Northwest Folklife Highlights
14 Jul 2010 Leave a Comment
in Gene Tagaban, Music, Northwest Folklife, Seattle, Swil Kanim Tags: Fiddlehead, Howlin Houndog and the Infamous Loosers, Morris Men, Northwest Junior Pipe Band, Percy Hilo, Swamp Soul, The Fabulous Hammers, The Wanderers
I know. . . I’m finally getting around to blogging about Memorial Day weekend’s Northwest Folklife now that it’s after the 4th of July. Now that we’ve finally even got summer weather. . .
Percy Hilo & Friends
My Folklife started bright and early that Saturday to catch Percy Hilo, from my Amnesty International group, and his friends. OK. It wasn’t that bright out. It was cold and drizzling. It was early. .. at least for me on a Saturday (11 am). In spite of the hour and weather, it was a spirited folk session and we packed the small stage where they were playing, and even had Northwest folk legend Jim Page in the audience. They even got us to sing along.
Vancouver Morris Men
After Percy’s set I wandered around and caught what seemed to be some traditional European folk dancing at the Mural Amphitheater, which included a contest that to me looked like two old men dancing and leaping around, trying to impress a younger woman who was, I seem to recall, the May Queen.
According to my program, they were the Vancouver Morris Men, who perform traditional English dancing, theater and music, down from Vancouver, B.C. Dances and plays vary with the seasons of the year:
These are the seasons when the Vancouver Morris Men perform COTSWOLD MORRIS. The dancers wear white clothes with bright sashes and jingling bells. They flick white hankies (probably to accentuate the hand movements) and vigorously clash sticks (possibly symbolizing ancient combat). The Cotswold dances are graceful, but virile. Music is to the pipe-and- tabor, melodeon or fiddle. The dancers are often accompanied by a bizarre “Beast”, and sometimes even a “Fool” dressed in an old farmers smock and carrying an inflated sheeps bladder.
OK! Seriously – awesome! Obviously, our European ancestors had their, to us, bizarre, traditions that we’ve totally lost touch with.
The Wanderers
I also caught some more recent traditional folk music from the 60s with The Wanderers, some blues from Howlin Houndog and the Infamous Loosers, bagpiping with the Northwest Junior Pipe Band, and the traditional Irish group, Fiddlehead, on that Saturday.
Fidddlehead
I came back Sunday to catch some more music.
Folk Dancing at Center House
People were getting folk dance lessons at the Center House, meanwhile, the Africa show was going on at the Mural Amphitheatre.
Africa Show
I caught some traditional rock and roll later in the afternoon, with The Fabulous Hammers, from Ballard.
The Fabulous Hammers
Here’s a little video from that day by tomking21 on YouTube – Wasabi!
Then it was time to go back to New Orleans for some zydeco, with Swamp Soul.
Swamp Soul
OK, I think they’re from Ballard, too, but they had everyone dancing like they were in New Orleans!
Zydeco Dancing
Here’s a video by wabarbee of them playing the Louisianathon a few years back:
After that, and a quick rest break, I went off to try to get in to see Native American musicians & storytellers, Gene Tagaban and Swil Kanim, in one of the smaller inside venues, the Folklife Cafe. I didn’t hold out much hope, having seen the lines earlier, and figured I’d end up back outside listening to a second zydeco band. I got there just the right time, though, as the earlier act’s crowd was leaving.
Guest Flutist, Swil Kanim & Gene Tagaban
It didn’t surprise me that Gene Tagaban and Swil Kanim played one extended show together, instead of separately as listed on the program.
Here they are together from a show at the Seattle Art Museum last year by TheViolindian:
Gene Tagaban also played The Raven once again:
Gene Tagaban as Raven
It was nearly 10 pm when the show was over, and Seattle Center was shutting down for the night. There was one more show going on, though. Still dancing the night away, at the Mural Amphitheatre, were the Brazilians!
