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Carrefour
Mondial de l'Accordéon de Montmagny, Québec - Canada
Contributed by Holda
Paoletti-Kampl
The
Carrefour Mondial de l'Accordéon de Montmagny is an annual
large-scale accordion festival, instituted in 1989, and attracts
visitors and players from many countries. This year's festival
takes place from September 1st to 5th, and the guests include
Paul Grollier (France), Raynald Ouellet (Quebec), Rock Schryer
Band (Ontario) and the Oblivion Jazz Trio (France). The festival
includes folk, classical, rock, jazz and popular music styles,
and there are concerts, dancing and workshops.
An important feature of this festival is a visit to the Accordion
Museum, founded in 1992, and situated in the Manoir Couillard-Dupois.
The Accordion Museum includes 130 instruments, 800 pictures and
1,500 sound recordings. There is also a shop, selling CDs, books,
and numerous accordion-related items.
For further information email accordeon@montmagny.com
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Ramon Ayala's Long Run of Success, Texas
- USA
Contributed by Rob
Howard
Mexican-born
accordionist Ramon Ayala has had a career that must be the envy
of many others. He has recorded no less than 103 albums, composed
songs that have been covered by other artistes, won three Grammy
awards, and is often referred to within the Norteño and Tejano
genres as the 'King of the Accordion'.
Based in Hidalgo, Texas, since 1980, Ayala began his music career
performing at small cantinas in Mexico in the early 1960s. "I'd
like to believe that I have done my part to help the city's growth,"
he said. "Hidalgo has been wonderful to me. They are so supportive
and proud of me.
The whole (Rio Grande) Valley, to me, is
super special.
It's my home."
When asked recently about his longevity, Ayala replied: "I
have to give credit where credit is due. It's the fans. My first
fans in the early 1960s introduced my music to their children and
grandchildren. I've survived through many eras, from the Beatles
craze, John Travolta (in the 1970s), to now".
Ramon Ayala could soon be on his way to The Guinness Book of World
Records, who are researching his claim that his 103 albums is the
most for any Mexican-born recording artiste. Ayala also was nominated
recently for a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and a motion
picture about his life story is also a possibility. Ramon's attitude
to music was summed up: "Even if I'm
in a wheelchair, I'll keep playing my accordion. As long as my fingers
don't give out, I'm going to be playing my music."
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Jon Hammond Shows Accessible Via Podcast,
New York - USA
Contributed by Rob
Howard
Accordionist,
organist and presenter Jon Hammond has archive tapes of his television
show, dating back over the last 22 years, now available for listening
via podcast technology. Jon's guests have included accordionists Art
Van Damme, Dick Contino and Tommy Gumina, plus other great musicians
such as Les Paul, Lionel Hampton and Sammy Davis Junior, to name but
three.
Podcasting is a method of publishing audio broadcasts via the Internet,
allowing users to hear previously recorded programmes. Any digital
audio player or computer with audio-playing software can play podcasts.
For further information email laterent@tmail.com
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Gary
Innes Appears at Interceltic Festival, Lorient - France
Contributed
by Rob
Howard
Accordionist
Gary Innes, from the Highlands of Scotland, appeared with his band
at the Lorient Interceltic Festival in Brittany, held from 1st to
10th August. He performed the repertoire on his debut CD 'How's
the Craic?', and was given a great reception.
The Interceltic Festival is the world's largest annual gathering
for the creative artists of the Celtic countries. Each year in August
4,500 of them converge to the Breton port of Lorient. They come
from Scotland, Ireland, Wales, the Isle of Man, Cornwall, Asturias,
Galicia and Brittany, as well as from other parts of the world.
On stage, in the street or under big tents, 260 events were played
out in front of 300,000 spectators and the players were as diverse,
including traditional, classical, folk, rock and jazz musicians,
singers, dancers, painters, sculpters, writers, film makers and
lecturers. There was even a Welsh band specialising in Cajun and
Zydeco, whose accordionist switched between one row melodeon and
piano accordion depending on the style required. The accordion plays
a significant part in much of the music, with all types of accordions,
melodeons and concertinas in evidence everywhere.
