Improvised Music Company

Fri Jul 20, 2007

Kocani Orkestar, Damien Dempsey and many more set to play Farmleigh Affair 2007

Some festivals say that they're boutique events, but The Farmleigh Affair is positively snug with just 4,000 tickets, and every one of them is free. 2007 sees our biggest affair yet, with musicians from Africa, Brazil, Australia and The Balkans joining some exceptional Irish talent for a culturally diverse and musically uplifting send off to the last bank holiday of the summer.

Among them is cello wielding songbird Vyvienne Long, flanked by fellow cellists either side, a jazz rhythm section and a repertoire of quirky and engaging songs honed on the road during world tours with Damien Rice. Dance music from opposite sides of the planet to follow, with The North Strand Klezmer Band, Dublin 3's finest purveyors of the irrepressible music of the Ashkenazi Jews, and then from slightly further a field, Clube do Balanco, on the last date of a lengthy European tour before returning to their native Sao Paulo, and back to the samba –rock revival they've spearheaded. Sunday 5th builds to a rootsy finale with some genuine foot stomping Acadian music from The Bebert Orchestra, led by accordionist Yves Lambert, ex-leader of La Bottine Souriante and something of a Quebecois institution. After 96 years in the business, the mighty Kilfenora Ceili Band are also a national treasure and will know exactly what buttons to push to bring proceedings to an energetic conclusion.

Monday 6th starts with strange noises from down under and the twelve strapping blokes of The Spooky Men's Chorale, who combine medieval polyphony with original songs about power tools and growing beards. Trust us, it works. A little more local, but no less exotic, Julie Fowlis will seduce you with beautiful Scots Gaelic songs from the isle of Uist in the windswept Outer Hebrides. Dobet Gnahore sings in the Bété language of The Ivory Coast, and she's one of the most vivacious young performers in West Africa today, with a percussion driven band that features the balafon, with its ingenious system of rosewood keys and dried resonating gourds. Very special guest at this year’s Farmleigh Affair is 21 st century troubadour, conscious raiser and proud Dubliner Damien Dempsey, with songs from his critically acclaimed new CD To Hell or Barbados. Finally, we have the fabulous Kocani Orchestra from Macedonia, rocking Farmleigh's foundations with their mighty Balkan brass and percussion.

There'll be refreshments available, along with tasty treats from organic producers, and Farmleigh is the perfect spot for a picnic if you want to bring your own spread. The Farmleigh Affair is completely free but you will require tickets, limited to four per person and available from www.farmleigh.ie from Friday 6th July onwards. We anticipate huge demand for this unique and much anticipated event so apply for tickets early. You don't want to miss the best gig of the summer, in Lord Iveagh's back garden!

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