Brazil Show
It’s always the Brazilians partying and having a good time! I live near both a Brazilian restaurant and store/cafe; and there is frequent music and dancing. I still remember the World Cup, it must be the one 4 years ago, when the Brazilians woke me up when they won and they were literally dancing in the street outside my apartment!
Lots of music and fun at Folklife - and I only made part of a couple of days, having other things to catch up on Memorial Day weekend.
Fiddling Around and Rocking the Rez
31 May 2009 Leave a Comment
in Gene Tagaban, Music, Northwest Folklife, Seattle, Star Nayea, Swil Kanim Tags: Cal Scott, Celtic music, Chaske, folk rock, Irish music, Kevin Burke, Little Big Band, Native American, Peter Ali, Solana Booth, Sue Quigley, Unangax Aleut Dancers
OK, so I did get out a little to Folklife last weekend. It was the fiddling that brought me, but I ended up rocking out again!
Last Saturday I went to hear Irish fiddler Kevin Burke, whose music I’ve enjoyed over the years, going back to the Bothy Band, through recording with Michael O’Domnaill, Patrick Street, the Celtic Fiddle Festival and solo. He was playing with Cal Scott at Folklife, and this was the first time I’ve seen him live. He did not disappoint!
I liked the one at the end about going to London for work and finding so many Irish there that it was being back home again (and the same was true here in America)!
Here are Kevin Burke and Cal Scott back in Ireland, at Dolan’s in Limerick City:
Afterwards, I got up from my spot under the Space Needle to wander around some more and see all the other stages.
Only to end up back at that stage when I heard some folk rock I wanted to hear more of.
Sue Quigley played a set of intensely personal songs about relationships and life. Here she is with Perfect Chaos (and her band) at the Tractor Tavern. Check out more of her music on her MySpace page(http://www.myspace.com/suequigleyband):
OK, when I say I got out a little, as usual I mean very little! I came back Sunday to hear the evening show, Tahqua Alaska Native Performing Arts Performing Group, at the Bagley Wright Theater. I wanted to hear more fiddle music, this time from Swil Kanim, who played his violin in Sherman Alexie’s The Business of Fancy Dancing.
There was a lot more – from traditional Native dancing to rock and roll. After starting the evening with taps on flute and fiddle in honor of the fallen for Memorial Day, the first act up were the Unangax Aleut Dancers.
One of their dances was of the grizzly bear, teaching the young to fish, and of the mama bear protecting the young from the older male bears. They also did an uncanny interpretation of seagulls (especially as the real ones were soaring overhead at Folklife all weekend).
Solana Booth and Chaske continued the journey, including hoop dancing.
Peter Ali played flute next.
Swil Kanim and Gene Tagaban (MC, flute and storyteller) showed excellent comic timing in addition to playing beautifully. Maybe it’s time for a Native American Smothers Brothers!
Here Swil is giving Gene a bad time on the size of his flute.
Here’s a video of them together at the Seattle Art Museum, with Swil Kanim telling one of the stories he told at Folklife.
Gene Tagaban transformed himself into a Raven (aka One Crazy Raven) for some of the stories.
Toward the end of the evening, the music evolved and a rock band broke out. Little Big Band, whose members included Gene Tagaban and Swill Kanim (at least for the evening), and the beautiful (and beautiful voiced) Star Nayea, winner of two Nammys (Native American Music Awards) in 2001 for Somewhere in a Dream (Independent Recording), and in 2008 for Silenced My Tongue (songwriter).
Here’s a video collage with Silenced My Tongue (about Star and many others being adopted out from their tribe):
Elements of the traditional kept showing up in the Little Big Band set, including the re-emergence of the Raven:
Unfortunately, the Little Big Band doesn’t seem to have a cd out or music on their website. They really rocked together!
On the way out I took a wrong turn and an unintentional tour back stage at the Bagley Wright. Oops! I guess in live theater settings you can’t just take any exit. . .
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