MUSIC

RUBA SHAMSHOUM AND DAVID ROONEY

Friday 8th July, doors 8pm

O’Reilly Theatre

Belvedere College, Great Denmark Street, Dublin 1

Tickets: €15

To book tickets, please click here

This years PalFest Ireland festival begins with a special treat – the thrilling live debut of DAVID ROONEY’S upcoming album.

Widely acclaimed as a visual artist, ROONEY is also an exceptional songwriter who’s eagerly-anticipated album has been produced by DECLAN O’ROURKE.

This unique PalFest performance at the O’REILLY THEATRE on Friday JULY 8th promises to be one of the musical highlights of the year.

Rooney’s studio band will be working with him on the night.  It features Conor Guilfoyle (drums), Jay Wilson (piano), Baz Rycraft (bass) and Ruba Shamshoum (vocals).

With his striking illustration work featuring in Hot Press, the Irish Times and in the Titanic Centre, among other platforms, ROONEY’S team are set to incorporate some breath-taking presentation ideas in their show including portraits from the recently published 1916: Portraits and Lives (Royal Irish Academy).

While contributing to Rooney’s set, RUBA SHAMSHOUM will also present her own transcendent repertoire which has been critically-acclaimed for its intoxicating mash-up of jazz harmonies and Middle Eastern musical influences.

Ruba’s involving songs have strong narratives about exile, hope and love. Her distinct jazz influences are allowed space to flourish with a band drawn from the elite of the Dublin jazz scene.

Orlando Molina (guitar), Matthew Jacobson (drums), Barry Rycraft (double bass) Aleka Potinga (cello) will accompany Ruba , with a special guest appearance by rising star RÍONA SALLY HARTMAN.

Completing the line-up of what promises to be a sensational evening, will be ROISÍN EL CHERIF, an Irish/Palestinian singer-songwriter who’s work has begun attracting attention internationally. Irish fans may have seen Roisín perform at the Ruby Sessions, Whelans or the Mná Mná gig at the Roisín Dubh in Galway.

TRAD4PALESTINE

Wednesday 13th July 2016, 9pm

The Cobblestone pub, Smithfield Square

A great evening of traditional Irish music in the home of trad, The Cobblestone pub in Smithfield. Join some of Ireland’s top musicians, grab a pint and enjoy some trad for Palestine!

IRELAND: BEACON OF BOYCOTT

Thursday 14th July, 6pm

The New Theatre

43 East Essex Street, Temple Bar

Tickets: €10 on the door

Come join a special guest Dublin Singer/Songwriter for an hour of music and talk and discussion on boycott, with Cathryn O’Reilly of the Dunnes Stores Strikers and Muhanad Al Qaisy from the Olive Tree Campaign in Bethlehem.

JAZZ4PALESTINE

Thursday 14th July 2016, doors 8:30pm (music 9pm)

JJ Smyths Pub

12 Aungier Street, Dublin 2

Tickets: €10 on the door

Join PalFest Ireland in the home of Jazz in Dublin, JJ Smyths, for an unmissable evening of  Palfest Jazz on July 14^th!

With a fantastic line up of artists this promises to be one of the great events for the festival.

Featuring Johnny Taylor (piano), Dave Fleming (bass) and Myles Drennan (drums).

Guests Carmel McCreagh and Fiachra Trench.

Ciaran Wilde.

Hugh Buckley.

Trevor Knight and Honor Heffernan.

And you never know who might appear on the night!

AHMED MASOUD and KILA

Friday 15th July, 8pm

Peacock Theatre

Under the Abbey Theatre, Lower Abbey Street, Dublin 1

Tickets: €20/€15 conc.

To book tickets, please click here

Palestinian playwright and author Ahmed Masoud will be teaming up with world-renowned trad band Kila for what promises to be an engaging and inspiring evening of literature and music in the Peacock Theatre!

Ahmed Masoud is a Gaza-born London-based Palestinian writer whose book Vanished was shortlisted for the Memo Palestinian Book Awards 2015. His theatre credits includeThe Shroud Maker (London 2015), Walaa, Loyalty (London 2014, funded by Arts Council England), Go to Gaza, Drink the Sea (London and Edinburgh 2009) and Escape from Gaza (BBC Radio 4, 2011). Ahmed is the founder of Al Zaytouna Dance Theatre (2005) where he wrote and directed several productions in London, with subsequent European tours. He was recently stopped by Israel from entering his homeland to take part in the Palestinian Festival of Literature, where he was due to read in an international programme headlined by Colum McCann and JM Coetzee.
Kila are one of Ireland’s best-known globe-trotting traditional music bands, who also co-composed and played the music for Oscar-nominated animation features The Book of Kells and The Song Of The Sea. They also composed and played music for the Prix Europa-winning radio series Francisco. They have produced more than 15 cds over their 20-year career, including Suas Síos, Lemonade and Buns, Tóg é Go Bog é.Kila are composed of Ronán O Snodaigh, Brian Hogan, Dee Armstrong, Colm Ó Snodaigh, Seanan Brennan, Rossa Ó Snodaigh and Dave Hingerty. www.kila.ie

