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Author: Breffni Banks

Sound Of Belfast 2016 Starts Today!

The Sound of Belfast is back! An exciting 10 day programme for 2016 will return on Thursday 3- 12 November 2016 and will feature 31 events including awards, gigs, showcases and industry events. The events will take place across 8 venues including The Mandella Hall, The MAC, Voodoo and The Empire. Sound of Belfast 2016 is presented by the Oh Yeah Music Centre in partnership with Live Music partner Blue Moon.

The event begins with the Help Musicians UK Launch Party taking place at the Oh Yeah Music Centre (03 Nov). This year, Help Musicians UK will use the occasion to announce ambitious plans for Northern Ireland. This leading charity for musicians of all genres are set to open a dedicated office and will start to deliver health and welfare support (including Music and Depression and #hearformusicians) plus new creative funding schemes.

The highlight of Sound of Belfast 2016 is the Northern Ireland Music Prize and the presentation of an Oh Yeah Legend Award to the band Ash (Nov 11).

Expect performances from top Northern Irish acts Ports, Ryan Vail, The Bonnevilles, Robyn G Shiels, Girls Names, Hot Cops, Jealous Of The Birds and many other native rising musicians.

Charlotte Dryden, the new CEO of Oh Yeah says, “Sound of Belfast is our way of celebrating all that is great about local music. From showcasing new talent to celebrating legends in venues across the city. What is really special is the opportunity for people to participate in some of our youth and older people events. It’s also great that we are able to keep talking and discussing opportunities and solutions for our industry, musicians and audiences through events like The Music Cities Afternoon and the Breaking Into Music Conference.”

Sound of Belfast 2016 event listings:

03rd Nov | Help Musicians Launch Party | Oh Yeah Music Centre
04th Nov | Meet Help Musicians NI | Oh Yeah Music Centre
04th Nov | The Bonnevilles, The Couth, Los Reyes, The Strange Museum | Oh Yeah Music Centre
05th Nov | Family-friendly Acoustic Picnic | Oh Yeah Music Centre
05th Nov | Volume Control: Clash of the New Breeds- Live Final | Oh Yeah Music Centre
05th Nov | Malojian | The MAC
06th Nov | Ready to Roll: Studio Time for Young Bands | Start Together Studio, Oh Yeah Music Centre
06th Nov | A Day of Rest | Oh Yeah Music Centre
08th Nov | Breaking into Music Youth Conference | Oh Yeah Music Centre
08th Nov | UK Music- ‘Wish You Were Here’ Report | Oh Yeah Music Centre
08th Nov | Matua Trap & The Thin Air DJs | Lavery’s Back Bar
08th Nov | Terri Hooley’s Good Vibrations Club | Voodoo
09th Nov | Over The Hill Music Collective Album Preview and Discussion | Oh Yeah Music Centre
09th Nov | Belfast Urban Affinity 2016 | Oh Yeah Music Centre
09th Nov | Robyn G Shields, Waldorf and Cannon, Junk Drawer, Hatchet Field | Belfast Empire
10th Nov | Music Cities Afternoon | Oh Yeah Music Centre
10th Nov | Vokxen, Bosco Ramos, Petty Youth, Search Party, Emer Maguire | Oh Yeah Music Centre
10th Nov | Hornets Molarbear | Eglantine Bar
10th Nov | Tuskany, Strength, Civil Simian, Jess Edlin | Belfast Empire
11th Nov| The Northern Ireland Music Prize in Association with Blue Moon | Mandella Hall
11th Nov | The Oh Yeah Legend Award | Mandella Hall
12th Nov | #HMNITAKEOVER HMNI Bus Tour | Various pop up venues across Belfast
12th Nov | The Belfast Music Bus Tour | Begins at the Ulster Hall
12th Nov | Spectrum 2016: Mojo Fury, Gascan Ruckus, Hot Cops, Bad Fit, Life Goals, Gnarkats, Rachael Boyd, Brash Issac, Joel Harkin | Elmwood Hall
12th Nov | Back Track Soul Night with DJs: Liam Quinn, Tony Harpo Doyle, John Creaner and Dee O’Loan | Oh Yeah Music Centre

