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Paula Bilá is a singer-songwriter from Chiclana, Spain, currently based in Amsterdam. She began her musical journey at the age of nine, studying viola at a conservatory.
It was during these formative years that she discovered her passion for songwriting and singing, which has since become the core of her career.

Her debut album, Love & Hate, was created during her five years living in southern Ireland. Produced by guitarist Bill Shanley, known for his work with Mary Black and Ray Davies, the album was released in both Spain and Ireland and was featured at the Canadian Music Week festival in 2014.

In 2017, Paula recorded her second album, Choices, in Madrid with producer Manu Sanz. The album was launched at the iconic Galileo Galilei venue and marked a significant milestone in her career.
In 2020, driven by a desire to reconnect with her roots, Paula moved back to Cádiz. During this period, she began a duo project with double bassist Joan Masana. They recorded new music through a series of live videos and toured extensively across Spain and Europe, participating in jazz festivals such as the Copenhagen Jazz Festival.

Now based in the Netherlands, Paula continues this project with Italian double bassist Mauro Cottone. They are working on a new album and have performed at notable Dutch venues, including De Rode Bioscoop with the AMARTE concert series, the Grachten Festival, and Pand P Podium in Eindhoven. They are also planning to record a trio album with renowned drummer Giacomo Camiletti.

In addition to her duo project, Paula is actively involved in other jazz initiatives. She is a member of The Leaning in Underground quartet, which is set to release an album in October 2024. Paula has also participated in the Fuensanta Music Project, performing at Teatro Barrio Alto in Lisbon and De Doelen in Rotterdam. Additionally, she has been involved in jazz projects in Spain, including the Andalucia Big Band and the Clasijazz Big Band Pro.”
Paula’s music seamlessly blends jazz and folk influences with her Spanish heritage, reflecting her ongoing evolution as an artist.

<<This event is free as part of Culture Night however due to limited capacity you must register for a ticket in order to attend>>

Mohammad Syfkhan

Mohammad Syfkhan is an Irish based Kurdish/Syrian singer and Bouzouki player. Mohammad’s own brand of ecstatic music takes elements from Middle Eastern and North African music to create an atmosphere of joy, love and happiness. Since arriving in Ireland, Mohammad has used the language of music to integrate into the local community by playing at private parties and concerts. He has been playing music since the 1980’s, while living in the city of Raqqa, Syria  where he began working as a professional singer and started his own band, The Al-Rabie Band which played concerts, parties, weddings and festivals all over Syria. His debut album ‘I Am Kurdish’ came out on Nyahh Records in February.

“Syfkhan takes his domestic influences and fuses them with music from beyond those regions, from North African folk rhythms to Turkish psychedelia. It’s a glorious alembic not bound by borders, where Mohammad himself brings a cultivated exuberance to his playing that belies his vintage.”
The Quietus

“His bouzouki playing, all coiling melodies, gliding shreds and emotional drive, is obviously a crucial component. So it fits that the first sounds to speak out from the grooves are the poised trills from Syfkhan’s buzuq, tempting you into the swirling uplift” – Backseat Mafia

”No one would be left sitting to this.” – Klof Mag

Folk Americana trio The Raines (Juliana Erkkonen, Yvonne Tiernan and Ruth Dillon) are delighted to make their first appearance at the Clonakilty International Guitar Festival as part of their 2025 Summer Tour. Following on from recently appearing as special guests to Hothouse Flowers, Mick Flannery, and the White Horse Guitar Club, the band will bring new music as well as songs from their album Reverie. As always, their lyrics, cleverly arranged songs, glorious harmonies, and lush strings will guarantee that you are in for a special evening.

“The Raines put me in mind of something from Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue from 1975 — particularly with the parts with Scarlet Rivera on violin opposite Bob — meets an edgy Emmylou Harris…”
— Barry Egan (Independent.ie)

Irish trio Adore have signed to Big Scary Monsters and today release ‘Show Me Your Teeth’, a track fuelled by months of sleep deprivation, recurring nightmares, and the strange clarity that comes from staring fear in the face.

With just a handful of singles to their name, Adore have already drawn attention from key tastemakers across press (The Guardian, So Young Magazine, DIY Magazine, CLASH Magazine, Louder, The Line of Best Fit, Dork Magazine, Rough Trade, Nialler9) and radio (BBC 6 Music’s Steve Lamacq and John Kennedy at Radio X). ‘Show Me Your Teeth’ follows recent support runs with Chalk and Sprints, landing ahead of their first UK headline shows this month.

“Show Me Your Teeth was written during a period where I had nightmares every night for 5 months,” says guitarist and vocalist Lara Minchin. “These nightmares often lead to me waking up several times throughout the night, resulting in several nightmares with different, sometimes interwoven storylines. An ambivalence developed towards these nightmares which then translated into waking life.”

Working once again with producer and Gilla Band bassist Daniel Fox, ‘Show Me Your Teeth’ doesn’t flinch. Jagged, heavy, and unrelenting, it demands the truth, whether it comforts or cuts. Lara drew further inspiration from horror films, vampire folklore, and personal illness: “It’s about wanting to see the imperfections alongside the ideal, about wanting intentions to be revealed; good or bad and the excitement of anticipation of the unknown being revealed,” Lara says.

