From the very beginning, the folk band Ballycotton has seen itself as a global turntable bringing together different cultures throughout the world. Therefore the term "Irish folk" is much too restrictive to describe this unique musical project. It is right and fitting that Ballycotton is named after an Irish fishing village, where its founder Alex Koenig spent many happy childhood days. Ireland is, and always will be, one of the leading nations in music in Europe. So it is no surprise that Ireland is the only country which has an instrument on its flag - the Irish harp.For more than 1000 years there has been an efficient cultural interchange between Ireland and Austria. Irish monks brought Christianity to the heathen tribes in Austria. In the year 1003, the Irish monk 'Koloman' became a martyr in Austria, and in 2003 Ballycotton played a concert in commemoration in the halls of the monastery in Melk, where the remains of this saint are buried.Ballycotton originated in Lower Austria, which lies in the east of Austria, where Asian and European tribes clashed for thousands of years. A positive result of this was that an open-minded and jovial type of man started to evolve, attached to the fine arts, and for whom it was normal to combine different cultural influences to form a harmonious whole. Ballycotton want to continue that tradition. The band successfully merges the musical styles from different cultures, letting them develop into something special, something completely new.
Me in the Middle
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