Programme and tickets available from Sound of Belfast

For more more information you can visit Sound of Belfast’s Website, Facebook and Twitter

Miriam Donohue Announces Launch Gig For Her Highly Anticipated Debut Album ‘Paperscapes’

Miriam is a singer songwriter from Galway, who is based in Dublin. Inspired by the likes of Regina Spektor, Paul Simon and Suzanne Vega, her music is a blend of modern folk, pop and jazz that is brought to life by her enchanting voice. A natural raconteur Miriam breathes music into her stories with her well crafted lyrics and velveteen vocals.

Miriam has performed at a number of festivals across Ireland such as Electric Picnic, Body and Soul and Castlepolooza, as well as at other venues throughout Europe including well known folk venue Club Voltaire in Germany.

In June of this year she appeared on the RTE stage at the Bloom Festival and went on to feature on the Late Date with Fiachna O Braonain.

She’s appeared in the same line up as acts such as Martha Wainwright, Nina Persson (The Cardigans), Mark Geary, John Spillane, Jack L, The Lost Brothers, Rose Cousins and The 4ofUs.

Miriam launches her debut Debut Album – Paperscapes in The Workmans Club on Dec 11th @8pm

You can follow Miriam on Facebook  and Twitter for more information

Daithi Announces His New Single ”Falling For You” Ahead Of His Forthcoming EP ”Holiday Home”

Daithi will release a new EP Holiday Home in March 2017 and ahead of that will come the single “Falling For You” on November 3rd. This will be the follow-up to his hugely successful Tribes EP which came out earlier this year and gave us the big single “Mary Keanes Introduction”.

Speaking about the EP, Daithi says:“At the start of 2016 I bought a field recorder and started recording the sounds of the west of Ireland in an attempt to build a library of samples completely unique to me. I started renting out houses along the coast for weeks at a time, bringing a make-shift studio with me to islands like Achill and Valentia. Once I had some music together, I brought some of my favourite vocalists out to the west, away from the pressure of the normal recording studio environment. The result is Holiday Home, a 5 track EP built completely in the west, using sounds from the west.”

And on Falling For You: “Falling For You was one of the first tracks I wrote using my own natural samples. The sea sound is from Inch beach in Cork, the bell sounds are cut up samples from a wind chime I found in an Airbnb in Achill. Sinead recorded these vocals on Valentia with me, and I think it’s my favourite vocal I’ve ever worked on. It’s so undeniably Irish, but feels modern at the same time, which is kind of my buzz.”

Daithi is an electronic music producer obsessed by the culture of Ireland. The two-time Choice Prize nominee combines nature recordings, old Irish samples and analog synths to create a unique type of house music that’s soaked in Irish culture. A mainstay in the Irish gigging scene, his live show is an improvised performance, creating on the spot dance music using synths, drum machines and live fiddle. Last year, Daithi found a forgotten recording of his grandmother, where she talked about how she met her husband, and what it was like living in the west of Ireland for the past 90 years. Daithi sampled this recording to create ‘Mary Keanes Introduction’, a track which captured the imagination of millions of Irish people across the world, and became one of the most successful Irish singles that year, staying no.1 in the spotify viral charts for 6 weeks. It proved Daithi’s mantra on music: Every sample should have a back story, and every song should be personal.

Daithi’s played over 40 shows since the release of Tribes including festival slots on Castlepalooza, Body & Soul, Sea Sessions, Longitude, Indiependence Electric Picnic and many more.

