What is Celtic music
Surely you have repeatedly read, heard, and maybe even used this phrase yourself in various combinations – “Celtic music”, “Celtic music” and even “traditional Celtic music”, “folk Celtic music”, “cheerful Celtic dances”, “Ancient celtic chants”, etc. etc. The phrase itself is very, very popular, but what kind of music actually hides behind it, no one can really explain. “Celtic music” can be either fully electronic ambient with the names of tracks like “Sacred Stonehenge and eighteen druids in a circle”, and Hispanic with electronic bagpipes, and aggressive punk rock, and violins, harmonica and harmonica of cheerful drunk Irish muzhik. Imagine how much fits in one definition? And after all, this is far from everything; under “Celtic music,” you can fit anything, even though the dark disagreeable mooing of non-Druids circling around the sacred bush, holding the handles. The musical genres described today by the word “Celtic music” can be divided into two categories:
Category first. To describe it, we propose to introduce the term “Celtic music”, since it, perhaps, reflects its form and not rich content much better.
This is, first of all, the author’s commercial music. This is rock, electronics and other popular genres that use individual elements of Irish, Scottish, Breton folk music. One side of the “Celtic” medal is slow, beautiful, not very meaningful compositions (acoustic, electronic, or created at the junction of some popular styles), designed for meditation, relaxation, creating a good mood. Usually plays the role of background music, to concentrate on it is difficult. Such music is sometimes also called “ethnic” or “world music”. However, we prefer to highlight it in a separate, “Celtic” category. There are a lot of such performers in the world. Basically, they are grouped around the American label Narada.
In this regard, solo playing on any instrument that has been recognized as “Celtic” can also be considered “Celtic music”. For example, the Irish harp – whatever tune you play on it, can all be called “Celtic”, as well as the harp itself. The recognizable sound of the instrument creates the basis for a rich imagination and clear associations, skillfully built by marketers. All of the above does not detract from the quality of the music itself and the skill of the musicians performing it, however, for the sake of objectivity, it should be clarified that “Celtobrain” has a very remote relation to truly traditional music. In Russia, this niche is occupied, first of all, by the fairly well-known Telenn Gwad group.
The other side of “Celtic” music is the use of the same folk elements of rock and pop groups. This is how the monstrous term “Celtic rock” and the like appeared. Moreover, the Moscow band “Tintal” in its use is far from being the pioneers; dozens of artists all over the world call themselves “Celtic rock”. However, one should pay tribute to the authors of posters and press releases “Tintal”, who invented an absolutely unbelievable advertising slogan “Celtic Rock on the Bagpipes”.
A significant role in the dissemination of such music and winning it a wide bridgehead on the market was played by its intentional introduction into the circle of fantasy fans, who, firstly, are quite numerous, and secondly, are predisposed to similar romantic and quasi-historical themes. Record an album with ten tracks with harp, bagpipes, synthesizer and your ingenious vocals skipped through ten lotions, name them, for example, “The Call of the Celts”, “Middle Kingdom”, “Celtic Myst” – and minimal sales Your drive is provided. The same applies to rock artists. Add a flute to the sound of your band, a harp (or, best of all, Scottish bagpipes – a reliable option, even if you play furious black metal), and you can call it the same “Celtic rock”.
The Celts do not care, they have long been extinct, but the audience will grow significantly – exotic always attracts. To heighten the entourage, you can include a few songs about “the mighty Finn”, “the hero of Cuchulain” or “Green Erin” in the program – still most of those who came to your concert do not know what this means, but they will surely feel respect for the band that uses Creativity such clever, and, undoubtedly, truly Celtic words. And in any case, do not forget the bagpipes. A good piper will make you a positive image and good fees, even if you clearly lack talent.
You can often hear the phrase: “This group is not authentic, they have an electric guitar, but these – they certainly play the real, authentic Celtic folk.” Let’s see – and whether it happens at all, authentic, and even Celtic, folk.
