Categories: uncategorized
Date: 31 July 2006 16:27:38
If you had been in Cambridge with the storm on Thursday afternoon you would have known there was magic in the air, & it would have been impossible to miss the arrival of the gods for the BBC Radio Two Cambridge Folk Festival 2006 .
As the party unfolded the fairy folk from different countries came and presented their musicians & the gods played until their work was done.
First came Mauvais Sort a group of 6 young French Canadians who were given the gift of humour. The younger folk smiled and danced through them.
Next SWAP came forward (Welsh, English, & Swedish) looking like extras from the Grange Hill staff room. They sang strange tunes in Swedish and were kind of fun; appreciated by the ironic surrealists amongst the fairy folk.
Tift Merrit stepped up next. A young American blessed with the voice of an angel but able to handel her guitar in a way which looked as though her experience had been gained far away from the pure environment of heaven. The combination was mixed by the fairy folk to make perfect country music.
Seth Lakeman and his band stepped up next and he was given the ability to play as if his life depended upon it.
Evening began to break on Friday and Marcia Ball , from the US, took the stage. Her shock of grey hair showed maturity and wisdom but she played the blues with the energy of an 18 year old.
Finally on Friday came Amadou and Mariam , the blind couple from Mali, upon whom the gods bestowed the ability to gain pure respect through their presence and the power of their music.
As the festival continued the gods were pleased.
On Saturday evening the Irish fairy folk presented Cara Dillion who had been blessed with a voice that could silence a crowd through its beauty.
Nickle Creek played indy folk which was original and difficult to pigeon hold beyond being folk with a splash of bluegrass.
Cerys Matthews came forward, having been retrieved from Nashville, by the Wesh contingent. Apart from losing a D during one number, a mistake she admitted from the stage whilst getting her band to start the song again, she played an ok set.
Then the Irish aristocracy emerged with the Chieftains. They exchanged knowing looks with the gods as they played a set that had bredth and depth. After their search they now have a wonderful harp player, again, whose dexterity almost makes the heart stop. They were simply amazing which is why they are legends.
Next the young fairy folk stormed the stage with an offering from Mexico. Los De Abajo play "tropipunk" (a fusion of Salsa, Punk & Rave) with attitude. They were part fun & part political. Not speaking Mexican didn't stop you understanding the message, i.e. for one number one member of the group was in a Bush mask and another crouching, wearing a Middle Eastern headshawl. Most of all though they were a band to dance to.
Sunday saw Julie Fowls , another one with the voice of an angel and an equally endering humility.
Rodrigo Y Gabriela came from Mexico via Dublin and showed that sometimes you just don't need words.
Salsa Celtica who were playing with Eliza Carthy gave a cracking set to dance to, laugh through and think it was all over to, but the gods had one more surprise.
The Milk Maid Folk Club from Bury St Edmunds run an after hours sign up stage on the Coldhams Camp site. It is normally populated by talented, enthusiastic, amateurs but Sunday night was different. As 17 year old Gareth Jordan (think I've remembered the surname correctly) from South Wales took the stage, in his hoodie and jeans, with guitar in hand, nobody knew what was to come. He began to play and the whole tent went into stunned silence & stillness, the gods had chosen us to deliver a star to. He didn't sing but just played guitar, bewitching the whole tent. As Terry, who has been running that tent at the festival for the last ten years said, it was a once in a lifetime experience, amazing.
The gods had obviously enjoyed the festival as much as us punters had and one day I'm sure John, Andy, Tanya or Veronica (the storytellers who were also excellent this weekend) will be able to tell you the whole tale of how the gods came to be in Cambridge in the first place.
( p.s. sorry have been having probs with computer and so gave up on links)