Micho Russell (1915 - 1994)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.ย. 2024
- Micho Russell was born in 1915 in Doolin, Co. Clare. The area is rugged and windswept and looks straight across to the Aran Islands. Both his parents were native Irish speakers but spoke English to their children. The people of the area grew their own potatoes, kept a few animals and cut turf for winter warmth.
Practically every house had a cheap German concertina played usually by the woman of the house. The people gathered in designated houses for a 'cuaird' or 'soiree' - a night of storytelling, singing and dancing. The youngsters would be listening and gradually become absorbed in the culture. As they got older they were allowed to join and eventually provided the music. Micho heard a tin whistle being played, thought it sounded lovely and got his first Clarke at age 11 from his father. Patrick Flanagan, a concertina player in the neighbourhood, showed Micho the scale and he took it from there. Later he got a wooden flute and in time played for those house dances in the company of his brother Pakie (concertina) and Gus (flute). Up until the 1960's Micho with his brothers worked the land and played music for pastime and enjoyment. Gradually the house dances waned and music moved into pubs like O' Connors and McGanns.
Tony McMahon persuaded Micho to do a 'spot' in Slattery's, Capel Street, Dublin in the mid 60's - Pakie and Gus were just not interested in leaving the homestead. The uniqueness and simplicity of the man and his music astounded his audience and more and more engagements followed. Apart from his music, his listeners were enthralled by his folklore, intros to his pieces and singing of local songs. He did radio and TV broadcasts and became Ireland's ambassador as he was invited all over Europe and USA. When he was back in Clare, Doolin became a major tourist attraction and a mecca for musicians all the year round. Sadly, he was killed in a motoring accident on the 19th of February 1994.
Micho's music is devoid of over ornamentation but its uniqueness is characterised by his use of short phrases, stops and tonguing. It articulates the concertina music of his youth - simple, unadorned but very rhythmic. Even the tapping of his feet for accompaniment is unusual - he used to tap both the down beat and upbeat of the tune.
I was in O'Connor's bar with my two young children in about 1985. Micho Russell who I knew of but had never met, sat next to us, pulled out his whistle and played for ages. The kids loved it. He was still playing when we left. It was magical.
I was in Doolin when I was 24 and met Micho at O'Connor's pub through mutual friends. He took a shine to me, said I reminded him of a girl he dated when he was younger. He spent five days trying to convince me to marry him, and even walked all the way to Lisdoonvarna with me trying to change my mind. He was SO sweet! And I got a lot of private music from him as we walked! I returned years later, after he passed, and laid a rose on his grave. He was the first man to propose to me!
Such a sweet lovely memory thank you for sharing ♥️
Thanks for the memories... Donegal makes the magic happen.
Of all the tin whistles playing styles that I have heard Micho's seems the most pleasing to my ears.
I love this accent..I understand every word Its the authentic west County Clare accent..and his style of playing is also distinct. R.I.P.Micho.
I love how this music was preserved through grass root revolutions, no propaganda, or frills, just individual people sharing class music on TH-cam etc.
It shows something about the character of a people when there are more good traditional Irish music videos, than from almost any other "world" genre posted here for free.
Videos like this show the Irish are very generous, honest, open, as well as fiercely independent. With the Irish there is no pointless intermediary between people and culture. You can't carry an impediment on self expression when you share as much richness as these people share. Free thinkers here, no sheep, no liars, no petty hierarchies.
A refreshing dose of passion in the face of apathy, a refreshing dose of humanity in the face of selfishness, that's what these videos represent to me.
Thank you clarebannerman .
Go raibh míle maith agat...and if you need a translation of what Micho is saying I can give it to you....Micho and his brothers were the musicians that attracted thousands to O'Connor's Pub in Doolin, County Clare in the 70's/80's....The craic(fun in Irish) was mighty ..music to bring any man or woman to their senses..Remember being there with a lady friend one night and one of the locals offered me bed & breakfast for free....Go ndeana Dia trocaire ar a anam dilis...
"music to bring any man or woman to their senses" yep!
My mother was a good friend of Micho, he was a gentleman.
Lovely style one of greats
'tis often I pass the spot where he was killed and I say a prayer for the repose of his soul. I heard him play in Gussie's a few times. Big in body and in soul.
The Micho Russell Festival has become a truly great event every February in Doolin. I love it best the week before and after because of the local musicians that come to play Traditional music. Everyone should go at least once.
What a great man of music.
micho had a lovely top D on the whistle. his own style, never imitated. great economy, pure.
He was a great man, a lovely person, God rest his soul. He was in Germany on several occasions with the "Irish Folk Festival on Tour" in the 1970s, and I met him at the Fleadh Cheoil na Mumhain (can´t do the fadas, sorry) for a session. I played a bit of tin whistle myself, but when I heard him at the session, I nearly cried and wanted to break my whistle and tear up my book of tin whistle notes.
Never before or after have I heard anyone with such a natural talent for that instrument.
Ich war selbst schon oft in Doolin. Man liebt diese Musik oder nicht. Unglaublich mitreißend.
I met and talked for a while with Micho in the pub in Doolin many years ago - Lovely fellow. Bless him.
