We are happy to announce the final list of videos of teh Short-Video Competition that will be shown during the festival.
We are happy to introduce the folk part of our lineup. This year the Italian Fusion Festival presents one of the most talented band in Dublin: The Water’s Edge.
Water’s Edge (Ireland) is a group of 3 friends who come from 3 corners of the world very far from each other: Ciaran is the leader who with his beautiful voice and his ease in playing guitar, saxophone and drums created Water’s Edge in the ’80s. Three years ago Onofrio, the Italian of the group began his adventure as a solo guitarist of the group bringing some interesting rhythmic changes and sounds to Water’s Edge. As a duo they have performed at various concerts and radio programs including Radio Dublino and Spirit Radio where they are regular guests. This year they opened the doors to a new friend, Ashih. Ashish is from New Delhi, India. With his unique and professional music knowledge he has brought more changes to what was already an experimental hectic ensemble.
The Water’s Edge are Ciaran Smithfield: Vocals/Guitar/Flaute, Onofrio ‘Chiko’ America: Guitars, Ashish: Drum
The style of Water’s Edge is unique for the simple reason that they are writing original pieces in which they use Italian, Irish and Indian instruments, creating very interesting compositions or renovating some covers adding special sounds and rhythms.
The Italian Fusion Festival is happy to introduce The Secret of Italian Gestures Workshop lead by Andrea Gatta.
Andrea was born and raised in the land of Fellini (Amarcord’s Romagna). He studied European literary cultures at the University of Bologna. He moved then to Paris where he studied Comparative Literature at the Sorbonne University. One of his greatest passions has always been cinema. He lives and works in Dublin.
Did you ever wonder why Italians gesture so often? If you want to truly learn the Italian language and culture you need to also understand facial expressions, gestures and body language. Do you want to give it a go? Then this workshop is for you!
Join Mother Tongues in a celebration of the Italian culture through the gestures that make our conversations so special. We will draw on examples from films that have made the history of Italian cinema, and we will learn together the meaning of these gestures. No need to be fluent in Italian! All you need is an interest in the Italian language and the bravery to try out some funny faces.
The aim of the workshop is to study the pivotal role of gestures and body language in the evolution of Italian culture (from the 1930th to now) in cinema. The public will direct an actress, trying to answer a series of questions: gestures as a mean of expression are key to understand a director’s artistic vision of society and reality. We will reflect on the choices of Italian directors.
Workshop made in collaboration with Mother Tongues Festival: https://mothertongues.ie/
We’re offering a voucher for dinner for two at Ciao Bella Roma to the value of 40 euro. Anyone who bought online a Standard Ticket or a Standard + Workshop ticket for the festival will be in with the chance to win, so get your tickets now and don’t miss this chance to have a traditional Italian dinner on us!
Opened for the past 11 years, Ciao Bella Roma is a pizzeria and restaurant symbolising a long tradition of the Italian dining culture. It’s familiar ambiance welcomes you 12 hours a day, 7days a week (including public holidays) offering you the best choice of traditional Italian cuisine.Those who come will taste the flavors of our Italian kitchen, which is opened till late every night. There’s no better place in town for a real pizza or pasta with the best quality and fresh ingredients.
The Italian Fusion Festival is happy to introduce the Uilleann PipeWorkshop lead by Donnacha Dwyer.
Donnacha Dwyer began playing the pipes in Na Píobairí Uilleann in the late 1980s where he was thought by Martin Nolan and John Murphy. By the mid ’90s he began to be influenced by recordings of Seamus Ennis, Willie Clancy, Leo Rowsome and Liam O’Flynn.
It was also in the mid ’90s where he began performing on the pipes and took a keen interest in reed and pipe making and began to study pipe-making, part-time initially with pipe maker Des Seery. Later he received an Arts Council grant to study pipe-making full time and has been a full time pipe-maker since 2008.
He has been a teacher in Henrietta Street for a number of years on Tueaday nights and has also thought a number of courses through NPU’s PipeCraft initiative.
In 2006 he released an album with fiddle player Malachy Bourke entitled “Bourke and Dwyer”.
He plays a D and a C set, both made by himself.
