Highlights Announced For TEMPLE BAR TRADFEST 2011

Now in its sixth year Temple Bar TradFest is a firm fixture on the Irish music calendar and in 2011 will present five days and nights of some of the best of Irish music in Dublin City.

Winner of Ireland's best traditional music festival in 2008 and 2009, TradFest is organised by Temple Bar Traders and programmed by RTE's Kieran Hanrahan. The 2011 programme features a rich line up of musical performances, showcase concerts, workshops, extended family programme and much more. This year TradFest will include anniversary performances from both Altan and Clannad, performances from Beoga and upcoming performers Ciorras and some very special duets. It will host performances in the historic Christ Church Cathedral and many free events, live music and family entertainment on the streets of Temple Bar.

The Festival Programme Kieran Hanrahan said, ‘This year's TradFest features a mixture of world renowned performers, established national artists as well as up and coming acts, again this year we will have showcase performances, workshops, family fun, outdoor concerts, pub sessions, singers clubs and lots more to tempt you'

HEADLINE ACTS

The Festival continues to present a series of headline acts, sponsored by Bushmills and this year will include as a venue the beautiful surrounds of Christ Church Cathedral.

TradFest is delighted to announce that the Festival will commence on Wed 26th Jan as Altan celebrates their 25th Anniversary with a very special performance ‘Altan and Friends' in the historic surrounds of Christ Church Cathedral. This performance is part of Altan's world tour of Asia, the US and Europe. Over 25 years of playing together, Altan have established themselves as one of the most important live acts to play traditional Irish music on the world stage. A host of well known names in Irish music will join Altan for their concert in Christ Church Cathedral to celebrate and congratulate all that they have achieved.

Christ Church Cathedral will also resound with the sounds of Irish music on Sat 29th Jan this time with a performance from Irish music legends Clannad, celebrating their 40 year anniversary, and their first performance in Dublin in almost half a decade. Clannad have given a unique voice to modern Irish music, combining a deep love of traditional strains with a bold approach to writing and recording. Their legacy is a hugely impressive collection of albums that has kept them at the forefront of Irish music for 40 years. This is a performance not to be missed.

Alongside these legendary names TradFest is delighted to be showcasing up and coming groups who are adding a modern twist to traditional trad and exploring Irish traditional music and song in their own special way. Already very established in the Irish music scene BEOGA will take to the stage in the Button Factory (Thurs 27th Jan) as part of a double bill with emerging Irish performers Cirroas.

Guaranteed to live up to their name - the Irish word for ‘lively' BEOGA from county Antrim were drawn together in 2002 after ‘jamming' in a ferocious session at the all-Ireland Fleadh. Since then they have expanded the vocabulary of Irish music with a unique accent of their own blending bluesy riffs with jazz and pop beats producing melodious traditional music played to some of the most imaginative and contemporary accompaniment in Irish music today. Wall Street Journal dubs them "the most exciting new traditional band to emerge from Ireland this century."

Continuing its role to provide a platform to showcase the best in up-coming Irish talent, as on that same night TradFest will play host to Ciorras. Hailed as ‘a modern Bothy band', Ciorras bring a contemporary approach to traditional music and were formed as a band earlier this year when the individual members featured in the hit TG4 series, Lorg Lunny. These 8 young musicians were invited by Irish music legend Dónal Lunny to create a new band with a fresh, new unique sound in traditional music.

Friday the 28th of Jan will bring together the best in established Irish traditional music talent as four very talented soloists come together as two duets creating an exceptional night of Irish music. The first of the duets sees harmonica player Brendan Power join multi instrumentalist Tim Edey and then Jackie Daly (accordion) and Matt Cranitch (fiddle) fuse their talents together.

SHOWCASING NEW TALENT
Over the course of the festival, The Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO) in association with Temple Bar Traders will present a series of traditional-music showcases and master classes in the New Theatre, Temple Bar. The music showcases will feature performances by some of Ireland's emerging traditional music talents. As well as the showcases master classes will take places where renowned musicians will host music seminars.

FILM
Details of the films on to be screened in the Irish Film Institute will be announced at a later date.

CULTURE WORKSHOPS
2011 will also include the very popular Irish Cultural Workshops with Gael Cultur. In two hours explore Irish culture through sean nos singing and sean nos dancing and learn a cupla focal too!

MUSIC PUB TRAILS / SINGERS CLUB
The various pubs in Temple Bar will feature live Irish music over the five days and nights as part of the music pub trail featuring performances ranging from solo balladeers to traditional Irish music sessions to contemporary Irish and folk.

Temple Bar TradFest is also delighted to welcome back the Singers Club, which this year will take place in the Temple Bar Hotel. The Singers Club gives people a unique opportunity to hear traditional singers in an informal setting. To share a song, learn a new tune or simply listen in - just drop in.

FAMILY PROGAMME
This year TradFest will also burst out onto the streets of Temple Bar with 3 outdoor stages bringing music to Temple Bar for all the family. The 2011 programme will feature an extended family programme of free and ticketed events with storytellers, pipe bands and lots more - full details to be announced.

STAY CONNECTED
For more information log onto: www.templebartrad.com
TWITTER.com/TempleBarTrader
FACEBOOK.com/pages/Temple-Bar-Traders
http://www.facebook.com/tradfest

Temple Bar TradFest gratefully acknowledges the support of Bushmills, Dublin City Council, Failte Ireland, Tourism Ireland, Dublin City BID.

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