A huge thank you to Pam Merrigan from Folk Federation of NSW for this album review of The Road.
“The Road is a finely crafted collection of tunes and songs that time-travel between the traditional and the contemporary, not only demonstrating Kejafi’s musicianship but also showcasing their new repertoire of self-penned tunes. When thinking of things Irish/Scottish perhaps whiskey/whisky comes to mind but, if the names of some of the tunes on this CD are a clue, it’s “tea and pancakes” and I love it!“
This years Australian Celtic Festival at Glen Innes NSW celebrated the Year of Scotland. Kejafi+ with our guest Elsen Price on double bass had a busy time playing at five separate events. We were delighted to perform twice on the main Highland Stage on the Saturday and Sunday in a schedule which included our friends from Austral and Mad Kelpie Playdate.
We played sessions at packed houses at The Railway Tavern, The Croft and The Red Lion Tavern in Glencoe with some amazing dancing happening at the Red Lion with the Jacaranda Highland Dancers. Plenty of yummy food also.
A massive thank you goes out to the organisers, supporters and volunteers of the festival this year. It was a brilliant experience and we look forward to the next time we are there.
On 6 April 2023, Kejafi had the absolute honour of supporting the fabulous duo of Catriona McKay & Chris Stout to a full Utzon Room at the Sydney Opera House. The event was organised and hosted by Club Hibernia, an organisation that “facilitates the collaboration of Construction Industry Professionals through Networking, Knowledge-sharing and craic“. Club Hibernia, along with their event sponsors, have exhibited exceptional industry leadership in endorsing the arts and culture. We extend our heartfelt gratitude for their support.
The gig was an unforgettable experience. Kejafi kicked off the night with a 45-minute set, featuring a fusion of songs and tunes with the addition of double bassist Elsen Price to warm up the crowd. After the interval, Catriona and Chris took the stage and delivered a mesmerizing performance that left the audience spellbound.
To cap off the evening, Kejafi was invited back on stage to join Catriona and Chris in performing one of Chris’ original compositions, Hamnataing. The collaboration was the perfect ending to a remarkable night of music.
We had such a lovely time in Yass at the Irish and Celtic Festival. Weather was perfect, sessions super and beautiful audiences. Thank to Janno and all the festival volunteers for making this such a successful event. Thanks also to Ron James for some amazing photos.
During the festival Fiona and Ken were interviewed by Pamaladh Ui Neill on 2CBD Radio. You can hear the 17 minute interview at Kejafi Interview on 2CBD dated 18 September 2022 where we explain how the band got together, our musical backgrounds and where to next.
Memorial Hall Opening ConcertStubbie holder mechClub House Stables Concert1st gig downMemorial Hall Opening ConcertLovat Chapel Concert
A huge thank you to Pam Merrigan and SFF team including volunteers for organising hosting this years event. It was so good to be back playing and to see so many great live bands that we have here in Australia. The Youth Concert was one of the highlights with many talented performers taking to the stage to share their music.
Scottish Tunes WorkshopKen accompanying at Youth ConcertJames accompanying at Youth ConcertThe Gaelic Club Concert
We had such a great time at the National Celtic Festival 2022 in Portarlington VIC. It was a big drive from Sydney but well worth it! Thank you to Una McAlinden and the NCF team including volunteers for making us feel so welcome and looking after us!
James at Festival Fiddles ConcertFiona at Festival Fiddles Concert10.5 hour drive!Club Room ConcertClub Room ConcertPark Hall Opening ConcertIt was chillySt Patricks ChurchArtist capture of Ken
In January 2020 we travelled up the New England Highway to play at Little Birdy, Uralla and The Studio Folk Club, Armidale. A big shout out to Jhana Allan and Maxine Ross for inviting us to play both gigs and putting us up for a couple of nights. James and Fiona also ran a fiddle workshop. For The Studio Folk Club gig, Jhana was joined by her sister Sujata as support and money was raised on the night for supporting the learning of the Anēwan language local to the tradition owners of the land. Culture and language is too often undervalued.
Thanks for visiting us here at Kejafi and to our first blog post. James, Ken and myself are very excited about this project and look forward to sharing this great music with you.
We recently recorded our first album with our friend Joe Ferguson. It sounds good, its currently being made into a releasable product. Stay tuned for more information. F.
Kejafi 