 am to 12.45 pm - Family session with 3 to 8yr olds
2.30 pm to 3.30 pm - Family session with U3's

Pricing:
Family session with U3's - one parent obligatory - 5 euro per child - one parent free
Family session with 3 to 8yr olds 5 euro per child and 5 euro per adult

Interested parties should call Samhlaiocht on 066 712 9934 to book places. Places are limited and have booked out quickly in past years.

Rock for Experience

Trench at Rock For Experience 2009

When Sympathy for the Devil first played way back in 1968 it caused a media furore with concerned citizens worried that The Rolling Stones were a corrupt influence on youth!

Nowadays with The Stones music being used to sell insurance on TV, Led Zepplin's music used as the score to a Car commercial and even the iconic image of Jimi Hendrix being used to sell a new health drink called 'Liquid Experience', it's becoming increasingly difficult to find an unsullied rock gig.

Step forward Samhlaiocht's 'Rock for Experience' which will bring a host of unsigned amateur and semi-professional Rock artists from all areas of Kerry together for one night over Easter, for a rock experience as pure as driven snow.

"We're really looking forward to this year's gig," said Mike Foley, organizer of Rock for Experience. "We're anticipating a fantastic buzz and an atmosphere that's even more electric than ever before."

Rock for Experience provides an opportunity for budding musicians to perform in front of an audience using a professional PA system which is provided free of charge by Samhlaiocht. The organizers will also supply a drum kit but bands are encouraged to bring their own instruments and snare drum. It's an alcohol-free event for all ages and will be taking place in The Big Tent, located next to The Carlton Hotel on Dan Spring Road, on Monday, April 5th.

"This is the first year the gig is taking place in the Big Tent," said Mike. "It's an amazing venue, and a fantastic opportunity for young musicians. It's a huge plus for young bands and a fantastic experience for younger musicians to play in a venue like this. We'll have a fantastic turnout this year with 10 bands and more than 500 screaming fans in the audience. We have CO2, one of the hottest up and coming acts in Ireland, headlining the gig so it's bound to be a wonderful night!"

Busking Competition - Easter Weekend

Matt Vaughan 2nd Place Winner at 2009 Busking Competition

Samhlaiocht today issued a call for entries for the Annual Busking and Street Entertainment Competition which will take place on Easter Saturday, April 3rd. All street entertainers and musicians are invited to take part in the festivities, everything from talented musicians, jugglers, singers, dancers, comedians, fire-eaters and street artists will be welcome. The competition will take place on Easter Saturday, April 3rd from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. with registration taking place from 2pm in the Samhlaiocht office.

"Music and entertainment have always played a huge part in everything Samhlaiocht does," said Jason O' Mahony, the Director of Samhlaiocht. "This is the fourth year of the Busking and Street Entertainment competition and we're hoping to build on last year's competition that brought such fun and excitement to the streets of Tralee."

"We're really looking forward to the Easter weekend and we know that the Busking and Street Entertainment Competition will complement all the other free activities that we organise for Tralee," said Kieran Herlihy, co-ordinator of the competition. "The town will come alive with all kinds of wonderful entertainment. This will be the second year the Samhlaiocht Perpetual Shield will be up for grabs to the overall winners, kindly sponsored by Trophy World Tralee, The Shield will be on display in the Samhlaiocht offices and the winning act every year will have their names inscribed on the Shield. But there's also a trophy for the winners and a wee medal for all competitors - so everyone's a winner!"

The people of Kerry have proven to be very supportive of Samhlaiocht and of the Easter Festival as well as being enthusiastic supporters of the Artists and Entertainers that come to the County each Easter weekend. Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann and the Tralee Branch of the Vintners Federation of Ireland, as a show of appreciation, have offered to sponsor the Busking and Street Entertainment Competition.

"The support we receive from local business people quite literally keeps Samhlaiocht alive," added Jason O' Mahony. "We're indebted to them all and especially grateful to Comhaltas and the Vintners' Federation for supporting the Street Entertainment competition."

With artists from all over Ireland descending on Tralee over Easter, and the new Tir na nOg festival taking place from April 1st to April 11th, Tralee is sure to be a favourite bank holiday treat for lovers of the Arts, Culture and Craic!

Avatar Launch Second Album

Avatar will launch its second album, LIKE RIVER TO OCEAN, at Club Head Bang Bang, The Greyhound Bar, Tralee on March 11th at 9.30 pm

Like River To Ocean is the second album from Kerry born natives, James Kennedy and Tony O Flaherty who together form Avatar. The duo is a synthesis of Kennedy's original compositions and arrangements coupled with O' Flaherty's engineering skills. The services of some of Ireland's finest musicians known as The Avatar Massive are also enlisted. Avatar produce a fusion of 70's Dub Reggae, Jazz and Ambient Sounds which are uniquely their own and present a ten strong band at live performances. Like River To Ocean has been described as delightfully melodic with Kennedy's flowing bass lines being complimented superbly by some beautiful brass harmonies and a diverse range of instrumentation.

Like River To Ocean has been particularly influenced by the exquisite landscape around Fenit harbour in north Kerry. This area has had a significant resonance for Kennedy since early childhood. It is a place of amazing beauty. The eight tracks comprising the album Like River To Ocean have each their own individual rhythm, from the opening track Sunrise Dub with its hypnotic bass line to the crescendo of Loving Kindness Dub's searing horn section the album holds many delights for the discerning listener, culminating in the final track, Like River To Ocean Dub.

Following on from the acclaim of Avatar's first album Summa Iru in 2005, Like River To Ocean has already received praise in The Irish Examiner, Hot Press, United Reggae Magazine and German publications such as Hanfblatt and Dubblog as well as significant national and international radio play. The band's services have also been required by many established artists for remix work, most recently by German Reggae group, The Senior Allstars, and Ireland's Liam O Maonlai. They are also currently involved in collaborations with Dutch Reggae DJ, Esta Selecta's Haiti Project, and have just completed a new video of Heart Of Wisdom Dub with Irish film maker Shaun O' Connor featuring the hauntingly beautiful voice of Aine Whelan.

For more on Avatar, check out Avatar Sounds