Although it’s already the end of October, I wanted to wait to publish my regular monthly news until my new website was finished. Thanks to the dedicated effort of my dear friend Wali Walser of Satzpunkt Graphics (http://satzpunkt.ch/), I now have a new site that, hopefully, will improve access and ease of use. The main purposes this site serves are twofold: as an archive of work I’ve done or been involved with over the years and for the announcement of upcoming appearances and projects. With all the other electronic means available, it might seem redundant to maintain a website. Experience, however, has proven the enduring value of one, central location for materials and reliable information available to anyone, anywhere. To that end, Wali and I reorganized and updated all the materials previously archived, added music and lyrics, and modified the structure of the site to facilitate adding more in the future. If you, dear reader, have any specific requests, we will try to meet them. The new format (WordPress) should make communication easier.
In addition to the website, the latest news includes the tour of Northern California Yvonne and I will be making in January, 2016. The tour is a kickoff for a year of commemoration of the Easter Rising of 1916. Northern California will be followed by tours of Ireland and Scotland, in April, and a return to the East Coast of the US in May. For those unfamiliar with the Easter Rising, especially James Connolly’s leading role, I suggest a number of historical sources beginning with the easiest (although far from complete): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_Rising. In addition, there are a large number of books on the subject which should be consulted for more details. But, as for Connolly’s decisive role in these events, it is advisable to consult the great biography by C. Desmond Greaves, The Life and Times of James Connolly. This book is available online at: http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?an=C.+Desmond+Greaves&sts=t&tn=The+Life+and+Times+of+James+Connolly
We hope to make the link between James Connolly’s Songs of Freedom and the Easter Rising. The work we’ve been doing the last three years to popularize Connolly’s life and ideas culminates, in one sense, in commemorating the event which would cost Connolly his life. Yet even as the British imperialists suppressed the rebellion and executed its leaders, their deaths did not end the struggle for Irish independence or for the liberation of humanity, which was Connolly’s ultimate aim. On the contrary, Connolly will never die because his example and his ideas live on in the struggles people everywhere are waging to free themselves from tyranny and slavery in any form.
For those interested in obtaining Songs of Freedom please contact: http://www.pmpress.org/content/article.php/JamesConnolly
The James Connolly-Easter Rising Tour 2016
Mat Callahan and Yvonne Moore begin a year of celebration!
James Connolly and the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising.
From the publication of Songs of Freedom in 1907 to the declaration of the Irish Republic on the steps of the General Post Office in Dublin 1916, Connolly’s vision was a beacon in the struggle for liberation. Using Connolly’s own songs along with others made famous in Ireland’s fight for independence, Callahan and Moore perform a spirited tribute to the rebels of Easter Week and the leadership of James Connolly.
January 13th-10pm-Live on-air the ’Sing Out’ show with Larry Kelp on KPFA (Berkeley, CA)
https://kpfa.org/
January 15th-7pm-House Concert in Oakland, CA
for reservations contact: info@matcallahan.com
January16th-Workshop in the afternoon at the Western Workers Labor Heritage Festival
Machinists Hall 1511 Rollins Road
Burlingame, CA 94010
http://www.westernworkersfestival.org/
January 17th-Evening concert at Western Workers Labor Heritage Festival
(see above)
January 21st-Evening concert at the Sacramento Marxists School
Sierra 2 Center, 2791 24th Street, ROOM 12, Sacramento, CA 95816
http://www.marxistschool.org/
January 22nd-Evening concert at the Poet And Patriot Pub, Santa Cruz
320 Cedar St
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
(831) 426-8620
https://www.facebook.com/The-Poet-The-Patriot-Irish-Pub-228600820559650/
January 23rd-Live on-air on the Musical Tapestry show on KALW (San Francisco, CA) with Kevin Vance
http://kalw.org/
January 24th-11am-live on-air on the Across The Great Divide show on KPFA (Berkeley, CA)
https://kpfa.org/
January 24th-Evening concert in San Mateo organized by Reach And Teach
650-759-3784-concert to be held at:
First Presbyterian Church
144 West 25th Avenue
San Mateo, CA 94403
http://www.reachandteach.com/content/index.php
January 26th-Evening concert at the Salon in Davis, CA.
for reservations contact: info@matcallahan.com
January 27th-3pm-Class at California Institute for Integral Studies
California Institute of Integral Studies
1453 Mission Street San Francisco, CA 94103
415 575-6100
http://www.ciis.edu/
January 27th-7.30pm-Concert at 518 Valencia
518 Valencia, San Francisco, CA. 94160
(415) 863-9977
https://www.facebook.com/518valencia
January 29th-7:30-Concert at TD’s in Berkeley
for reservations contact: td6669@gmail.com
January 30th-2pm-Down Home Music in-store concert
10341 San Pablo Ave
El Cerrito, CA 94530
(510) 525-2129
http://www.downhomemusic.com/
There will be at least one more event/concert added shortly. Please return to this site for more information.