Under the guidance of public relations manager, Barney Whelan, the Electricity Supply Board has been lending its support to many artists and organisations throughout Ireland. Prior to Whelan's arrival in 1994, they were sponsors of The National Children's Choir, a role they took up in 1992. They were also what you might call silent sponsors to many other organisations but, in the late nineties, they began to take a more active and visible role in the worlds of arts, culture - and music.
In 1996 the ESB set up a partnership with Music Network, an organisation which is dedicated to making music accessible to people everywhere regardless of circumstances or location. Focusing primarily on classical, traditional and jazz music, this partnership was instrumental in the setting up of the West Clare Jazz School in 1999. Directed by Dr Louis Stewart, the school has gone from strength to strength, bringing the very best in jazz tutorials to enthusiasts of all levels, from beginners to advanced students. 1999 was also the year that the ESB came on board to facilitate the brainchild of Gerry Godley, director of the Improvised Music Company (IMC), and so began the ESB Dublin Jazz Festival. This event is eagerly awaited by the jazz community and recognised as an extremely important event in the calendar. The ESB Jazz Series, a series of high-profile extraordinary jazz concerts in Vicar Street, Dublin run by Ben Jackson of Note Productions has also come under this umbrella.
The ESB Routes in Rhythm Series began in May last year and was a huge success, bringing world music to Dublin in association with the IMC and Gerry Godley. Two of this year's eight concert's have already taken place. First was Khanda (Ireland) and the Karnataka College of Percussion from India. Together they had just completed a tour of India and gave a brilliant and invigorating end of tour concert here in Dublin. The performance included a piece written by Ronan Guilfoyle for the combined talents of both groups. This proved beyond all doubt Ronan's talent and ability to get into the soul of different musical styles and create a brilliant piece of music which crosses all barriers, fulfilling the ethos of Routes in Rhythm which is to bring musicians together, proving that music transcends language and borders. The second concert in the series was La Botine Souriante from Quebec which consisted of a musical blend of Cajun, Folk and Irish tinged with a little jazz. This indeed brought the house down in Vicar Street. The remainder of the series promises to be equally stimulating with Sawt El Atlas from Morrocco on April 20. In May, Vocal Sampling from Rio De Janeiro, July sees Joyce and The Jazz Jamacian Allstars in Ireland. During October Les Mysteres De Voix Bulgares come from Sofia, Bulgaria and, in December, The Night in Havana Orchestra will bring the 2001 series to a fitting climax.
That's not all for the ESB is also involved in the World Music Summer School, launched last September, as well as a plethora of other artistic and cultural endeavours including theatre awards, dance initiatives with Coiscéim Dance Theatre and an involvement in Temple Bar's Diversions activities. It's a pretty full list - and there's something there for everyone.
