As I wrote a few posts ago, my interest in traditional Celtic music was sparked by the arrival of my wooden D flute from Ireland. From then on, I dusted my old bodhran and started getting back into the musical culture. I think it is alright to say that being away from something you love is a good thing. You get to pick up old pieces/ideas and connect their relevance to the current state of the world. You become sensitive to the nuances of culture and sound that you took for granted.
Speaking about culture, it is hard to separate history and culture from this type of music. You need to have at least an amount (no matter how small) of historical knowledge to understand where the sound is coming from. After listening to a few tracks from Canadian artist Jocelyn Pettit, I got this insight. But let me assure you that the “new” label hardly justifies the body of work she was involved in before embarking on this journey. She has played with notable artists in the genre and even held her own stepdance workshop.
Wind Rose is her third album, following the positive reviews of her debut and sophomore album. Wind Rose boasts the talents of musicians:
Jocelyn Pettit – fiddle, Joel Pettit – bodhran, Siew Wan Khoo – piano, Erik Musseau – whistle, and Adam Dobres – guitar. This is the kind of album that people who love Altan, Capercaillie, and Solas will love. So what is a Wind Rose? According to the liner note, it is [an ancient nautical compass; a modern mapping tool for measuring winds; a metaphor for something that helps guide us along our way]
Now, going back to what I mentioned about picking up old pieces and connecting them to what’s new, this is it! While 2022 sees the flowering of other musical genres, it is great that there are traditional artists who are keeping the flame alive.
Links:
https://www.youtube.com/c/JocelynPettitMusic
Celtic Music Fan 