Tracklist
Falling For You (feat. Sinead White)
Aeroplane (feat. Sinead White)
Holiday Home
Coral
Wrap Up Tight (feat. Elaine Mai)

Tour Dates
Thursday 8th December – Brubakers, Dundalk
Friday 23rd December – Opium Rooms, Dublin
Tuesday 27th December – Cyprus Avenue, Cork
Sat 31st December – Róisín Dubh, Galway

You can follow Daithi on Facebook and Twitter

Ian Whitty & The Exchange Set To Release Their New Album ”Cash Crop”

Ian Whitty & The Exchange are back this Autumn with a new album Cash Crop, due for release on November 11, with ”Bottom Line”, being their first single for release.

Cash Crop veers from simple stripped-back melodies to riotous guitar overtures to Americana. “I’m declaring war”, sings Whitty on the opening track Bottom Line before embarking on his own Odyssey-like journey; day dreaming of young love, finding hope and meaning in the face of loss, delving into disillusionment with modern culture and charting an evolution from partner to parent.

The album constantly draws the listener into an emotional exploration, all the while Whitty’s seasoned vocal is gravelly with experience, biting in its commentary and sharp in its storytelling. He frequently shifts perspectives, personas and characters in weaving a modern tapestry that manages to be both personal and full of symbolism.

It took eight years for Ian to travel the roads and bear witness to the events that we find in Cash Crop. In doing so he has provided us with an album that is warm and intimate yet feels epic in its scope.Says Ian, “Making a record is a genuinely difficult thing to do. Simply put, it’s easier to make a mess of it than to get it right. That said we are ready to walk away from this one feeling like we have captured something with a real identity, that we haven’t let any of the songs down and that we have challenged ourselves creatively in the process.”

With the intent of capturing both the energy and intimacy of live shows Cash Crop was recorded in ‘live’ spaces including One Chance Out Studios in Cork. The album was co-produced by Ian Whitty & The Exchange, Steve Fanagan and Chris Somers. It was engineered by Chris Somers and predominantly mixed by Steve Fanagan. Cash Crop was mastered at Whisper and Shout Studios, Los Angeles by Ruairi O’ Flaherty. Long-time collaborator Suzanne Power of Hazel Tree Design created the sartorial artwork for the album from Ian’s basic sketches.

In a time where playlists are consumed on demand and unlimited choice is on offer Cash Crop invites you to become a confidant and will have you pressing repeat rather than browse.

You can follow Ian Whitty & The Exchange on Facebook for more information.

Robotnik Announces His New Single ”Sellotape”

“Sellotape” is the first single taken from the second up and coming album from Irish artist Robotnik (Chris Morrin).

Plain and simple, the song was inspired by a mental breakdown in Morrin’s life. Morrin has decided to use the forthcoming album as a promotional tool to SHINE LIGHT ON DEPRESSION, MENTAL HEALTH, AWARENESS and THE PSYCHOLOGICAL PRESSURES OF A GLOBAL NEOLIBERAL IDEOLOGY.

Written & recorded over the course of winter 2011, in a basement flat in Dublin, the song is about holding onto psychological control of the inner & outer self. It’s a snapshot of tougher times in Morrin’s personal life. It was mixed in 2012 in the infamous Funkhaus Studios, Berlin. Not being able to even face the idea of playing music publically again, Morrin ended up going on a deep reflective journey for the last 4 years in Berlin. It’s taken all this time for Morrin to even consider releasing such a harrowing reminder of his past.

His debut album PLEASANT SQUARE was released in 2008, which was greatly received by the UK & Irish press and public.

Albums Reviews of Debut album ‘Pleasant Square’

“Breezy Melodies, assertive diction and scratchy acoustic guitar sounds never ever sounded as at home with trebly beats and primitive Jean Michelle Jarre synth sounds as they do on this hometown classic.” – HOTPRESS 4/5

“remarkable debut, which straddles Eighties synth-pop and thoroughly modern laptop lo-fi, he displays ambition and originality in spades. This is among the very best records of the year” – ALTERNATIVE ULSTER 8/10

“Pleasant Square is a simple pleasure that proves surprisingly invigorating.” – METRO 4/5

You can keep up to date with Robotnik on Facebook

Batman Ben Charity Single ‘Ben’

A reproduction of the Song “Ben”, written by Don Black and made famous by Michael Jackson has been re-released by Kiera Dignam in Memory of Batman Ben.
Ben Farrell, the five-year-old boy who captured the public’s heart – known as Batman Ben because of his love for the super hero – died from a rare form of cancer in August this year. Now in an effort to help children in a similar position, the charity single “Ben” is set to be released On Friday October 28.