WHEN STARS ALIGN

Festival Finale Concert

Saturday 16th July 2016, doors 8pm (show 8:30pm)

O’Reilly Theatre

Belvedere College, Great Denmark Street, Dublin 1

Tickets: €20

To book tickets, please click here

Join us in the O’Reilly Theatre for the final event in the PalFest Ireland Festival with a stellar line-up of singers, musicians and poetry, including Declan O’Rourke, Frances Black, Dylan Tighe, Steve Wall and Lisa Lambe!

Declan O’Rourke

O’Rourke’s songwriting style moves faultlessly between impressionism, and story telling, and can be at home in almost any form. A dynamic performer, he is at once as comfortable fronting a 50-piece orchestra, as playing solo with his trademark guitar and bass drum. Songs of O’Rourke’s have been covered by a growing list of established artists ranging from Christy Moore, to Eddi Reader, to Josh Groban. A sold-out, eight-night residency at New York City’s Donaghy Arts Theatre opened the doors for his first US release in 2013. Jon Pareles of The New York Times said of Declan’s performance: “Compassion, romance, a sense of mortality and a sense of history run through the songs of Declan O’Rourke, who tucks virtuosity into his guitar playing, with meticulous dynamics.”

Frances Black

France Black is an Irish singer and politician. She came to prominence in the 1980s when she began to play with her family’s band, The Black Family, performing a mix of traditional and contemporary Irish music. She has received rave reviews internationally, and was the recipient of the ‘Best Album by a Female’ award, by the IRMA. She has released many albums including Talk to Me, The Smile on Your Face and The Essential Frances Black.

Steve Wall

Steve Wall is an Irish singer, songwriter and actor, known primarily as the front man with legendary bands The Stunning and The Walls. The last few years have seen him appearing more on the small screen, featuring in shows such as Vikings, Silent Witness, Moone Boy and recently as detective Coleman in RTE’s “Rebellion”. Steve has penned some of the best-known songs in Irish rock music: Brewing up a Storm, Romeo’s on Fire, Half Past Two, and To the Bright and Shining Sun, to mention just a few. Both bands have enjoyed numerous number one and top twenty hits and their songs have featured in movies such as The Snapper (1993), On the Edge (2001) and Begin Again (2014).

Dylan Tighe

Musician, actor and award-winning theatre-maker Dylan Tighe released his second album ‘Wabi-Sabi Soul’ in April 2016 to great acclaim. The Irish Times hailed the album as ” framing reflective music with remarkable eloquence” with RTÉ describing Dylan as “one of the most fascinating and inventive voices in the Irish underground”. His radio drama for RTÉ ‘Record’ based around his debut album of the same name, was nominated for the Prix Europa Radio Prize.

Lisa Lambe

Irish actress and singer Lisa Lambe has recently returned from Glastonbury preforming on the Solar World Stage. She has toured to many venues around the country and in the US to coincide with the release of her debut solo album ‘Hiding Away’.

Hiding Away was recorded in Nashville with some of the worlds finest musicians, including multi Grammy Award winners, and top session players. Lisa has sought a live, not overproduced sound, that is essentially acoustic folk but with beautiful touches of country.

She is a renowned actress and vocalist who has appeared in top theatrical productions across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Lisa’s theatre work includes lead roles in plays diverse as ‘’The Train “ “Anna Karenina” to “The Shaughraun”, “Sweeney Todd” ‘The Dead” to much contemporary theatre. Her lead role of “Philomena O Shea” in Rough Magic’s musical “Improbable Frequency” led to a nomination for the Best Supporting Actress Award at The Irish Times Theatre Awards. Lisa recently filmed The Bloody Irish for PBS television in the US and will be travelling to Broadway with the show as one of the leading actors in the role of Elizabeth O’Farrell.

Hiding Away’ is out now available from HMV/XtraVision Ireland and digitally online from Lisa’s Website lisalambe.ie

Lisa will be joined on the night by guitarist Ewan Cowley.

The gig will be followed by music from DJ Billy O’Hanluain. Join us to end PalFest Ireland on a note of music and dancing and celebration!