Dublin-born uilleann piper Kevin Rowsome has put over five years of research into ancient traditional Irish music for his new album 'Cuisle Cheol na bPíob'.
Being the fifth generation of uilleann pipers and pipe makers in his family, Kevin was immersed in the world of traditional Irish music from an early age. He started learning the uilleann pipes at six years of age under the guidance of his grandfather Leo. After Leo's untimely death in 1970, Kevin continued his pipe lessons with his father, Leon. He also played Clarinet and Saxophone with the Artane Boys Band during his teenage years. The contribution of Leo Rowsome in particular is well documented, and there are two events held annually dedicated to him and the Rowsome family tradition.
Kevin analysed the archives of the Traditional Music Archive, Na Piobairi Uilleann and Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann deciding on material for this recording; in doing so he sourced archival music from an array of music collections, including the Colclough, Darley, Goodman, Joyce, MacLean, O'Farrell, O'Neill, Petrie, Rowsome and Ryan collection from as far back as the early 19th century. In many instances, he transposed and adapted the tunes to suit the uilleann pipes and most have never been recorded before.
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'The Very Man/The Bee in the Bonnet' are two of Kevin’s own compositions. “I think that ‘The Very Man’ is quite well suited to the pipes," he says. "To a certain degree I had that in mind when I wrote it. I composed ‘The Bee in the Bonnet’ a couple of years ago while abroad on holidays.”
The album also features another self-composition, an air named 'Cuisle Ceoil an Bhlascaoid (the musical pulse of the Blasket Islands)'. It was awarded first place in a competition that was set up to find the most suitable musical piece to commemorate the Blasket Islands, off the coast of County Kerry.
Elsewhere, 'An Buachaill Caol Dubh (The Dark Slender Boy)' is a tune that Kevin learned from his father, Leon. Both his father and grandfather Leo recorded that same air on solo uilleann piping recordings, Leon on the Glenside label in the early 1970's and Leo on his seminal recording 'Ri na Piobairi (King of the Piper's)' on the Claddagh label in 1959.
At the 2016 Fleadh Ceoil in Ennis, Co. Clare, Kevin, was presented with a Bardic Award from Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann in recognition for the significant contribution to the promotion of a variety of aspects of traditional Irish culture.
Cuisle Cheol na bPíob/The Musical Pulse Of The Pipes is available from www.kevinrowsome.com and Claddagh Records. For more of the latest trad music news and tunes, go to TradConnect.
