Celt in a Twist

There are three wants which never can be satisfied: that of the rich, who wants something more; that of the sick, who wants something different; and that of the traveler, who says, "Anywhere but here."
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 1882) US philosopher, poet, essayist

 

Celt In A Twist: Those seeking more euphoria from traditional Irish music can do no better than be giving Dervish a whirl. The band of friends has consistently drawn new borders for their medium with one hand while slyly erasing them with the other. Their treatments of traditional and contemporary material can leave your perceptions shaken and the rest of you comfortably blissed-out. Their new album is on the verge of release and we have a few choice samples along with Cathy Jordan from the band on the line to tell us more about the Traveling Show. How you goin' Cathy?

 

Cathy Jordan: Ah, not too bad ... sitting here in the northwest of Ireland in the rain, or at least looking out at it.

 

CIAT: And that's the quintessential weather for the northwest of Ireland , right?

 

CJ: I'm afraid so.

 

CIAT: Cathy, we’ve noticed a proliferation of new music concerning travelers in the recent past. How has the story of the gypsy played out in Ireland and why was this Cher song ripe for the picking?

 

CJ: Well, we've been singing about beggar men and tinkers and gypsies for years and years and there are so many songs from the English and Irish tradition that talk about them.  There were always illustrious characters who traveled the road and they were rich in musical culture and well as their own culture. Last year when I was listening to the radio and I heard Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves; now, I remembered it from the '70s and it just seemed to me as a little folk song screaming to get out. And, even though it got all the contemporary treatment in the original, we put it in the Irish idiom and it goes down really well at concerts and I really like doing it. It's a great story as well.

 

CIAT: So when you perform the song, Cathy do you wear one of those crazy outfits like she does?

 

CJ: Uh, no. and I can’t afford all the liposuction either! You're just going to have to make do.

 

CIAT:  How did our Canadian darlings The Duhks play a part?

 

CJ:  They played a part on the very last track we recorded. Lucky for us the recording fully finished when they were over here. They're great friends for a long time and we spent a very memorable week this year at my house and we played tunes every night until the wee hours. So, there was a set of tunes for them to play on and on the last day of their vacation here, both Leonard Podolack and Jordan McConnell played on the track so, it was fantastic to have the opportunity. It's not often that our paths cross, first of all and, that our paths can cross in a creative way.

 

CIAT: Other modern songwriters have found their way into your repertoire like Suzanne Vega, who I love and Dire Straits ... how did you approach these kinds of compositions in terms of traditional Irish music?

 

CJ: For me, I was looking for folk songs that turn up in weird places. And, at the time we were doing a cover of 'Brothers In Arms' which is a Dire Straits song which to me is a folk song, Gypsies , Tramps and Thieves is another  one is that Suzanne Vega album which The Queen and the Soldier appeared on. It's such a beautiful story and it's a folk song. On this album we branched further out into the folk idiom as well and embracing that a little bit. But ... not moving too far away. It's all folk music at the end of the day.

 

CIAT:  In your press material about the new album the three elements of Irish music are brought to life by Dervish. Can you share those quickly with our listeners?

 

CJ: There a three elements which are said to be present in all Irish music and they are three little words called goltrai, geantri and suantra. Goltrai means that it can be so moving that it makes you want to cry. Geantri means that it's so energetic and lively that it makes you want to dance. And Suantra means that it can be so soothing and melancholy that it makes you want to sleep. So, all those elements are present in any Dervish gig you care to go to.

 

CIAT: You’ve got your Celt In A Twist and we have Cathy Jordan from Dervish on line and on topic about their new album, Travelling Show. Join their discussion forum for lively debate on all things Dervish at their website,  www.dervish.ie .

On your previous album, Spirit, there’s a great closing number that really let’s fly and alludes I think to the ecstatic nature of your name, Dervish. Can you comment on that track? I've always loved it.

 

CJ: We had Seamus O'Dowd with us at the time and Seamus is so musically prolific and he brought out all these musical backgrounds that wouldn't be just traditional music. So, we wanted to have a set that just drifted off but came back to the traditional Irish music. Like, Irish music on a journey through the cultures, the ages, the countries and the continents ... So, we had a sitar player from California , and we had an Israeli musician who played an African or Indian harp...

 

CIAT: Like a kora?

 

CJ: It’s more dynamic than the Irish harp. But, we've got rock influences and a little bit of every thing in there, but it takes off into the abyss and comes back to basics at the end. I don't think we were originally going to put it on the album but then it took off in the studio and it ended up there closing out the album.

 

CIAT: Oh, I'm so glad it did. We’re going out on a song originally sung by Dan Freshette, another Canadian … tell us how you discovered My Bride and I.

 

CJ: It's another discovery from the afore-mentioned Leonard Podolack. We were at his house in Winnipeg at a party, and afterwards everyone broke into son and tunes and Dan was there ... we were meeting him for the first time and he sang a song that to me had echoes of Ireland . It reminded me of home the minute I heard it. The melody sounds very Irish or Celtic to me. So, we asked him, "Can we work it up?" and he was delighted. We sent him the final mix last week and we're delighted and so is he.

 

Cathy Jordan was interviewed by Cal Koat on September 4th/07 for broadcast on Celt In A Twist, AM 1470, CJVB