Kila - Unique Celtic Sound

Originating over ten years ago as a performance collective on the streets of Dublin, Kila has evolved into one of Ireland's most innovative and exciting young bands. Kila's unique sound stems from melding traditional Celtic modes with musical traditions such as gypsy, reggae, and rock, among other styles. Kila has created its own sound rather than catering to predefined musical genres and as a result, has carved out an enthusiastic and diverse following, which attests to the thirst for innovative world music today.

Classical music, folk, film, theatre, rock, and poetry compose the creative well behind Kila's artistry. The seven-member band fuses the effects of Gaelic lyrics and Irish folk instruments such as whistles, fiddles, pipes and woodwinds with instruments such as the djemble, congas, mandolin, guitar and flute. The result is a fresh blend of freewheeling instrumentals, furious jigs, and primal rhythms that transcend the boundaries of Irish music. In a constant state of musical exploration, Kila places a great deal of emphasis on the percussive element and has come to incorporate the use of drums from Africa, the Caucuses, and Latin America.

Kila's intense rhythmic sense and on stage vitality insures captivating concert performances. Their music was recently described in Folk Roots as "swirling neo-Celtic dance music based on traditional modes and idioms but with a hypnotic percussive undercurrent." Kila has captured audiences in its native Ireland and has toured Europe extensively with great success. They have recently expanded their international touring with winning performances in the United States and Australia.

In a review of Kila's US tour in the spring of 2000, the Washington Post called their sound, "the most impressive example of Celtic fusion music yet." In a time when manufactured pop music rules the airwaves, Kila is a genuine diamond in the rough, a true exponent of Irish music for the 21st century.

For more information on Kila, go to their web site, www.Kila.ie

Tickets to Kila on Tuesday, April 2 at 8PM are $27 for orchestra and $22 for mezzanine. To order tickets, call the Stockton Performing Arts Center Box Office at(609) 652-9000. The Box Office is open Monday - Friday, 9 AM - 7PM. The Box Office is also open 1 ½ hours before performances. Or order tickets online at www.stockton.edu/pac.

The Stockton Performing Arts Center, the Jersey Shore's premier Center for the Arts, is located on the campus of The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, on Jim Leeds Road in Pomona (Galloway Township). Just 12 miles west of Atlantic City, the Center is easily accessible from the Garden State Parkway and the Atlantic City Expressway.

Article continues below

---

advertisement

---

Author: Stockton Performing Arts Center Press Release