GEANTRAÍ (DVD)

Le deich mbliana anuas, tá an tsraith Geantraí á craoladh go leanúnach ar TG4 agus aithnítear go forleathan í anois mar an clár ceoil is mó cáil i measc an phobail. Chun iubhaile reatha na sraithe a cheiliúradh tá dlúthdhiosca (CEFCD189) agus físdiosca (CEFDVD189) á n-eisiúint ag Gael Linn i gcomhar le Forefront Productions agus TG4 chun spléacadh a thabhairt ar shaibhreas agus ar bhríomhaireacht Geantraí, clár a ainmnítear arís agus arís eile mar an tsraith teilifíse is fearr don cheol traidisiúnta. Baile nádúrach teilifíse an cheoil thraidisiúnta is ea Geantraí anois. Tá taisce luachmhar cheoil curtha ar taifead sna cláir i rith na mblianta, bailiúchán cuimsitheach den cheol traidisiúnta á sheinm ‘beo’ ag oirfidigh den scoth i dtithe tábhairne a bhfuil cáil an cheoil orthu, iad suite ar fud na hÉireann, i Sasana, in Albain agus i Meiriceá. Ar na dioscaí seo, tá ocht bpíosa is tríocha de cheol uirlise mar aon le trí cinn d’amhráin á gcur i láthair ag caoga ceoltóir agus triúr amhránaithe, gach duine díobh i measc máistrí na ceirde. Is leis na ceoltóirí féin Geantraí; tugann na taifeadtaí seo léiriú ar an spleodar, an fuinneamh, an spraoi agus an chraic a bhaineann le seisiún maith mar a mbíonn an ceol féin agus na hoirfidigh i gcroílár na hócáide.

Geantraí (translated: Lively Music) is a hugely popular traditional music series which has become regular viewing for musicians and traditional music followers in Ireland. The viewers of TG4 recently voted Geantraí the No 1. music programme, while the readers of Irish Music Magazine voted Geantraí the best traditional music programme on television. To celebrate ten years of this top-rated TG4 series Geantraí, Gael Linn has worked with Forefront Productions and TG4 to pick 19 performances from the show for this CD and DVD release. In the last ten years, a very comprehensive collection of music has been compiled, all of it recorded ‘live’ in pub settings throughout Ireland, as well as in England, Scotland and the United States. Working on the basis that, historically and culturally, the pub session is an important part of traditional music, genuine traditional music pubs were carefully researched as suitable venues, pubs where all-year-round good music sessions happen. This meant that the production team had to work in packed pubs, with all the obvious difficulties that this brings, but they believed that this approach was the only way to capture the special atmosphere and accurately portray the genuine pub session. As this album is made of different sessions spaced over ten years, it can convey a sense of the excitement, timelessness, and fun that is so hard to capture on a “studio” album. There is a definite emphasis on fun and spontaneity, featuring great performances from both instrumental music and song, representing a diversity of performing styles and instrumentation. In all, fifty musicians and three singers are featured performing a total of thirty-eight tunes and three songs.