Imagine for a while that you are in the courtyard of an old fur trading fort next to the Missouri River. The banner of the American Fur Company floats in the gentle breeze with a clear blue sky behind. In front of you is the trading post and warehouse and behind you are some Blackfoot tipis. Then the music starts: a singer from County Cork in Ireland opens with a song in his native language (Gaelic) accompanied with hammered dulcimer. At the end of the song the musicians explain their instruments and then move on to a concert which includes sitar (that’s a classical musical instrument from India) ragas, songs from the Appalachian Mountains, and a delightful piece about Leprechaun Stew. They play about 30 different musical instruments and explain each as they perform. The group was Four Shillings Short and the location was Old Fort Benton, Montana.
Four Shillings Short is composed of the husband and wife team of Aodh Og O’Tuama and Christy Martin. Aodh Og O’Tuama has a music degree from University College, Cork, Ireland. Christy Martin, from California, learned to play sitar with a protégé of Indian master artist Ravi Shankar. Their website can be found here
Welcome to Street Prophets Saturday. This is an open thread where you can share about your interesting musical experiences, what’s going on in your life, what you are thinking about, and, most important, what’s for dinner?