This groundbreaking show on Raidió na Gaeltachta takes the audience behind the scenes of the creative process of song writing. Three musicians are placed in a studio for 12 hours tasked with writing and recording three new songs as Gaeilge in that time.
Throughout the show, presented by Cian Mac Cárthaigh, every side of the song-writing process is heard; from the first few notes, the creation of new lyrics to the final product, no stone is left unturned as three musicians, often from different backgrounds and genres come together.
Although the artists all have their own expertise to bring to the table, they are helped along the way by well-known music producer Karl Odlum. As well as Karl, Cian Mac Cárthaigh also works as a producer for the project with Lisa McGeough while Fearghal Saxe is there as the group's sound engineer. The whole team can be heard throughout the show discussing, deliberating, and delivering brand-new music on the spot.
Tugann 'An Seisiún’ léargas cluthar don éisteoir ar nós go bhfuil siad sa stiúideo iad fhéin i measc lucht déanta an cheoil. Le linn an tseó, tagann ceoltóirí agus amhránaithe ó réimsí an-éagsúil lena chéile ar son na sprice céanna. Tríd an meascán stíle agus seánra de, feictear an tslí gur féidir leis an gceol Gaeilge an íomhá seanfhaiseanta, traidisiúnta a shárú is na healaíontóirí i mbun gach sórt cheol a thabhairt le chéile. Thar na heagráin, cloistear meascán do cheol ar an sean-nós, rapcheol, ceol tíre, popcheol, hip-hop agus níos mó.
During An Seisiún's, hour-long run-time the listener has the chance to be totally immersed in an aspect of music, rarely seen (or heard) by the public. Usually, only the end product of these sorts of endeavours gets released for mass consumption. The show, therefore, offers great escapism for music fanatics and casual listeners alike. Listeners can tune in to An Seisiún every Sunday night from 7pm but the full back-catalogue is available online.
An Seisiún has a seriously impressive line-up in terms of the musicians and singers on its books. John Spillane perhaps stands out as more of a 'household name’ with his decades of work in the music industry. Many listeners will also recognise the likes of Doireann Ní Ghlacáin, Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin, Róisín Seoighe, Oisín Mc, Síomha, Ciara Ní É, and lots more however. These names are just a small sample of a new generation of creatives and artists who write and work as Gaeilge and are changing and modernising the image of music and the arts through the medium of Irish.
Is cuid ollmhór do thraidisiún an cheoil iad na seisiúin. Fud fad na tíre agus fud fad an domhain, tagann grúpa cheoltóirí le chéile chun ceol a chasadh, chun aithne a chur ar a chéile agus chun cultúr an cheoil a ceiliúradh. Tá ‘An Seisiún’ tar éis casadh nua a thabhairt don thraidisiún agus é a chur chun cinn i measc an phobail go ginearálta. De ghnáth, bheadh ar dhaoine dul chun seisiúin a aimsiú ach anois is féidir ceann a tharraingt isteach id’ theach féin, sa charr nó aon áit a mbíonn tú ag éisteacht.
An Seisiún broadcasts every Sunday at 7 pm on Raidió na Gaeltachta and is also available online here.
