POITÍN
There are at least two bands sharing the name Poitín. The one with the accent over the í is from the Czech Republic, the other, without the accent, is from the USA.
Poitín (Czech Republic): Rollicking, lollicking songs, jigs and reels from the heart of Bohemia.
Poitín (pronounced 'patcheen') is of course that famous Irish firewater distilled from wheat and rye, but it's also a trad Celtic band from the Czech Republic. The band is, however, firmly grounded in the pub session tradition and like nothing better than sitting round a table in the corner of a cosy pub playing old favourites about tarry sailors, merry maids and drunken nights (or is it drunken sailors, tarry maids and merry nights?!)
Review: Here's what they said about them on the Free MP3s Celtic Music Magazine (thanks, Karen J. Brady!)...
'It seems an odd combination...Celtic music from a Czech band, but it turns out that in the 1990s, the Czechs were just beginning to rediscover their Celtic roots, especially in the west, where the ruins of a Celtic fortress still remain. The history of the land is as interesting as the music of Poitin, who perform not only dreamy ballads, but also rollicking pub sing-a-longs, scintillating jigs, and thundering reels from Ireland, Scotland and England. Since they formed, Poitin has undergone a metamorphosis as far as their sound, incorporating more progressive elements into their traditional repertoire. With their new album having caused a bit of controversy with the addition of a saxophone, the band promises something that even traditionalists will enjoy. Nothing wrong with a fresh sound. And that is precisely what Poitin brings to the world of Celtic music.'
Over the last 20 years they have played in France, Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, Denmark, Austria and Italy and are still going strong.
History: Poitín play Celtic music in all its shapes and forms from haunting Breton melodies to raunchy traditional Irish songs. They've performed at festivals across Europe in Italy, France, Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic. The CD Hot Days (2006) featured a daring mix of saxophone, didgeridoo and more traditional instruments to create a sparkling collection of songs and tunes, some traditional, some new, all suffused with Poitín magic. They formed in Pilsen, CZ, in 1996 and have released 6 albums to date on their own label and are also included on three compilation albums (two released by Popron, CZ and one by Marc Gunn in the U.S.). The first album, 'Poitín' was released in 2000 and featured a very traditional collection of tunes including the 'Congress Reel' and songs such as 'Spanish Lady' as well as lesser known Breton and English songs.
The second album, 'De la Basse Bretagne' was eventually released in 2003 and was a tribute to the talents of the band's French singer, Neige Pruvost on her return to her birthplace. It consists mainly of French and Breton songs and tunes and features Dan Eberle on double bass. There's a lovely traditional Czech folk song, 'Lida, Lidunka' at the end of the album in acknowledgement of the band's own roots. Poitín were pleased to be invited to contribute to Czech music publisher Popron's 'Best of Celtic Music I and II' compilation albums and Marc Gunn's 'Victims of Irish Music' in the USA.
Discography:
Their most recent album is One For The Road (December 2022). This was preceded by Simple Pleasures, released September 2016, and Wish which was released in March 2014. The 2010 CD Bofiguifluki, was the first recording by a Czech band to be voted Celtic Album of the year 2010 by Celtic Radio.Net. They were one of the first Celtic music groups to form in the Czech Republic after the Velvet Revolution and have had a significant influence on the development of the Celtic musical scene in that country.
They released their first CD back in 2000, imaginatively called ‘Poitín’ , it has 17 tracks of traditional Irish, Scottish and French songs and tunes plus a bonus traditional Czech folk song, ‘Lida, Lidunka’. It features Neige Pruvost on the French and Breton songs, Jeremy King’s vocals on the Scottish and Irish numbers and Tonda Muzik on bodhran.
Their second CD was made as a farewell tribute to Neige who returned to France in 2001. It is a compilation of 12 French and Breton songs called ‘De la Basse Bretagne’ with Tyna Frankova and Neige Pruvost on vocals. It was finally released in 2003.
Their third CD was released in 2006 to mark the band's tenth anniversary and is called ‘Hot Days’. It features 13 tracks with Helena Markova on saxophone. You can hear scintillating arrangements of classic jigs, reels and songs, plus completely new compositions by Helena, Honza and Kuba, all with an unmistakable Celtic flavour.
They also feature on three compilation albums, ‘The Mystery of Celtic Music I’ and ‘The Mystery of Celtic Music II’ (released in the Czech Republic by Popron) and Marc Gunn’s compilation of Celtic music from around the world, ‘Victims of Irish Music’.
Poitin from USA: Poitin Band has been entertaining audiences in the Great Northwest and beyond with their unique blend of Irish, Celtic, French-Canadian, and Metis traditional dance music and ballads since 2001.
Poitin is a six-piece band featuring fiddle, banjos, guitars, mandolins, Irish bouzouki, bodhran, harmonica, bass and drums. They released their fifth album - 'Banks of Red River' in March 2013, exploring the correlations between the Irish and the Metis Red River traditional music.
MN Irish Fair Publication: "A six-member collaborative that blends traditional Irish jig harmonies with sensitive, compassionate ballads and raucous, up-tempo and active rebel tunes. A jack-of-all-trades, Poitin has released a total of five records – each differing in approach and style, vigor and composition while retaining a culturally and historically relevant and recognizable sound."
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…shrink me down again