THE STRING SISTERS is a band that I’ve been lusting over for a long time. Six of the world’s leading female Celtic violinists backed by an all male rhythm section.
With their own frantically busy solo careers, they cannot get together very often. To actually find that they can make it for the Rainforest weekend was like winning the lottery.
And just see where these beautiful ladies come from –
– Catriona MacDonald from the Shetland Islands in Scotland and co-founder of the award winning Blazin’ Fiddles and also leader of Vamm
– Elizabeth Knowles from the USA who tours with mega productions like Riverdance and Celtic Legends
– Emma Hardelin who is lead singer of Swedish rock-folk band Garmarna and Triakel
– Annbjorg Lien who is Norway’s most innovative hardanger fiddle player and who plays everything from world to jazz to the avant-garde
– Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh from the much loved Irish band Altan and who also sings
– Liz Carroll who was the first Irish-American musician nominated for a Grammy and won the Gradam Ceoil “Traditional Composer of the Year” in 2011.
And they play with four of the most sought after rhythm section on both sides of the Atlantic – James Mackintosh on drums, David Mulligan on piano, Conrad Ivitsky on bass and Tore Bruvoll, another Grammy nominee on guitar.
I have been trying every year to get them to Malaysia since I saw them at the fabulous Forde Festival in Norway. All that fiery fiddling. And some of the most lovely haunting Irish and Swedish vocals.
And now we’ve succeeded in squeezing one day out of them.
One day. That’s it.
They play on Friday night the 13th of July, the first day of the festival, and early the next morning, the two American girls get right back on the plane to return just in time for their next gig in Chicago.
So if you miss them, they’re gone!
Jun Lin
Artistic Director – Rainforest World Music Festival 2012