Up the Banner!
Thanks for posting this ,I'd heard and read about the great MIcho Russell but never had the pleasure of hearing him play.
God Bless ye Micho
The real McCoy...! We owe so much to those before us, who kept traditional tunes alive.... that said, these tunes have a life of their own. In my mind's eye, I can Micho leaning on a five-bar gate, looking out across the fields and playing great tunes to himself, simply for the joy of it. Thanks for posting this great video clip
I met him in Lisdoonvarna, back in the early 1990s at the hotel that was owned by the town's mayor at the time. He was teaching Irish music history classes to visiting tour groups. Amazing repertoire of tunes, vast musical knowledge and wonderful charm. I got a brief lesson on the tin whistle, and came away with a book of his collected folktunes, and some happy memories.
Bamboosera Gardenista
This is LOVELY. Thank you! 🙌
learned a couple of songs from an lp i bought in newry back in the day ,,great respect for micho,,,ree raw,,,,,
They certainly haven't forgotten him in Doolin, where he and his brothers lived on a farm outside the town. The few pubs and stores in the small town all had his albums for sale when I was there twelve or so years ago.
Muy bella y natural interpretación. Además demuestra alegría al hacerlo. Gracias por tan buen trabajo
This great. He is so talented and so modest.
Fabulous playing...thanks for posting!
Like Micho, this performance is a rare gem! A great study in control, timing, and having FUN for aspiring whistle players like myself. Thanks for the post!
Brilliant playing, the best.
Thanks for putting that video on I met him a few times and love his music
Thanks so much for posting this, loved it
Another gem brought to us by Clarebannerman. Fair play, to you, good man.
Tops ever Micho Russell
I met him for Christmas in Doolin in 1974…
Can't wait for the Memorial Weekend this year, a few days to go.
Amazing person rip xxx irish to the bone 😘
lovely
Píosa iontach - ón t-am úd a raibh ceann gruaige ag Iarla.
This is great. I wish I could play as well.
I was in Doolin several times in the early 70s. First time with my fiancee, Micko triend very hard to continue her to marry him, instead of me. Bad luck for him, she is my wife now since 50 years. I drove him around to all parts of Clare an Connemara. My competitor, but a great man !
Guy Bruyndonckx
man is a legend
class! Great man!
Thaks for posting now he was the pure drop alright great fellow
legend
the best a real trad player certainly better than the speed merchants of to day pure drop traditional
Well said..Great old days in O'Connor's Pub Doolin..Micho, Packie and Gussie...Ni fheicimid a leithead aris..
.
yes yes yes ya boy ya!
ONREAL!
No Sir...it's far more important than that..it's a County Clare accent.
1:15 music starts
Noel Hill on his right if I'm not mistaken
Old Generation. The modern ones don't work anymore. It's a pity ...
Wrong on two counts, sir.
One, it's not a Generation whistle that Micho Russell is playing there, it's an Oak whistle (another brand of cheap whistles of the "Generation type) that a friend brought back from the USA.
Second, Generation whistles are fine, I've bought several recently (and many more over the last 40 years) and they are perfectly good whistles.
What’s the name of the tunes? i couldn’t understand what he was saying
"The South West Wind" and "The Little Black Pig"
@@clarebannerman cheers, you’re a legend
is that Noel Hill next to Micho?
Yes...
@@clarebannerman He looks much more relaxed and easy going these days. Back in the day he often came across as being a bit uptight, which was exacerbated by his choice of glasses that wouldn't have looked out of place when used as a windscreen on a Bus Éireann coach.
The man has gone through a lot..He was almost murdered in a physical attack in a pub in Connemara some years ago.
@@clarebannerman Yes, I've heard about that sad story.
I'm about a five minute walk from the crosses of annagh right now... anyone who knows what that means say hello
It's the west Clare accent!
He is like the Irish version of the older brother who gets flown in from Sicily to shut up Frankie Five Fingers ...
His ornamentation is so crips. You can barely see his finger move on cuts
Is it just me or does the interviewer look a lot like Iarla O'Lionaird?
yo
Nope, its about art....
play the TUNE not what your playing it with!
He played like he'd been taught by the fairy folk, eh?
Is that an English accent?
Yea ..and if me aunt had balls she'd be me uncle...It's Irish to the core but more importantly it's a County Clare accent..west Clare in particular.
@@clarebannerman
No, it's a pure upperclass English accent - very like the MP Jacob Rees Mogg.
Check him out.
Fiw tuins
This needs English subtitles.
Eurotrash4367 u need this💩
The Micho Russell Festival has become a truly great event every February in Doolin. I love it best the week before and after because of the local musicians that come to play Traditional music. Everyone should go at least once.
The real McCoy...! We owe so much to those before us, who kept traditional tunes alive.... that said, these tunes have a life of their own. In my mind's eye, I can Micho leaning on a five-bar gate, looking out across the fields and playing great tunes to himself, simply for the joy of it. Thanks for posting this great video clip
The Micho Russell Festival has become a truly great event every February in Doolin. I love it best the week before and after because of the local musicians that come to play Traditional music. Everyone should go at least once.