This year at the Italian Fusion Festival we proposed language, music and dance workshops and two acoustic sessions with two of the best musicians in Dublin.
Francesco Turrisi
We are happy to introduce the jazz part of our lineup. This year the Italian Fusion Festival presents Francesco Turrisi Trio.
The Francesco Turrisi Trio is Francesco Turrisi (Accordion), Julien Colarossi (Guitar) and Barry Donohue (Bass).
If a musician is defined by the company he keeps then it is little wonder that Italian pianist Francesco Turrisi skirts facile categorization. The Turin-born, Dublin-based pianist and multi-instrumentalist has played with former Miles Davis reedsman Dave Liebman, flamenco icon Pepe El Habichuela, kaval player Theodosii Spassov and singer extraordinaire Maria Pia de Vito. He is equally at home playing with jazz veteran Gianluigi Trovesi as he is with Irish sean-nós singer Roisin El Safty and with tarantella specialist Lucilla Galeazzi. Turrisi has toured with Bobby McFerrin, interpreted the music of Steve Reich with Bang on a Can All Stars and, since 2004, has been a core member of celebrated early music ensemble L’ Arpeggiata. And at heart, he is a jazz improviser.
Turrisi, it’s safe to say, is a musical polyglot par excellence and it’s natural that he feels at home in multiple musical settings for his vocabulary is a colorful weave of early music, pan-Mediterranean modal melodies and European flavored jazz. In spite of his numerous collaborations it’s as a leader that Turrisi has earned his spurs. His four beautifully crafted solo albums and two co-led releases have garnered widespread critical acclaim.
Originally from Settefrati, Italy, guitarist and composer Julien Colarossi graduated with a first-class honours degree in jazz performance from Newpark Music Centre in Dublin, Ireland has established himself as one of the most exciting young guitarists to emerge in recent years on the Irish contemporary jazz scene. He is gaining a strong reputation not only as a performer but also as a composer and teacher. Julien is a highly versatile and what is known as a ‘dyed in the wool jazzer’ and brings a lyrical quality to his guitar playing from his roots deep in the mountains of beautiful “Val Di Comino” in Italy.
Barry Donohue is one of the most in-demand bassists on the Dublin scene, equally adept on the acoustic upright and electric guitar versions of his instrument.
Website: http://www.francescoturrisi.com/
We are happy to introduce the acoustic metal part of our lineup. This year the Italian Fusion Festival presents the Headtrip Acoustic Project.
Headtrip Acoustic Project is a trio of two acoustic guitars mixing lap tapping and fingerstyle + one cajon and various percussive elements.
Headtrip Acoustic Project is Zar (Vocal and Guitar), Giovanni Agostini (Vocal and Guitar), Niccolò Matterazzo (Vocal and Percussions).
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/HeadtripAcousticProject/
We are happy to introduce the Italian folk part of our lineup. This year the Italian Fusion Festival presents Andrea Facco.
Andrea Facco is singer-songwriter from Genoa, Italy. At the age of nine, he began to cultivate his passion for music by taking the first guitar lessons with Giorgio Falco. Search artistically grows with the teachings of Katzumi Nagaoka, Armando Corsi and Gianni Martini. Thanks to which thirteen years he began to compose his own songs (music and lyrics). Parallel to the guitar he engages in the self-taught study of ethnic and ancient instruments. Among them: the Oud, the Lute and the Bouzouki, which became his favorite instrument.
Website: http://www.andreafacco.it/
We are happy to introduce the surf rock part of our lineup. This year the Italian Fusion Festival presents the Pointbreak!
Pointbreak was conceived somewhere in the strange corridors of Stefano’s brain in Dublin, in the autumn of 2014. A brand new Surf Rock group paddled out into the world and took the drop.
Now, the questions are: Why Surf Rock? And what the hell is this sound?
Surf Rock is basically instrumental Rock’n’Roll – electric guitars drenched in reverb, cranked through valve amps, with a distinctive beat that has gotten people moving since the 50’s. Think Dick Dale, The Ventures and Link Wray. You know it, you just might not know that you know it. The focal instrument really is guitar, and that’s where the inimitable Stefano comes in. Once Gavan came on board on drums, things began moving. Adding Pablo on sax and theremin and Mark on bass, and Pointbreak really started cooking.
After the band was formed, the first gig came a few months later at the Dublin Rock’n‘Roll Festival. People seemed to enjoy that twanging sound, reminiscent of Tarantino and Sergio Leone’s movies. This was only another confirmation that playing surf rock was actually a brilliant idea.
After that, the band was eager to play that music for as much people as possible and they did. Fibber Magees became their second home and they’ve headlined at Whelan’s, Sin É, Gypsy Rose, Sweeney’s. How can you resist THE beat after all?!
It didn’t take long until Pointbreak started writing their own songs and re-arranging some famous tunes as their own. All this material has shaped out as an EP, “Get Wet!”, already available on all major platforms.
What about Pointbreak shows? Their live show is a raucous blend of soaking wet, twangy Fender guitars, screaming sax and a pulsating rhythm on the drums that will have everybody up and dancing. The setlist is a mix of classic surf rock tunes from the ‘60s (Walk don’t run, Surf Rider, Miserlou, Mr Moto, Wipe Out), more contemporary surf tunes (music from Jon & The Nightrider, Satan’s Pilgrim), original tunes and a bit of nonsense (Theme from The Munsters TV Show, Tetris, Superhero meadley and so on). One thing is definite: you’ll never get bored watching these guys playing live!
Pointebreak are Stefano Vita – Guitar, Gavan Duffy – Drums, Mark Corry – Bass, Pablo Caderno – Sax & Theremin
Reverbnation: https://www.reverbnation.com/pointbreak9
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pointbreakdublin/
Bandcamp: https://pointbreak-ie.bandcamp.com
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 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/
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
