Cantara – Scottish “Celtic” band play Fornaci

Posted by editor on 5/02/09 • Categorized as bagpipes, music, scotland, tradition

As part of the 1st May Festival in Fornaci di Barga, one of the events was a Scottish Market with Mike Lemetti and also live music from the band Cantara. Cantara are a Scottish “Celtic” band who play a fusion of Scottish and Irish traditional music, with strong Latin, jazz and reggae influences.. The band are well known in Scotland, having won the prestigious award for best newcomers at the Celtic Connections Festival in Glasgow 2005. This was followed by notable concerts and festivals, including supporting the Afro Celts at a major concert and at “Celtica” in Val d’Aosta, a festival which attracted 35 thousand people.

The band have played regularly in Italy, including Celtic festivals in Treviso and Trieste. The best known musician in the band is bagpiper Louise Marshall Millington. She is the daughter of a famous bagpiper, William Joseph Marshall of Gretna Green.

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Percussionist Hazel Morrison is also a fine singer with her own solo career. The band also comprises of Martin Struthers, who plays spanish and electric guitars, and Andy McKean on bass, who is no stranger to Barga.