Website: http://www.donnachadwyer.com/
We are happy to introduce the rock part of our lineup. This year the Italian Fusion Festival presents one of the most talented band in Dublin: The Stoles.
The Stoles are Antonio (Vocals/Bass), Andrea (Guitar/Vocals), Ciaran (Drums/Vocals).
Since forming in 2015, the preceding years have proven very eventful for the band. 2016 started with the band writing and recording their debut album and ended with them signing a record deal with the largest independent record label in North America – Spectra Music Group. Following on from signing with Spectra The Stoles released their first single from their forthcoming debut album ‘Age Of Deception’ in February 2017. The single (titled ‘Getaway’) was released throughout Europe and America and received great reviews and mainstream radio play.
In support of ‘Getaway’ The Stoles launched an Irish tour which seen them play in some of Ireland’s most renowned venues for upcoming bands. Following on from that successful tour, and to coincide with the July 2017 release of their second single ‘Evelyn’, the band announced a further series of summer gigs in a select few venues throughout Ireland. This run of gigs also seen the band play at the Galway Fringe Festival.
In December 2017 The Stoles released ‘Age Of Deception’ – the third single and title track from their forthcoming debut album ‘Age Of Deception’.
The Stoles debut album was released on February 9th, 2018, with Irish and European tour dates expected to be announced.
Website: http://www.thestoles.com/
Radio Dublino is happy to introduce the second food stall at the Italian Fusion Festival: Fusciardi.
On the Beer Garden during the Festival will be available Porchetta, Arancini, Chips and real Italian sausages!
Fusciardi is a historical Italian restaurant in Dublin where is offering traditional Fish & Chips, freshly minced burgers, great pizzas, proper Italian Espresso & coffees.
We are happy to introduce the Irish contribution of our music session. This year the Italian Fusion Festival presents one of the best guitar player in Dublin: Seán Whelan.
Seán Whelan is a guitarist/mandolin player and producer working in the Jazz, Celtic and World music arena and is much in demand as both a studio and live musician.
Seán has established himself as a forerunner in Acoustic music by the passion, creativity and versatility of his playing.
He performs solo and also in a group setting. A former member of Swing Jazz group”Hotfoot”and “The Café Orchestra”Seán Whelan has performed and recorded in a wide range of styles including Folk, Jazz, Blues, Irish Traditional and World music. He has released two solo albums and his latest “From Gray to Blue”cd features many of his own compositions as solo pieces and also with a talented group of international and Irish players.
His music has been used for TV and Film productions. As a member of “Puck Fair”he has played with Flautist Brian Dunning for many years and has toured and recorded with singers and instrumentalists worldwide in an exciting and varied career.
Website: www.seanwhelan.com
Alan McGreek
The Italian Fusion Festival is happy to introduce the Traditional Irish Dance Workshop lead by Alan McGreek.
The Trad Rocks Ceili is an extremely fun, energised and interactive workshop on the group form of Irish (and Scottish) traditional dancing, popularly known as Ceili Dancing. With the help of your ceili caller ‘An Fhear An Ti’ (- Irish for ‘Man of the House’) you will learn all about how this form of dancing, which surprisingly is only about 100 years old, went from country house to Ceili house! With the meteoric rise of Riverdance, we’ll see how this traditional art has adapted to find its place in a contemporary world! Of course it wouldn’t be Irish dancing if this workshop was all talk so we have adapted a few Irish dancing ‘sets’ to make them easy and fun for anyone of any age or culture to learn in an informal environment. You’ll find out all about the counting the beats and finding your steps to match the music which will be performed live for you while you ‘step it out’! You’ll need all the vitality you can muster for this exciting and cheerful lesson in music and dance.
AN FHEAR AN TI (Man of the House – the caller of the steps)
The Fhear an Ti for the workshop is Alan Mac. Essentially, he is the man in the middle and he helps you learn the beats and steps of the dances. Alan is a popular musician in the Irish Traditional music circuit of the Dublin area and has be also calling ceilis for over 10 years. His experience in calling the steps of the dance has enabled him to adapt and construct a workshop suitable for all ages and backgrounds, and his knowledge of the traditional Irish music scene makes this workshop both interactive and informative.
