Cuan an Cheoil is a new radio series starting on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta on Thursday 20 January at 7 pm.
The series will be presented by Liam Ó Maonlaí who will be joined by guest musicians each week, and has been produced by Stiúideo Cuan.
Cuan an Cheoil will feature ten of the country’s best-known musicians, who will join Liam Ó Maonlaí each week to play and to chat with him about various aspects of music and life.
Liam describes the programmes as ‘a musical conversation’ between himself and his guests. They were recorded in Stiúideo Cuan in An Spidéal in a relaxed and open atmosphere, an attempt to recreate the informality of a group of musicians playing together at home, as opposed to a concert setting.
The intention of the series is to allow the musicians the space to be creative, to improvise and to compose on the spot, and the musicians who took part in the series got great satisfaction and enjoyment out of the process.
Síle Denvir and Barry Kerr will join Liam for the first programme of the series on 20 January. Síle, from Conamara, is a member of the group Líadan, and has also performed with the Chieftains. Barry Kerr, musician, composer and painter, is originally from Armagh but now living in Conamara.
Other musicians taking part in the series will include Colm Mac Con Iomaire, Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh & Nia Byrne, Peadar Ó Riada & Mick O’Brien, Mary Bergin & Conor Connolly, Johnny Óg Connolly & Liam O’Connor, Róisín Chambers & Maitiú Ó Casaide, Méabh Ní Bheaglaoich & Niamh Varian-Barry, Rónán Ó Snodaigh & Myles O’Reilly, and Caoimhe & Séamus Ó Flatharta.
A visual stream for this programme will also be available online every week.
This series is funded by the BAI with the Television Licence Fee.
Cuan an Cheoil will be broadcast on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta every Thursday from 7 pm to 8.30 pm, starting on 20 January. See www.rte.ie/rnag for further information or to listen back.
