Quick Q & A with Aoife Clancy

Irish and contemporary folk music courses through Aoife Clancy’s blood. Clancy, who hails from the small town of Carrick-on-Suir in County Tipperary, Ireland and now calls Massachusetts home, is the daughter of Bobby Clancy (of the celebrated Clancy Brothers), with whom she began playing in local pubs as a young teenager. Over the years, Aoife Clancy has shared stages with some of Ireland’s most noted artists, was part of the acclaimed all-female Irish-American group Cherish The Ladies, and has toured extensively as a solo artist. She also collaborates with other artists as part of The Clancy Legacy and The Jammin’ Divas, as well as playing duo shows with Robbie O’Connell. Kathy Sands-Boehmer posed a few questions to Aoife Clancy recently. [To read Kathy's Quick Q & A with Aoife Clancy, click on the headline.]

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A Quick Q & A with Mary Gauthier

Mary Gauthier is a Louisiana native and former restaurateur who didn’t turn to full-time songwriting until she was in her mid 30s. Mercy Now, her 2005 release on the Lost Highway label, made a number of publications’ annual top 10 albums lists and resulted in the singer-songwriter being hailed as the New/Emerging Artist of the Year by the Americana Music Association. Gauthier’s seventh and latest release is entitled The Foundling and was produced by Michael Timmons of the Cowboy Junkies. A number of other artists, including such notables as Jimmy Buffett and Tim McGraw, also have recorded her songs – many of which are autobiographical in nature. Kathy Sands-Boehmer posed a few questions to her recently. [To read Kathy's Q & A with Mary Gauthier, click on the headline.]

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Roots Music Report Folk Radio Chart, 02-18-11

Barton Hollow, the debut album by Americana-folk duo The Civil Wars, continues to top the Roots Music Report Folk Radio Chart this week. Albums by Bobby Long, Malcolm Holcombe, Jonathan Byrd and Mary Chapin Carpenter follow. {To view the latest Folk Top 50 albums chart, click on the headline.]

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2011 International Folk Alliance Conference Gets Under Way Today

Some 2,000 performers, presenters and others engaged in contemporary and traditional folk music are converging on Memphis, Tennessee for the 23rd International Folk Alliance Conference, February 16-20. [To read the article and learn where you can hear live performances from the conference on the radio and online, click on the headline.]

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Carolina Chocolate Drops, Ray LaMontagne, Pete Seeger, Bela Fleck Are Among the Winners in the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards

The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards took place on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2011, in Los Angeles, California. Carolina Chocolate Drops, Ray LaMontagne, Pete Seeger and Bela Fleck were among the winners in more than 100 categories, most of whom were announced during ceremonies prior to the live broadcast from the Staples Center. [To see a listing of winners in select categories, click on the headline.]

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Winners Named in 37th Annual SPBGMA Bluegrass Music Awards

Dailey & Vincent were the top winners in the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America (SPBGMA) 37th Annual Bluegrass Music Awards, taking home seven trophies, while Rhonda Vincent retained her title as Entertainer of the Year. Winners in 23 categories were announced during an awards show on February 6, 2011 at the Sheraton Music City Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. [To read the entire article and see the complete list of winners, click on the headline.]

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Roots Music Report Folk Radio Chart, 02-11-11

Barton Hollow, the debut album by Americana-folk duo The Civil Wars, retains the top spot on the Roots Music Report Folk Radio Chart this week. Albums by Malcolm Holcombe, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Jonathan Byrd and Abigail Washburn follow. [To view the latest Folk Top 50 albums chart, click on the headline.]

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NERFA Hosts a Mini-Conference in Franklin, MA on April 30, 2011

The Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) hosts a special one-day mini-conference on Saturday, April 30, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., at the First Universalist Society in Franklin, MA (home of the Circle of Friends Coffeehouse). [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

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2011 Wildflower! Performing Songwriter Contest Deadline is March 9

Entries are now being sought in the 2011 Wildflower! Performing Songwriter Contest that is associated with the annual Wildflower! Arts and Music Festival, May 20-22, at the Galatyn Park Urban Center in Richardson, Texas, just a few minutes north of Dallas. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

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David Francey is Top Winner in International Acoustic Music Awards

David Francey is the overall grand prize winner in the seventh annual International Acoustic Music Awards competition. One of Canada’s most revered singer-songwriters, Francey also captured first place in the competition’s Folk category for “The Waking Hour.” [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

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Chuck E. Costa Named Connecticut State Troubadour for 2011-2012

Chuck E. Costa, a talented singer-songwriter from Madison, CT, has been named as Connecticut’s State Troubadour for 2011-2012. He succeeds Lara Herscovitch, the state troubadour for 2009-2010. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

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