The single will be sold for €5 on CD and €1.29 on iTunes, with all proceeds going to two charities that supported Ben and his family: The Gavin Glynn Foundation and Aoibheann’s Pink Tie.
Touched by Ben’s story, Stephen Browne, a music promoter from Ben’s hometown in Finglas and manager of recently reformed band the Brilliant Trees came up with the idea for the single. Stephen worked with numerous individuals and organisations to help bring it to life. The royalty fees were kindly waived by song writer Don Black, Kiera Dignam, daughter of Aslan’s Christy Dignam, was happy to lend her amazing voice to the cause, artwork was provided free of charge by Printbroker.ie and the cost of the recording and production was provided through a grant from eBay Ireland’s Global Impact Team.

Stephen Explains: “Like most people hearing the heart-breaking story of Ben, I just wanted to help. When the idea for the song came to me I decided to chance my arm and contact Don Black not really expecting a reply. To my surprise, I received a reply within an hour from Don not only offering his support but he had also made contact with Sony to get the process moving. What a kind man.”

Ben’s mother Val Farrell hopes the proceeds will help towards finding a cure one day for this awful disease. Filled with emotion, she explains how Ben loved this song: “When Kiera told us she had been working on possibly releasing a single for Ben, I thought how lovely, what a great idea – but when she told me the song was ‘Ben’ by Michael Jackson I cried. Through Ben we hope to find the strength to continue. We hope to continue to be inspired to live as fully as he did and we hope to continue to allow Bens smile to change the world for the better…. we hope to make him proud.”
The award-winning songwriter Don Black, who had originally offered this popular song first to Donny Osmond before Michael Jackson turned it into a smash hit, says he is thrilled with this new recording of the Oscar-nominated single. “I do love this version of the song, it’s a terrific vocal,” he says. I’m so upset to hear this sad news, this is a truly heart-breaking story and I send my condolences to all the family.”

The legendary Christy Dignam of Aslan fame was by Kiera’s side at the studio to help and offer his guidance and the track was produced and recoded by Stuart Gray, a multitalented musician who has worked with Hozier, Ryan Sheridan and Brian Kennedy, to name a few.
Kiera hopes the song will help raise much needed money for this worthy cause. She says: “Ben by Michael Jackson seemed to be the perfect song and I then found out Ben had it on his iPad and loved the song, which sealed it for me that this defiantly had to be the song. Recording it, I wanted to strip it back and just have my vocal not overly produced with loads of backing vocals. I wanted it simple with nice guitar and strings. The producer Stewart listened to what I wanted and was on the same wavelength and I’m delighted with the finished product.”
Kiera admits it was emotionally challenging to record the song because Ben had just died when they went into the studio to make it. It was, of course, all the more poignantly painful in light of her own father’s battle with an incurable cancer.

“By the time I got into the studio to put down my vocal, Ben had just passed away. So, what would have been a very difficult thing to do became a hundred times harder,” she reveals. But my aim was to do Ben’s memory justice and to give his parents and family something they could listen to and think of Ben – and I hope it can be of some comfort to them.”
Kiera played the song earlier this week for Ben’s mother who was moved to tears when she heard it. Val sent a simple but touching text message to all those who chipped in: “It’s absolutely beautiful. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

The single is available from various outlets and Pre Order from iTunes now.
http://itunes.apple.com/album/id1166265013?ls=1&app=itunes

