AFRIC

It was on one of Hothouse Flowers many world tours that Fiachna met Barry Van Zyl, one of South Africa’s foremost percussionists known for his work with artists such as Oliver Mutukudzi and Johnny Clegg. Together with Barry’s friend Robin Hogarth who is the Grammy award winning producer and arranger for the Soweto Gospel Choir they have conceived an innovative project which will blend traditional Irish sean nós songs with South African voices and rhythms in a way that will bring both traditional art forms to a wider audience. It is to be called AFRIC.  AFRIC have started recording at their home studios and have several pieces in development. Some of the Sean-Nós songs are songs Fiachna discovered on his great-uncle Vail Ó Flaitheartaigh’s collection of songs released in by Claddagh Records in the 80s on his album, “Blath na nÁirní”. Robin has done translations into several African languages of some of these Sean-Nós songs and the Soweto Gospel Choir, among others, have been recording these translated arrangements in 2009 in Johannesburg in Zulu, Sotho and other languages in which they sing. Along the way they have been able to work on arrangements and on vocals in Fiachna’s friend John Reynolds’ studio in London, in Catch Studios in Dublin, at Street Level Studios in Cape Town and at Fiachna’s home studio in Paris. AFRIC plan to release the CD worldwide in 2010 and start touring a band consisting of Fiachna and Barry as well as several African and Irish musicians. They can’t wait!