Bagad 1st anniversary Fest Noz: 20th Nov. 2010
Bagad New York held a traditional breton party to celebrate its first anniversary in New York City.
Was lot’s of fun dancing on some traditional breton folk dancing.
Bagad thanks his very good friends who contributed to the night, from the beginning to the end.
A special thanks to Meli-Melo & Bec-Fins for the tremendous food we had beside of the dance floor.
Thanks also for all volunteers who allow us to get focus on the music.
Videos
Photos
On Stage
For its first anniversary, the bagad was very proud to be joined by some good friends in New York City.
We had some relative Folk Music super-stars for the night, with musicians from the piping- and folk-scenes:
• Calum Pasqua
Calum is a Scottish fiddler from Brooklyn, New York. As a youth he learned classical violin technique, Scottish fiddle music and Highland pipes. Calum was the first American to compete in and win the Glenfiddich Scottish Fiddle Championship in 2007. He is also a New England Scottish Fiddle Champion, and winner of the Aboyne Prize given by the Marquis of Huntley. Calum is Director of Strings at Hewlett High School and performs in the trio “Parcel of Rogues” with Susie Petrov and Dan Houghton.
• Tom Pixton
Tom is active in the traditional dance music scene in the Boston area, playing for Balkan, Scottish and International events. In 1991, after participating in a variety of recreational dance events for a few years, he was introduced to the accordion, an instrument with which he was previously unfamiliar. Within minutes, he realized a vivid rapport with the instrument, and within weeks, was playing for dance events. Since then, he has become one of Boston’s more versatile traditional dance musicians. In addition to playing accordion and piano, he also works as a band leader, arranger, composer, music publisher, and graphic designer.
• Alex Bartholomew
Alex first began piping with the Middlefort Pipe Band and later with the Schenectady Pipe Band. Currently he plays with the Capitol Region Region Celtic Pipe Band. Alex first learned about Breton music in his teens, from Mike MacNintch and Gordie Peters, and quickly learned to play the Bombarde and Biniou. In 2010, he traveled to Brittany twice to play with Bagad Kerlenn Pondi. He was the first American to play Bombarde in a bagad at the Lorient Interceltic Festival. Alex is the Penn Talabarde (head of the Bombarde section) for Bagad New York.
• Sean Buchta
Sean is the Pipe Sergent of Roisin Dubh Pipe Band in Long Island. An experienced solist, he has fostered a passion for breton music since he was a kid. His only connection with breton music was through CDs, until he played with Bagad bro Kemperle for the Bagad Championships in 2009. Sean is the Penn Biniou (breton for Pipe Major) of Bagad New York.
• Stephen Gara
A stalwart of the Irish trad scene in London for many years, Stephen plays Highland pipes, Uilleann pipes, whistles, Cittern and Banjo. He is a former member of the Fintan Lawlor Pipe Band of Dublin, and The Pride of Murray Pipe Band of London, and has toured Europe playing in various folk rock bands.
• Nick Hudson
Originally from Maryland, Nick’s adopted home for the past several years has been Pittsburgh, where he recently graduated with a B.A. in Bagpiping from Carnegie Mellon University. A pupil of Alasdair Gillies, Nick has won many prizes at the highest levels of solo competition, more recently, the overall prize at the United States Piping Foundation invitational in 2010. Nick is a multi-instrumentalist, and as a performer, is well versed in both traditional and contemporary piping.
• Mike MacNintch
Mike “The Nintch” has been piping since 1977, first in the Syracuse Scottish Pipe Band, then the Manchester Pipe Band since 1986 and also leads the Driscoll Memorial Pipe Band. He has toured the East Coast with The Chieftains several times, and has performed with many artists, including Revels, The Paul Winter Consort, Neil Anderson, and Ad Vielle Que Pourra. Mike first experienced Breton music in 1980, hearing recordings of Alan Stivell and the duo Baron/Anneix. During the 1990′s he learned dancing and music from Ad Vielle Que Pourra, Vents D’oust, and Dremwel, and played for Breton dancing at various events in the Northeast along with friends. He plays Bombarde, Biniou Koz and Veuze, as well as Highland and Scottish Smallpipes. Mike has traveled to Brittany twice to play with Bagad Bro Kemperle.
• Samuel Frère
A native of Guingamp, Brittany, Samuel is a post doctorate at Columbia University. Beside teaching Breton Dance for the bzh-ny Breton association, he has also started singing traditionnal breton dance songs, a year ago, with Yoann.
• Yoann Le Goff
Yoann is a piper from Brittany, he landed in Stamford 4 years ago with his pipes and participated in many folk events in the Northeast including previous fest-noz in New York, Chieftains shows, Folk dancing in New York and Boston, …
In November he will be performing in pipes and also a-capella with Samuel.
• Jake Otto
Jake began playing the bass drum for the Manchester Pipe Band of Connecticut in his teens, and learned about bagadou at this time. Currently he is the bass drummer for the City of Washington Pipe Band and Bagad New York. Jake was one of the first Americans to travel to Brittany to play with Bagad Bro Kemperle and has competed with in 2009 and 2010.