For more information or imagery please contact Stephen Browne stephenbrow@nullgmail.com

About the charities

The Gavin Glynn Foundation believes that all children with cancer deserve the best care.
We know first hand what it is like to have to travel to other countries with your child to receive treatment.
We want to take this financial burden and stress away from the families so they can focus all their time on their child and family.
Our mission is to be able to assist families with:
• Transportation (eg. Flights, Car Hire).
• Transportation to and drop the designated Airports.
• Accommodation within, or close to, the designated medical center.
• Food and living expenses for the duration of the child’s treatment while abroad.
• Travel pack to include toys for the child and siblings travelling.
Aoibheann’s Pink Tie
“National Children’s Cancer Charity” was set up in 2010 by Mick Rochford and Jimmy Norman after the tragic loss of Jimmy’s daughter Aoibheann to cancer aged just 8 years. During Aoibheann’s year long battle with this dreadful disease, the family found little or no financial or practical support for children and their families.
Jimmy and his family had a large support network of friends and family but found that many on the ward had virtually no support at all.
When Aoibheann passed away the men wore pink ties at the funeral which was Aoibheann’s favourite colour. The charity was formed in her memory to remedy the lack of support for other children and their families going through treatment.

Sub Motion Release The Video For Their New Single ”Headchecked”

SUB MOTION are a Dublin based band with a full-bodied, modern rock sound with the vivacious Rebecca Geary at the helm on lead vocals. Following the release of their EP “Happy Little Bruises” and well-received single “Haunt Me”, the band took some time to revamp their sound and image, introducing the energetic, punk rockers we hear now in their highly anticipated new single “HEADCHECKED”.

Recorded live in Sun Studios with sublime producer James Darkin (Black Eyed Peas, Hozier, Rihanna, Funeral Suits), “HEADCHECKED” embodies the high-octane live performances and attitude that Sub Motion brings to all their gigs. What you see is what you get with these guys. With a number of follow-up releases ready to go, 2016/2017 will see Sub Motion take on the music scene by storm.

The last two years have seen the band playing the Button Factory, the RDS, headlining and selling out Whelan’s, appearing at the Vibe for Philo, playing in the UK, getting air play and generally fine tuning their on-stage and recorded sound. Today with an unparalleled, infectious, live energy throughout every show, SUB MOTION are quickly rising through the ranks.

“One of the few new bands I would walk across the street to see.”
– RTE 2FM – Dave Fanning

“With the likes of Queens of the Stone Age and Foo Fighters having played sold out gigs in recent times, Ireland is ready for distorted guitars, heavy drums and heavy rock. One of these bands making a name for themselves over the past few years are Sub Motion”
Dublin Concerts

You can follow Sub Motion on Facebook and Twitter

RiZA Announce Their New Single And Video For ‘Thank You’

RiZA is the latest project by the dynamic Congolese guitarist/singer Niwel Tsumbu, described as “a truly exceptional guitarist” by allaboutjazz. RiZA features Niwel Tsumbu on guitars and vocals, his long-time collaborator Eamonn Cagney (of Treelan) on percussion, Emma Garnett (Feather) and Sallay Garnett (Loah) on vocals, and Paddy Groenland (Ensemble Ériu, Manden Express) on guitar. Today RiZA unveil the dynamic new single & video ‘Thank You’ as a taster for their debut album due for release in early 2017.

Niwel explains the theme of ‘Thank You’ – “The song is really a way to express gratitude to my wife as a friend and for all the support she has given me over the years. I often say without the influence of women we would still be living in caves! Sometimes we take it for granted what we have until it is gone so, I thought I should do it now. But this is not just about my wife; gratitude is a quality that has a direct connection to happiness. We should never forget it as a species – being grateful is a great way to increase our well being and life satisfaction.”

