www.tg4.ie
Begins Sunday, 27th January 2008 @ 10.00pm on TG4
Bodhrán Beats under the Indian Sun…Sean-nós Steps at a Harlem Tap Jam…Donegal Mazourkas at the mouth of a Norwegian Fjord….

‘Ceolchuairt’ an innovative new series for TG4 brings the cream of Irish musical talent on a personal pilgrimage to their very own musical Mecca. In each programme of the series, we hit the road with an Irish traditional musical artist as they undertake a voyage of discovery to a far-flung musical heartland, to find common ground, jam with the locals and unearth bizarre styles. From India to New York’s Harlem, from Bulgaria to the Basque Country, from Norway to Senegal: a diverse range of countries, sounds and personalities will give us the soundtrack for the musical melting pot that is ‘Ceolchuairt’. This is world music with a twist of Irish and a healthy dollop of craic along the way!

In the first programme of the series Rossa & Rónán Ó Snodaigh from the Dublin band Kíla blaze a musical trail to India which takes them from Varanasi, India’s spiritual home on the banks of the Ganges to Mumbai, where they realise a life long dream of playing with musical guru, Zakir Hussain. Conamara sean-nós dancer, Seosamh Ó Neachtain hangs with the home boys in Harlem as he explores the links between tap and sean-nós dancing, and takes on New York’s finest tap exponant in a ‘dance off’ in the heart of Times Square. While Kerry solo singer Muireann Níc Amhlaoibh teams up with the famous female Bulgarian choirs to unearth the mystery that lies beneath their enchanting voices.

In programme four, Cork Troubadour John Spillane heads upriver in Senegal in pursuit of the African Griots or praise singers, who inspire him to dedicate his new African composition to the father of Senegalese music, Baaba Maal. Later in the series whistle player Cormac Breatnach, returns to his mother’s homeland, the Basque country to discover politics and music to be inseparable while Donegal fiddle player Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh embarks on a voyage of discovery to Norway in pursuit of her very own Hardanger, an eight stringed fiddle that has mesmorised her for years.

TG4 is renowned for being the natural home of traditional music but ‘Ceolchuairt’ will put Irish music in a global context to see how we measure up. The course of our music is altering, no longer is it just passed down from generation to generation at the hearth instead we are now looking outward to diverse sources, ethnic sounds and eclectic rhythms for our musical inspiration.  Music is a language that knows no boundaries, so join our ‘Ceolchuairt’ musicians as they open your eyes, ears and your soul to the soundtrack of the global village.

Ceolchuairt, a six part series is produced by Magamedia.
Series begins Sunday, 27st of January at 10pm on TG4.
Repeated on Friday, 1st of February at 8pm.

For further information, DVD and / or interview contacts please contact:
Laura Ní Cheallaigh (Producer):
T:  086 8449410       E:  lauranicheallaigh@eircom.net