Celtic Connections

Jan 14 2011 by Alison Anderson, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

THERE was no post-gig partying for Perthshire piping ace Ross Ainslie – one of the line-up of prestigious Scottish and Indian musicians who last night opened the 2011 Celtic Connections festival with an exciting fusion concert, The Pulse of World featuring globally-renowned tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain.

Ross, who is based near Dunkeld, is back on festival duties in Glasgow Royal Concert Hall this morning at 11am joining 35 young musicians for a schools concert.

Ross has been one of four musicians working with young people from Indian and Scottish traditions who came together last autumn to explore each other’s music and create their own arrangements and compositions.

Then tonight Ross re-locates down Sauchiehall Street to the O2 ABC where 13-piece supergroup The Treacherous Orchestra return to the scene of their main-stage debut during Celtic Connections 2009.

Ross reckons it was his involvement with the innovative India Alba which led to the call to be part of the Celtic Connections’ opening concert and the schools’ project. Ross is one of two Scottish traditional musicians who combine with two Indian classical musicians to play music showing there are no boundaries between them.

“The Pulse of the World concert has been interesting,” said Ross. “I was asked by Donald Shaw (Celtic Connections’ artistic director) to be part of it, because of India Alba, and I said yes straight away.

“Zakir Hussain is The Man, a percussion god who is also a really nice guy. I knew all the Scottish and Irish musicians involved in the concert but we didn’t meet the Indian musicians until we started rehearsals on Monday afternoon, so that was interesting!

“It’s a busy week and I’m doing a lot of juggling and no partying, but I just love Celtic Connections. There’s just so much going on,” added Ross, who starts work on a solo album once this 17-day feast of roots music closes.

Celtic Connections, supported by ScottishPower, runs until January 30.

Other Perthshire musicians appearing during the festival include Dougie MacLean OBE (January 21), Patsy Reid, Methven’s Ali Hutton, Jock Duncan from Pitlochry and Sheila Stewart, Blairgowrie.

See www.celticconnections.com or telephone 0141 353 8000.