Featuring two ballet dancers dancing and weaving ribbons through a fence, the video was recorded on location in Berlin and was directed by Steve Glashier (Fatboy Slim, Chrissie Hynde, Juliette Lewis). ‘Thank You’ was recorded and mixed at the prestigious Peter Gabriel Realworld Studios in Wales, alongside the rest of the tracks which will form their debut album due out in the new year.

RiZA is a celebration of life and exploration through sound with acoustic instruments, weaving the rich tapestry of African rhythms with contemporary harmony and drawing inspiration from our life experiences. 2015 saw the launch of RiZA with appearances at festivals around Ireland including Africa Day and the recording of the album at Real World Studios. The album release, due to happen last year, was put on hold to allow Niwel to return to Congo to care for his ill Mother. Now, Niwel is focusing on RiZA by launching the new video “Thank you” and preparing for the launch of their debut album.

LIVE DATES:
Niwel is performing at the Creative Connections Festival in Barcelona from October 24th – November 4th, a unique event to forge connections between Irish & Catalan cultures through workshops and performances. On November 18th Eamonn and Niwel will perform a free show at UCC, on 26th November RiZA will perform at Sugar Club, Dublin as part of the Improvised Music Company’s 25th Birthday celebrations and on November 28th see Niwel perform a solo show at JJ Smyth’s as part of Dublin Guitar Night.

About Niwel Tsumbu
Since arriving in Ireland in 2004 from the Congo, Niwel Tsumbu has developed an enviable reputation as a masterfully elegant and fluent guitarist, vocalist, musician, collaborator and composer. He has performed with the finest Irish and international musicians (Sinead O’ Connor, Glen Hansard, Liam O’ Maonlai, Baaba Maal, Donal Lunny, Donal Dineen) while continuing to craft his own distinctive sound derived from rhumba, soukous, classical, jazz, world, rock, and much more. Renowned for his versatility and virtuosity, Tsumbu has appeared at many festivals around Ireland and overseas including China at Expo alongside Xiaohui Ma. His performance of ‘Electric Counterpoint’ at The Reich Festival in front of composer Steve Reich at Kilkenny Arts Festival was a triumph. He continues to collaborate with leading artists and theatre companies including Abbey Theatre, Cork Opera House and Roger Doyle Heresy Opera.

You can follow Niwel Tsumbu on Facebook and Twitter

Finalists Announced for 2016 IMRO Christie Hennessy Song Competition

LIVE FINAL AT THE ROSE HOTEL, TRALEE | SATURDAY 26TH NOVEMBER | 8:30PM

SPECIAL GUEST JOHN SPILLANE TO PERFORM ON THE NIGHT

The live final of the sixth annual IMRO Christie Hennessy Song Competition takes place on Saturday, 26th November at The Rose Hotel, Tralee, with a special guest performance from the much loved singer songwriter John Spillane. Ten finalists have been selected from over 200 entries from across Ireland and beyond to perform their original song in front of a live audience and panel of expert judges. The winning songwriter will be presented with a cheque for €1,000, courtesy of Tralee Credit Union with a runner up prize of €300.

Christie Hennessy: A Celebration will open on Friday 25th November with The Troubadour Club, a showcase featuring some of the finest of Ireland’s contemporary songwriters.

The IMRO Christie Hennessy Song Competition takes place as a tribute to the life and music of one of Tralee’s most famous sons. Now in its sixth year, the competition has grown in stature over the years to become one of Ireland’s leading song competitions and continues to attract a high calibre of songwriters from Ireland and overseas, covering a broad range of musical genres. Previous winners have included Paul McDonnell, Dave Molloy, Alan Kavanagh, Enda Reilly/Christine Deady and Míde Houlihan.

