Mary Ann Kennedy - BBC Radio Scotland's Global Gathering

BBC Radio Scotland's Global Gathering Finale

Mary Ann Kennedy presents a world music show with a uniquely Scottish perspective, featuring live music from local and international artists and the latest releases from around the globe.

Mary Ann's musical career covers several roles as performer, producer, writer and teacher. She has won several major awards, including the Concours Internationale de l'Harpe Celtique and both National Mod Gold Medals. Her band, Cliar, won the all-time Best Album accolade at the inaugural Scots Trad Music Awards, and earned her a Saltire Award.

Her broadcast credits include radio work for BBC Radio Scotland , BBC Radio 3, RTE and BBC Radio nan Gaidheal, and presentation and performance on BBC Scotland, BBC2, TG4 and BBC4, fronting major series and specials on world and traditional Scottish and Irish music.

"There has been one man whose life and music has been central to the path we followed in championing the very finest Scottish music and its place on a global stage. This particular man is no longer with us but the life affirming joy of his work shines through in his music and the musicians he inspired to create 'brave new music'."

Mary Ann Kennedy

"One day Martyn decided that he would earn some money during his fourth year at college so he had his bagpipes, a ghettoblaster and a huge battery pack which he put in a rucksack on his back and he went out and busked on the streets of Glasgow, mostly on Sauchiehall Street, outside where C&A used to be. Whilst he was studying there was this one little room and he had this keyboard and sampler there that belonged to the academy and he put down these tracks on a tape which were very early versions of his first album. Martyn would blast out this backing, it really was a backing track at that time, and play his bagpipes along with it and he had a big sign that went with it saying 'Saving up for a new kilt!'. He made an absolute fortune until the day he came back looking a bit forlorn with a sore back. His battery had leaked out battery acid all down from inside his rucksack onto his back. Martyn was all upset... that was the end of it!"

Kirsten Bennett

"We were overwhelmed to be asked to do a tribute at the Trad Music Awards Hall of Fame in 2009. At first we thought this was quite a daunting prospect but after a bit of thinking we got in touch with margaret Bennett and she gave us a tune she found that hadn't been recorded before called 'Sorley MacLean's March' written by Martyn when he was about 15 or 16 and which Martyn performed for Sorley's 80th birthday party. So using that tune we were able to piece together something that had elements of what martyn would do such as string sections. The tune we were given was a four part march, a very elaborate and quite impressive four part march for a 15 year old to be writing and it took john and adam quite some time to suss out and play it well. Music just kept going for him. Martyn inspired me to think outside of the box at lot more, not to hold back, which has been the ethos of all the music I have done since then."

Barry Reid - Treacherous Orchestra

"I remember getting his first album when it came out and looking forward to hearing it. It was certainly very different from all else that was happening at the time so it was quite a marker on the music scene. What made it so special was his combination of traditional roots with dance music. It works so well for Martyn because he spent the time learning both genres equally so. He spent the nights at the clubs and then locked in the bedroom with the computer learning how dance music worked, the nuts and bolts of it. I get the impression the same way as he learned the pipes and the fiddle as a kid so both of those influences were as strong as each other. I'm inspired by Martyn's outward, forward looking nature. Much of the music that he made is still ahead of its time, still as fresh."

Fraser Fifield

Music Featured on BBC Radio Scotland's Global Gathering

  1. Martyn Bennett with Michael Marra - Liberation (Grit)
  2. Martyn Bennett - Cuillin (Part I) (Martyn Bennett)
  3. Omar Faruk Tekbilek - Caspian Winds (Whirling)
  4. Martyn Bennett & Cuillin Music - Sputnik in Glenshiel (BBC Recording)
  5. Martyn Bennett & Cuillin Music - Dixons (Part I & II) (BBC Recording)
  6. Martyn Bennett & Cuillin Music - Erin (BBC Recording)
  7. Martyn Bennett - Stream (Aye)
  8. Martyn Bennett - Ud the Doudouk (Aye)
  9. Croft No. Five - Crash (Unreleased track)
  10. Barry Reid with John Somerville, Adam Somerville, Feargus Hetherington - Sorley MacLean's March (BBC Recording)
  11. Martyn Bennett - Chanter (Grit)
  12. Martyn Bennett - Sky Blue Remix (Aye)
  13. Fraser Fifield - Kilchoan Ferry (Birds & Beasts)
  14. Martyn Bennett & Tommy Smith - Karabach (Folktopia Vol.1)
  15. Salsa Celtica - Adios, Adios (BBC Session)