RAY COLLINS

SEPTEMBER 2010 GIGS

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 10th

Ray will give a solo acoustic performance at the Irish American Society of Albuquerque at 7 pm at Edelweiss German American Club located at 4821 Menaul Blvd. NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Phone: (505) 888-4833

Although this is a private club function for the general membership, anybody who wants to attend could ask a club member to sign them in.

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 11th

RAY COLLINS HEADLINES ECLECTIC MUSIC SHOW AT LOW SPIRITS CLUB

Ray will headline a diverse line up of international musicians at Low Spirits Club, 2823 2nd St. [just north of Menaul] starting at 8pm.

Joining Ray Collins at Low Spirits will be Albuquerque songwriters Mitch Rayes and David Kurtz, as well as Los Jaraneros Del Valle, the South Valley based practitioners of the lyrically witty Veracruz style of trance-inducing Mexican dance music. Also appearing will be members of Albuquerque’s Celtic Eclectic group, Saoirse.

This will be a joyful celebration of musical unity, “Many Voices, One Song”, according to event organizer Bill Nevins.

Low Spirits Club

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 12th

NATIONAL HISPANIC CULTURAL CENTER of NEW MEXICO

Día de Los San Patricios

A celebration of Irish and Mexican cultures through music, dance, food, a screening of Mark Day's documentary The San Patricios: The Tragic Story of the St. Patrick's Battalion, and a panel discussion. Albuquerque performers Los Jaraneros, Chuy Martínez, and Otilio Ruiz will be joined by Special Guest Ray Collins from Belfast, Northern Ireland.

The National Hispanic Cultural Center (NHCC) is proud to present an afternoon celebration of Mexican and Irish cultures on Sunday, September 12th beginning at 3 pm in the NHCC Albuquerque Journal Theatre.

“Día de los San Patricios” will include live Irish and Mexican music and dance, food, a film excerpt and panel discussion. This celebration is based in part on an event during the Mexican American War of 1846 – 1848 when the San Patricio Battalion fought for Mexico. Musicians will interpret music from the region of Veracruz, Mexico and Ireland and play traditional instruments like the Mexican jarocho harp and the bagpipes and tin whistle so much a part of Irish folk music.

Presenting in Spanish, Irish, and English, performers will address life, love, war, loss, and the resiliency of two cultures which at different times in their histories have had to endure challenging events. A documentary film by producer Mark Day entitled “The San Patricios: The Tragic Story of the St. Patrick’s Battalion” which chronicles a time when both Irish and Mexicans were on the same side in battle will be screened followed by a discussion. The purpose of the celebration, as stated by one of the organizing groups, “is to bring together two vibrant cultures that live together in a community and that share many similarities. Their love of song, poetry, music, dance, and national heritage.

Día de los San Patricios is sponsored by the NHCC, Mexican Consulate in Albuquerque, the General Consul of Ireland in San Francisco, the Irish American Society, the NM Department of Cultural Affairs and the Irish Freedom Committee.

The NHCC, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, is dedicated to the promotion and preservation of Hispanic art and culture at the local, state, national, and international levels.

Contact: Danny Lopez (505) 246-2261

National Hispanic Cultural Center of New Mexico

Irish American News- San Patricios Celebration by Bill Nevins

SEPTEMBER 16-18

Great American Beer Festival: Colorado Convention Center: Denver, Colorado.

Ray will be covering this event in a journalistic capacity and offering his opinion of the many fine brews to be sampled. After all, as a musician, Ray feels 'sampling' is an integral part of life, especially the 'hops' in hip-hop.