Welcome to Celtic Link.
The online home of the global Celtic community
The online home of the global Celtic community
20 million people live in the six Celtic nations of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, Brittany and the Isle of Man. And there are another 120 million of Celtic heritage on every continent of the world. From England to the USA and Canada, to Australia and New Zealand and in South America and South Africa, these exiles keep the traditions of their ancestral homelands alive.
Celtic Link is for all these people and for anybody fascinated by the rich cultural heritage of the Celts.
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What is Celtic Link?
Our goal is a bold one: to be the online home of the global Celtic community. To be a voice speaking to and for Celts in the home nations and for those of Celtic heritage overseas. In short, to be a one-stop-shop for all things Celtic.
What does that mean in practice?
First, we are a hub for information about what’s going on in today’s vibrant Celtic world.
So on Celtic Link you will find:
News about what’s happening in the Celtic nations and in the global diaspora
Reviews of Celtic music, dance, art, sport, food & drink and culture
Information about the Celtic lands and guides for visitors to the six nations
Listings and reviews of Celtic festivals and celebrations around the world
Information and news on the Celtic languages and other core elements of Celtic culture
Listings and contact information for Celtic organisations and societies around the world
And…
We are also a platform for musicians, artists, dancers, actors, craftsmen, writers, photographers and chefs. Celtic Link will put the spotlight on these talented, creative people and give them a stage in front of the global Celtic audience.
And we’ll do the same thing for businesses whose products and services enrich the Celtic world. Be they jewellers, travel companies, food and drink producers, event organisers or any of the other myriad enterprises keeping Celtic culture relevant (and commercially viable) in the 21st century, they will find a shop window here.
Secondly, Celtic Link is a place to exchange ideas, opinions and information on all things Celtic. You can do that through the website and through our social media channels. If you have something to say about the Celtic world, this is the place to say it.
Why Celtic Link?
We’re called ‘Celtic Link’ because we’re all about bringing people together. We are connecting the global Celtic communities to nurture, promote and raise the profile of Celtic culture.
Get involved
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Contribute
Got an interesting story you think the Celtic world should know about?
Know of a person, group, business or organisation that deserves to be featured on Celtic Link?
Want to contribute words or pictures to Celtic Link?
Get in touch HERE editor@thecelticlink.com
Project smok.
Project Smok is the neo-trad trio of Ali Levack, Ewan Baird and Pablo Lafuente, whose nonconformist and progressive Scottish traditional music has set them apart since their formation in 2017.
Known for their ability to effortlessly blend trad music with contemporary new-age pop influences, Project Smok are at their most comfortable pushing boundaries, making listeners stop and re-evaluate their musical expectations. They do away with any perceived limits of genre from the first note.
The close-knit group meld naturally between the innovative, explosive and emotive, drawing outside inspiration from indie pop acts like The 1975, LANY and Bon Iver, to more time-honoured, West Coast styles of playing.
With tunes built around the distinctive piping of BBC Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2020 Ali Levack, paired with Ewan Baird’s skilled bodhran playing and Pablo Lafuente’s nuanced guitar, electric guitar and production, the trio manage to naturally bring together an array of musical aspects. Throw in instrumental virtuosity, blistering drive, infectious rhythm and a delicate sensitivity and you have Project Smok’s thirst-quenching sound.
It’s little wonder they have fast become a recognised and household name in the traditional music scene. They boast nominations for ‘Best Up and Coming Artist’ at the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards 2018 and the ‘Belhaven Bursary for Innovation’ at the same awards in 2019, not to mention an unforgettable collaboration with 2019 Scottish Album of the Year nominee Edwyn Collins on their 2020 debut album, ‘Bayview’.
Written as a follow up to their 2017 EP ‘Horizons’, the record was brought to life in Edwyn Collins’ famous Clashnarrow Studio in Helmsdale on Scotland’s north east coast, using a treasure trove of special analogue and vintage equipment to showcase their truly refreshing sound. It was premiered in spectacular fashion at Celtic Connections 2020 in Glasgow’s Old Fruitmarket to a sell-out crowd.
Project Smok’s debut album has cemented their place as a young band at the forefront of the traditional music scene who have great intensions and crave innovation.
They offer an unconventional, idiosyncratic, energetic synergism that defies expectation.
