NEXT week's Belfast Folk Festival may well be director Nigel Martyn's last. If so, no one will hold it against him. Rescuing the event from the doldrums four years ago, taking it out of Queen's University and back into the pubs and mainstream city venues, moving it from Autumn to Summer and securing significant commercial sponsorship, Martyn turned the event around and came within a whisker of establishing it, as a major international event in the festival calendar, writes Colin Harper.
His relentless quest to bring the impossible to Belfast almost resulted last year in Joni Mitchell and Page & Plant, and did strike gold with Ry Cooder - persuading the man not only to come to Belfast, for a wonderful, packed out Ulster Hall performance, but to tour Europe on the back of it. The one thing Martyn's enthusiasm couldn't secure was the weather and just as last year's line up seemed to be the foundation on which to build thereafter, God dealt his hand. Open air events were washed out and indoor events were affected by a subsequent heatwave. Given that and the ceasefire breakdown, this year's programme, while excellent in itself is decidedly more conservative.
That said, the Wednesday 28th gig provides a totally unique opportunity to see two outstanding guitarists, Vishwa Mohan Bhatt and Chris Smither, perform on the same bill. Bhatt's Grammy winning album with Ry Cooder, A Meeting By The River, was recorded half an hour after the pair had met and Martyn will be doing his damndest to oil the wheels for this collaboration at The Empire.
A Green Linnet 20th Anniversary bash at The Elmwood Hall the following night, featuring Eileen Ivers, Trian and local signings Deanta is another highlight, while a colossal multi act bill of "loud" (Four Men & A Dog, etc) and "mellow" (Isaac Guillory, Sean Tyrell, etc) music taking place in the adjoining Ulster Hall/Group Theatre venues on Saturday 31st is a novel and exciting idea. Local acts, the best of the Irish pub circuit artists and genuine international names are all well represented and if this year does indeed prove the event's swansong, it'll be going out in style. For many, this year's climax will come when Scottish chanteuse Eddi Reader performs on Sunday September 1st at the Ulster Hall. Information/bookings on Belfast 313131.
