The world converges on the World Fleadh
London-based trad musician HELEN MULLEN reports from the festival in Mayo - 11/08/09
The World Fleadh, the biggest festival of traditional, folk and Celtic music, kicked off its fourth year in the new location of Castlebar, Co. Mayo. With both indoor and outdoor events the World Fleadh had something for everyone, and
everything for some.
On offer were large scale concerts and ceilis, music, song and dance master-classes, workshops, demonstrations and competitions, a world food and craft fair, scheduled session trails and much more. Bored? Even if you had the time, it would have been impossible.
New to this year’s festival was the addition of the Ireland’s Music Awards (IMA), a ceremony awarding the cream of Irish traditional and folk music.Winners were gracious enough to treat us to three of their best-known sets, and with the remarkable talent in the room this was certainly one of the festival highlights.
Frankie Gavin’s performance with his newly re-formed band De Dannan featuring festival director Eric Cunningham and former Londoner Damien Mullane was perhaps the stand out performance of the night.
But they were all winners (literally), and so if performances from Moving Hearts, High Kings, Brian Kennedy, Teada, Cherish the Ladies and the Kilfenora Ceili Band were designed to whet everyone’s appetite to see them in their own shows at the festival, then it worked.
The night concluded with the Sharon Shannon Big Band with guest appearances from Shane MacGowan, Damien Dempsey and Dessie O’Halloran; Irish music doesn’t doesn’t get much better than this.
The Irish Country Music Awards (ICMA) were also held on a separate night for country music legends Randy Travis, Martina McBride, Hal Ketchum, Georgette Jones and many more who all performed on the night and at various points throughout the festival.
This year’s event proved to be bigger and better than ever, and its new Castlebar
location was an excellent home to a fantastic week of music.
It will definitely be taking me back to Castlebar...
2009 IMA Award Winners
Best Overseas Act
Cherish the Ladies
Best Celtic Group
Celtic Woman
Best Instrumentalist
Mike McGoldrick
Best Female Vocalist
Enya
Recording of the Year
The Galway Girl
Best Irish Traditional Group
Sharon Shannon Band
Best Contemporary Act
Saw Doctors
Best Overseas Act
(Europe Excluding Ireland)
Carlos Nunez
Best Young Irish Trad Act
Teáda
Event of the Year
Milwaukee Irish Festival
Best Newcomer
(Act or Performer)
The High Kings
Best Folk Group
The High Kings
Best Revival Act
Moving Hearts
Services to Industry Award
Ciarán McMathúna
Best Composer
Brendan Graham
Best Male Vocalist
Brian Kennedy
Best Crossover Act
Frankie Gavin & Hibernian Rhapsody
Best Folk or Celtic Duo
Seamus Begley & Jim Murray
Hall of Fame Award
Kilfenora Céilí Band
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