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Richard
Galliano at Jazz Festival, Valetta - Malta
Contributed
by Rob
Howard
French
accordionist Richard Galliano and his trio, featuring Scott Colley
on bass and Clarence Penn on drums, combined Parisian and Mediterranean
influences with bebop in their appearances at the recent Malta Jazz
Festival. This festival, held in mid-July, featured musicians from
France, Germany, Portugal, Brazil and the USA.
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Ballyshannon
Folk Festival, Ballyshannon - Ireland
Contributed by Rob
Howard
The
following report appeared in the Belfast Telegraph, written by
Neil Johnston:-
"My annual pilgrimage to the recent
Ballyshannon Folk Festival - this was its 28th year, no less -
also yielded some great music, both in the session pubs and at
the three official concerts in the Rory Gallagher Theatre. Altan
were in great form, before heading off to Cambridge, accordion
legend Joe Burke did the business, as he always does, and was
cheered, as he always is, and there was an immaculate set by the
velvet-voiced Galwegian songstress Mary McPartlan.
Crowd
numbers around the town over the festival weekend were down on
previous years, but those of us who were there thoroughly enjoyed
it. Maybe some of the regulars were saving themselves for the
mega-meeting, coming up in Letterkenny, in a fortnight's time
- its first ever All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil, at which some 250,000
musicians and fans are expected".
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'Seven
Words' at the Goetheanum, Dornach - Switzerland
Contributed by Dr
Herbert Scheibenreif, of Friedrich
Lips Productions
The
performance of Sofia Gubaidulina's 'Seven Words' at the Goetheanum
stage in Dornach, by Friedrich Lips (bayan), Vladimir Toncha (violoncello),
together with the Moscovite Gnessin Orchestra, directed by Mikhail
Khokhlov, brought a completely new approach to this work, which
was received enthusiastically by the large audience.
The score represents a conversation between God the Son (bayan),
God the Father (violoncello) and the Holy Spirit (orchestra),
including much dramatic expression. Further performances are scheduled
in Den Haag on September 25th, in Witten on 27th, in Evinghausen
on 28th, in Kassel on 29th, in Mannheim on 30th, in Saarbrücken
on October 1st, and in Dornach on 2nd.
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Jimmy
Shand Junior Old Tyme Dance Dates, Fife - UK
Contributed by Rob
Howard
The
Jimmy Shand Junior Trio will play for another series of Old Tyme
Dance evenings at Letham Village Hall, Fife, Scotland, from 7.30pm
to10.30pm. The dates are:-
September 14th
October 12th
November 9th
December 14th
December 24th - Christmas Eve Old Tyme Dance
For further
information email jimmyshand@tiscali.co.uk
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Blackpool
Accordion Festival, Blackpool - UK
Contributed by Rob
Howard
Preliminary
plans for the 2006 Blackpool Accordion Festival have been announced.
The venue is the Norbreck Castle Hotel, and the festival takes place
from April 28th to May 1st. The guests booked so far are Ottar Johansen
(a former student of the late Toralf Tollefsen) and Ivarth Dagenborg,
both from Norway, Scotland's Ian Cruickshanks, and Lindsay Garvin,
from Blackpool.
For further
information email thomasduncan@compuserve.com
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New site - South
East Accordion Association, The: encompasses Alabama, Florida,
Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South
Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
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New site from
french accordion shop (school/repair) Accordez...Accordéons
in Paris lead by Gilles Brislance.
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New site of
Håvard
Svendsrud, formerly of Norway, has established himself as a
professional performer of both classical and traditional entertainment
music
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New site of
Lidia Kaminska
, Polish accordionist, energetic and captivating performer, now
USA resident selling her new CD's.
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A site promoting
the exciting new CD
recording of Vladimir Sidorov, with repertoire ranging from
classical to contemporary.
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A new site
selling a CD titled Archipelago
with sound samples. Music performed by William
Schimmel. Purchase online.A new site selling a CD titled Archipelago
with sound samples. Music performed by William Schimmel. Purchase
online.
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