The ten finalists in the 2016 IMRO Christie Hennessy Song Competition are:

  1. Karen Kelly & Simon McCafferty | Song: Sail My Direction
  2. Shane Ó Fearghail | Song: Push
  3. Elaine Goddard & Dave Christopher | Song: Change
  4. Leo Capper & Fiona Kelly | Song: Memories Just Remain
  5. Sian Hanley & Louise Bolger | Song: Heal
  6. Robert Grace, James Foley & Glenn Herlihy | Song: Talk To Me
  7. Neil Moran | Song: In Time
  8. Carrie Haskins | Song: Hell On Wheels
  9. Katie O’Connor | Song: Just Too Young
  10. Kevin Murray | Song: Don’t Need Me

Entry to the live final is free of charge. For further details about the event, contact IMRO at events@nullimro.ie or 01 661 4844.

The IMRO Christie Hennessy Song Competition is supported by Tralee Chamber Alliance, The Troubadour Club, Tralee Credit Union, The Rose Hotel and Radio Kerry.

Irish Youth Music Awards Launches 2016/2017 Programme

Youth Work Ireland’s Irish Youth Music Awards (IYMAs) programme is marking its ten-year anniversary, this all island youth music educational programme will host over fifteen regional events across the entire island over the forthcoming months.

To mark the launch, a full length album of original tracks recorded by last year’s recipients from team Galway were released last Friday 21st October. The album is available digitally and on CD with iTunes pre-orders now live here. This album was recorded in Temple Lane Studios in Dublin where artists such as U2, Bressie and Kanye West have recorded and was mastered by Richard Dowling in Wav mastering who has worked with David Bowie, The Foo Fighters and Choice Music Winner Soak.

We are very excited to be entering our tenth year supporting the creativity of young people across Ireland and acting as a stepping stone in their journey as they progress to further education and employment opportunities. As part of this year’s programme we are very happy to announce that we are partnering with LinkedIn Learning to offer young people and youth leaders participating in the programme use of their online learning platform to further help them learn new skills and progress their educational opportunities. To mark the ten-year anniversary, we would love to see the album charting this year and we are encouraging people to get a copy the week of release to support this happening. We have lots more planned as part of the programme which we will be announcing over the forthcoming months.” said Barry Lennon, Irish Youth Music Awards Director.

The IYMAs programme will finish with a youth music festival in the Aviva Stadium on Saturday 22nd April 2017. Last year saw hundreds of young people attend the event, which featured over thirty-six up and coming acts play across two stages, a large educational hub for anyone attending to join with workshops by BIMM lecturers covering topics such as song writing, drums and lots more. This event is open to all to attend and tickets are now available here from Eventbrite priced €20 including booking fee.

As part of last week’s launch, Galway representing act JANAJ performed at the Youth Work Ireland National Conference in Dublin Castle on Saturday 22nd October followed by an exclusive all ages album launch gig in the legendary Roisin Dubh venue on Sunday 23rd October, with all the performers from the IYMAs album playing to celebrate the release of the IYMAs album.

Last year’s recipients JANAJ, who are one of eight acts featured on the IYMAs album said “Taking part in the IYMAs has opened so many doors for us as musicians and individuals. We got a glimpse into the depth of work that goes into promoting, creating, and selling an act and their music. The IYMAs has helped the young people from our team in Galway grow our passion for music, as well as gaining skills and experience in areas that we may not experience in a traditional school setting.

The overall recipient region will be announced at the National Day in the Aviva Stadium on Saturday 22nd April 2017. Performers on the day will be chosen to represent their region at local live selection events and will be supported by a team comprising of all other contestants from their region taking on individual music industry roles. The winning region will receive recording time in a studio with backline provided by Music Maker Dublin. They will also produce an album of their own released on physical CD with a professional design. The album will be digitally distributed worldwide through iTunes, Spotify and many more outlets.

IYMAs partners and supporters include The Department Of Children and Youth Affairs, IMRO , BIMM Dublin, LinkedIn Learning , Music Maker , Gaisce – The President’s Award and Youth Action Northern Ireland.

The Irish Youth Music Awards National Day takes place in the Aviva Stadium on Saturday 22nd April 2017. Tickets are now available here.

For more information on the IYMAs you can visit their Website , Facebook and Twitter

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