Teasgal from Gormacha by Clare Sands, I Have a Tribe
The four-part music and film project, ‘Gormacha’, [pronounced GUR-MA-KA] treads a musical path between the four most extreme geographical points in Ireland. Tracing the line between rugged land and stormy seas, Gormacha interweaves Irish folklore, language, and personal responses to our natural world.
The first release ‘Teasgal’ [pronounced [CHAS-GAL] (a singing wind in a storm) features Mayo based alt-folk songwriter Patrick O’Laoghaire, AKA I Have A Tribe. Written completely in the Irish language, ‘Teasgal’ is a mystical incantation that breathes new life into ancient words and worlds. It is a song of love and longing, and a call to protect the natural world and seas that we are fast destroying. With gentle piano, Cohen-esque vocals, and fervent fiddle playing all building from the stillness of a deep, dark sea to the cinematic crashing of the west Cork waves.
The mesmerizing accompanying video, directed and shot by visual artists and twin sisters Liadain and Kasia Kaminska, captures the calm and tumult of Teasgal. Wanting to find a location where the land and sea meet, the duo explain: ‘The way we filmed this video reminded us of the race against time we currently face as a planet. The wind and waves picked up as we shot, with water coming over the pier, we literally raced against the rising tide.”
‘Teasgal’ is the first in a series of four songs that are deeply personal and universal, sensual and spiritual, ancient and new. Navigating music, film, and photography, ‘Gormacha’ journeys into the darkness, but seeks to find solace and celebration ‘between the devil and the deep blue sea.’
Stream/Watch ‘Teasgal’ here: https://youtu.be/eWcmunffDvU
Tracklist
| 1. | Clare Sands, I Have a Tribe - Teasgal | 4:39 |
Lyrics
Gan ruaim, gan duan
Ach tuille is trá
Tar liom mo foinse, mo chuisle, mo ghrá
Gan fuam, gan tuam
Is tusa lom nocht
Teasgal, teasgal
Mo dhriúillín, mo bheilicín
I nduibhe na mbánna
Briseadh an aife
An aife, i gcasadh an cala
Tar liom, mo foinse, mo chuisle, mo ghrasa
Teasgal, teasgal
Tar liom, mo chuisle, mo foinse, mo ghrasa
Teasgal, teasgal
Glossary of Words & Phrases
Teasgal - A singing wind in a storm
Beilicín - narrow passage of water
Aife - the ebb of the tide
Cala- port/haven/harbour
Foinse - source/the well/spring
Driúillín - Ripple of water
Tuille is trá - Ebb and Flow
I nduibhe na mbánna- in the depths of the bays
Duan - poem/ ong
Mo bhuíochas - An Sanasán Uisce - The Water Glossary - Carol Anne Connolly
Credits
Composed, Produced, & Arranged by Clare Sands & I Have A Tribe
Viola / Vocals - Clare Sands
Piano / Vocals - I Have A Tribe
Mixed at Wavefield Studios
Mastered by Philip Shaw Bova
Filmed by Liadain Ní Bhraonáin and Kasia Kaminska
Edited by Liadain Ní Bhraonáin
Supported by the The Arts Council of Ireland Traditional Arts Project Award
License
All rights reserved.
Channeling the music of her ancestors, Clare Sands is a unique force in Irish music. Weaving traditional roots with Contemporary sounds and influences, Sands sings for the young and the old, brave and the bold.
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'Sands excavates into Ireland's ancient myths & landscapes whilst exploring the political exigencies of it's here and now... A bold beautiful album brimming with ideas' -Songlines