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Tag Archives: John Rainsford

Los Paddys Rotate multicultural musicians

By John Rainsford   The World Cup may be a fading memory but, for Los Paddys De Las Pampas the need for squad rotation goes. Although Los Paddys De Las Pampas have their roots firmly in Clare soil, their transnational style has meant a growing number of multicultural artists in their ranks. Mixing cumbias with reels and sambas they have, by now, developed a truly unique and original sound, which is steadily gaining in popularity. Lead singer, Paddy Mulcahy explained, “The band’s music combines Irish trad with South American folk and rhythm. Our first album, called Come Home, which was released last Christmas, involved 10 musicians from five different countries, who had to be in Ireland for the same two-week period. “These included a third-generation Argentinean-Irish charango and ronroco player, called Tommy Nelson, and other musicians from around Ireland, Scotland, Australia, South Africa and France. “Although we sent them the recording material in advance (via email), it remained a very …

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The diaries of a fallen soldier

John Rainsford talks to former BBC producer, Gerry Harrison, about his great-uncle’s secret diaries of the First World War. By John Rainsford   ‘Old soldiers never die (They Just Fade Away)’ says the barrack-room ballad but, with army comrades now thin on the ground, their written legacies are more crucial than ever. The life and death of Captain Charlie May of 22 Battalion, the Manchester Regiment, also known as the Manchester Pals, are surely a case in point. A journalist with the Manchester Evening News, he recorded his private thoughts in the lead-up to one of the darkest days of The Great War. These intriguing insights have now been published by his great-nephew, Gerry Harrison, a former actor and director, who resides in Kilmaley. “Charlie’s seven pocketbooks cover the period from November 7, 1915 to July 1, 1916, and the outbreak of the Battle of the Somme,” explained Gerry. “They also served as a love letter to his wife, Maude, …

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