Yup, that’s what it’s come to, it looks like. I love and have played Celtic tunes for decades, yet I even more love mixing it up, improvising, and the sounds of many different types ethnic/folk music. So, in my little home town of Ann Arbor, MI I’m considering calling the band I’m starting “Celtic Fusion” or “Celtic Rock.”
So, I’d be very interested to hear from others who have embarked on a similar path. I think there’s something important I could learn from your experiences, if you care to share them.
I suggest choosing a name that will produce fewer hits on Google, so that people will be able to find your band. Otherwise, the phrase “Celtic Rock” has 450,000 results, “Celtic Fusion” has 66,200. Searching for the individual words without the phrase quotes is tremendously higher.
See, I think that’s good advice, much better than my first thought: “Don’t”.
No bands by that name and, as far as I can see, over the course of the last few centuries all Google hits point to the story of that renowned pig. Easy to disambiguate, once you guys become anywhere near as famous as that same pig!
See, I think that’s good advice, much better than my first thought: “Don’t”.
I dunno about that. Surely there’s room for one more culturesmash band!
No bands by that name and, as far as I can see, over the course of the last few centuries all Google hits point to the story of that renowned pig. Easy to disambiguate, once you guys become anywhere near as famous as that same pig!
I’d neither call it ‘fusion’ nor actively promote it as such. While I’ve enjoyed the music of many mix-and-match bands at some level, it’s quite obvious that most are playing with bolt-on styles rather than achieving true fusion, which remains extremely rare. In fact, just about the only thing I can think of offhand that completely transcends the genre is Martyn Bennett’s ‘Grit’, but Martyn was truly immersed in his styles as well as one of the most talented and creative musicians we’ve had.
Not saying don’t mix stuff up. Just be careful what you call it.
Martyn was truly immersed in his styles as well as one of the most talented and creative musicians we’ve had.
You have the essentials right there, a deep, solid knowledge of the genres you’re trying to fuse is the first requirement. Lacking that, you end up with the simplified ‘Oirishy’ sounds and quasi, semi jazzy noodlings so many bands are trying to sell as ‘pushing the envelope’.
That said, I recently saw a duo ‘exploring the spaces between Irish music and Indian classical music’ and was captivated for the duration. Although I realise that was mostly due to the musicianship of percussionist Tommy Hayes. But it’s that sort of musicianship that makes or breaks this sort of ventures.
I don’t remember him being blind, but it’s been a long while since I read the story. Macc Da Thó was king of Leinster back in the day, and as often seems the case, courted sure disaster by hosting both the Connachta & the Ulaid in one place. Quite naturally, a fight broke out, all with pleasant narrative consequences for those of us enjoying the tale some 1500 years or so after the fact.
What I’ve heard the most of is bands that combine Highland pipes with rock elements.
To me, the results are rarely satisfying, it neither being good rock, nor good Highland piping.
It’s because it usually sounds like what it is, one thing stuck onto another. Either it sounds like a Highland piper playing his ordinary Highland repertoire with ineffective/incongruous attempts by the rock players to play along, or a rock band playing ordinary rock with ineffective/incongruous attempts by the piper to play along. These things are juxtapositions rather than fusions.
The one exception is when I heard a band playing 60s style classic rock, with the Highland piper playing the Hammond B3 part. It worked amazingly well, the piper had the organ style nailed.
I played Irish flute and whistle for a year in a touring band which I suppose could be called Celtic folk or Celtic folk-rock or whatever. It was fun enough, just not my cup of tea.
I had a nice discussion with a musician/musicologist who had deeply studied North Indian Classical Music and the similarities between it and piobaireachd were clear. The shared Indo-European language and shared mythology/folk tales/folk songs makes a shared musical tradition not surprising, really.
I’m tremendously enjoying all the information and feedback on this subject. Thank you all.
Yes, picking the right name is a big deal, and when I mentioned Celtic Fusion or Celtic Rock, I was referring to the genre, not a band name. I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.
However, whether or not there are too many fusion bands already, or in Ann Arbor simply matters not to me. You know how it works. You do what you gotta do, when it comes to your music. I make my living by being a counselor, music teacher and piano tuner/technician. I fulfill my lifetime of musical study by making music with people I enjoy and creating music we love. My bent on forming a fusion band is not a business decision. It’s based on the fact that my background REQUIRES it. All these years of playing all these styles that work for me are ASKING to be combined in some way or other.
And frankly, the quality of my band will be determined not by some formula of what Celtic plus rock, or Celtic plus Indian etc. sound like… but on the quality of the musicianship of its members. I am assuming that whatever we do will be unique. Because how could it be otherwise, unless I’m trying to whip up something–i.e. a “band by numbers” kind of gig (which I most decidedly am not).
To me, the fusionic connection between various genre lies in the underlying structure of Celtic/Indian/folk idioms, most obviously observed in their foundational drone tones. I am a done tone freak, and starting from that point mixing these genre seems utterly natural and beautiful to me.
Ah, it’s always wonderful to start out Monday morning with a good dose of semi-baiting sarcasm, so thanks for that. Actually, when I said that terribly misleading sentence (whip me with a wet whistle!) I MEANT, I would call the genre Celtic Fusion or Celtic Rock. Now that I’ve been put summarily in my place I will run for the nearest door in abject shame for having twisted your mind just a little too far, and damn it broke it. So thanks much for the correction…
You know that’s really terribly rude when you quite clearly said ‘the band’, you were offered advice on that basis and there was nothing sarcastic or baiting about my (or, as far as I know, any other) reply. But never mind, the thing I was really trying to get across…