Adore pull from a lineage of bands that made messiness feel deliberate. Their sound is angular, twitchy, sometimes abrasive; “Musically, I’m never quite sure what has inspired a particular song because it’s all rather subconscious, but I do remember I was listening to the album Deluxe 85 by Sanity Band and Double Thriller by The Glands on repeat!”, Lara recalls.

Hailing from Dublin, Donegal and Galway respectively, the trio consisting of Lara Minchin (guitar, vocals), Lachlann Ó Fionnáin (bass, vocals) and Naoise Jordan Cavanagh (drums) share a kinetic, intuitive bond – “We are three feens with guitars and drums. We make music that feels right to us,” the band say.

Adore have already established themselves as hot prospects in Ireland. Releasing their debut single ‘Postcards’ in June 2023, the band have played live relentlessly since – supporting SPRINTS on tour across the UK in late 2024, along with further dates supporting CHALK, The Scratch, 86TVs, The Bug Club and Cardinals across Ireland. With the autumn 2024 release of singles ‘Can We Talk’ – an enraged blast of melodic garage-punk, and their explosive call to action ‘Supermum!’, the band reaped the rewards of their hard graft with a sold-out headline show at Dublin’s 450 capacity Whelan’s in December 2024.

With every release, Adore sharpen their edge and stretch their reach, building something that could define the next chapter of Irish punk.

Adore’s new single ‘Show Me Your Teeth’ is out now via Big Scary Monsters. Adore tour across the UK, Ireland and France over the coming months.

The David Christy Jones Trio of Four consists of David Christy Jones on guitar and vocals; John Noonan on guitar and vocals, Eoin Donoghue on bass and Brian O’Higgins on drums. Known for playing a varied and eclectic mix of blues, American folk and roots, this is not a show to be missed. With blistering acoustic guitar playing, fiery rhythms and moving and emotional classic folk tunes there’s sure to be a little bit of something for everyone.

David Christy Jones from West Cork, has been making and performing music for the past fifteen years. Since 2009, David has been an active and respected session drummer, bassist, guitarist, and vocalist and has played with countless acts across all genres. From jazz, blues, and folk to heavy metal, rap, and country. He has performed in many bands over numerous genres and toured in Europe, The UK, and the USA.

John Noonan, the sharply dressed blues and folk maestro of the group, has decades of live performance and experience under his belt; playing with many different groups to great acclaim.

Hailing from Galway, Eoin Donoghue is an accomplished and versatile bassist; from funk-rock electric bass to delicate and soulful upright bass, his style is groovy and tasteful.

Brian O’Higgins, local legend! Those of you from Clonakilty have likely seen this drumming guru performing on more than one occasion. Bringing an element of playfulness to the group, Brian brings together and completes the trio of four.

George Lowden is a luthier based in Downpatrick, County Down, Northern Ireland. He constructs steel and nylon string acoustic guitars by hand without any UV finishing as well as solid-body electric guitars.

The Lowden Story:
In the late 1980’s George Lowden accepted an invitation to visit the main Lowden dealer for Switzerland, Servette Music in Geneva. Upon his arrival, co-proprietor Yves Imer thanked George for coming, because some of the Lowden customers he was to meet had not realised he actually existed – they thought “George Lowden” was merely the figment of some marketing man’s imagination – a leprechaun, in fact!

This served to enlighten George to the principle that an ‘information vacuum’ will always be filled – sometimes benignly, sometimes bizarrely.So, for the record, HERE is the complete story of George Lowden and his guitars.

Fandango Duo: A Journey Through Sound

Formed by two of Ireland’s most exciting and versatile guitarists, David Keating and Colin McLean, Fandango Duo is an electrifying instrumental guitar duo that weaves together influences from Latin, jazz, classical, and pop music. Drawing inspiration from their travels and concerts across the globe, David and Colin create dynamic soundscapes that tell compelling stories through their music.

With backgrounds as trained classical guitarists, both musicians have developed a unique performance style that is improvisatory and spontaneous, allowing them to connect with audiences in an engaging and memorable way.  They have graced the stage at prestigious venues such as the National Concert Hall in Dublin, Cork Opera House, University Limerick Concert Hall, and the Olympia Theatre. They have also performed at celebrated events including the Guitar Festival of Ireland, Wexford Opera Festival, and Clonakilty Guitar Festival, captivating listeners with their passionate and exhilarating performances.

Influenced by the works of Astor Piazzolla, De Falla, York and Luiz Fandango Duo’s repertoire showcases a vibrant blend of genres, inviting listeners on a musical journey filled with rhythm and emotion.

SurfSide 61 is a celebration of the golden age of instrumental guitar music.

Surf Music, as it was called in the USA, originated in Southern California in the early 60s along with the booming surfing craze.

In The UK a similar sound was happening led by The Shadows, who were  hugely successful across the world with no less than 5 number one hits between 1960 and ’63.

Stephen Housden formed SurfSide61 to present authentic versions of the music that inspired him and a generation of guitarists.

Stephen toured the world for many years as a member of Little River Band. He has also has played along side many music greats including; Glen Frey, Christopher Cross, Dr. John, Warren Zevon,  John Entwistle (The Who) and Albert Lee.

SurfSide 61: Stephen Housden; guitar, Dónal O’Sullivan; guitar, George Hart; bass guitar and Brian O’Higgins; drums.

Guitar Boogie

The Savage (at Clon Gtr Fest 2017)