20 Novembre 06: On Sunday the 26th from 19 to 20 h Spanish peninsular time (18 to 19 h British time), the radio program Puerta Abierta by Sebastián Iñigo Jiménez, Radio Obradoiro, Galicia, Spain, will re-transmit an interview with Franc O'Shea. You can listen to the program on internet: go to www.radioobradoiro.com and click on EN DIRECTO at the top left. The interview is in English and translated into Castellano by myself (Maria Romero).

08 November 06: Pandora Internet Radio, the Music Genome Project, in USA, has included Alkimia in their playlist. You can request this album on www.pandora.com.

01 Novembre 06: A new interview very interesting posted on the Interviews space by Enrique Farelo from www.tomajazz.com, Spain.

14 October 06: Tomorrow 15th October, from 19 to 20 h Spanish peninsular time (18 to 19 h British time), the radio program Puerta Abierta by Sebastián Iñigo Jiménez, Radio Obradoiro, Galicia, Spain, will transmit an interview with Franc O'Shea. You can listen to the program on internet: go to www.radioobradoiro.com and click on EN DIRECTO at the top left. This program will be transmitted again on Friday 20th October from 00 to 01 h in the morning Spanish peninsular time (23.00 to 24.00 h British time). You can listen to the interview in English and translated into Castellano by myself (Maria Romero).

04 October 06:There is a new interview posted on the Interviews space by Valery Boshlov from www.bassbel.com, Belarus, CIS, at the moment is only available in English but I will translate it soon into Spanish.

Also to be posted soon two other interviews, one by Enrique Farelo from www.tomajazz.com, Spain and another one by Matt Grey, UK. Both of them paint very interesting and deep portraits of Franc. Franc will also be recording a radio interview shortly by Sebastián Iñigo Jiménez from Puerta Abierta, Radio Obradoiro, A Coruña. You can listen to this program online. I will advise about transmission date and time on this space as soon as we know it.

We have been busy presenting Alkimia to more media people in Spain and the results have been overwhelming, everyone agrees on Alkimia being a fabulous work. Our thanks to Josep M. Adell from Jam 4, Radio Nacional España, Radio 4, Antonio David Alvarez from El Cantor del Jazz, Radio Contadero, Granada, Sebastián Iñigo Jiménez from Puerta Abierta, Radio Obradoiro, A Coruña, Juan Antonio Vázquez from Mapamundi, Radio Circulo, Madrid, Rakel Jiménez from Mestizo Mundo, Canal Extremadura, Lorenzo Romero from El Pais de los Sueños, Canal Fiesta, RTVA, Jesús Santana Medina from Registros a Media Voz, Canarias Ahora Radio, Enrique Farelo from Alkimia, Radio Rivas, Madrid, José Miguel López from Discópolis, Radio Nacional España, Radio 3, Paco Páez de la Cadena, Esto es Jazz, Onda Cero, La Rioja, Carlos Pérez Cruz from El Club de Jazz, FM Iruña & Cadena SER Navarra, etc, for airplaying and supporting Alkimia. Also to Jorge Córdova from La Opinión newspaper, Granada, Gustavo Guerrero from www.tierrafolk.com, Antonio Vázquez from www.apoloybaco.com, and more coming, for their wonderful comments and reviews.

Alkimia is also available now www.flamenco-world.com and very soon will also have national distribution in Spain.

24 July 06: You can listen to the 2-hour show The Weekend Planet (23rd July), ABC Radio National Australia, where Franc O'Shea is the featured artist by the hand of Andy Copeman, DJ, musician and composer, who delights us with his worldwide music knowledge and indepth research into the music he broadcasts. The show features 4 tracks from Alkimia, a track from band Urubu (co-written by Franc O'Shea and Kevin Alexander), tracks from flamenco guitarist featured on Alkimia, Juan Manuel Cañizares, and lots of other wonderful music. Click on the 'Listen now' link on the above page, this link will only be available for 4 weeks after broadcasting date.

13 July 06: Check out the brilliant comments that Alkimia and Franc are receiving on his new page www.myspace.com/francosheamusic.

30 June 06: A big thank you to all the radio stations that are helping Alkima be heard, in particular Fuse this Jazz Radio, Stephen Bocioaca (Canada/USA), Alkimia is featured on their website www.jazzworldquest.com and in the Top 10 of the Best 'Fuse this Jazz' Artists. Alkimia is also in the top 10 of the World Chart on CIUT, Toronto, Canada. It's being featured on ABC Radio National, Australia's national broadcaster on The Weekly Planet show by Andy Copeman/Dough Spencer on 23rd July and it's also being airplayed on ABC Radio National Australia by Tim Ritchie on his show Sound Quality, on Radio MultiKulti by Johannes Theurer, Germany, on NRK Norgwegian Broadcasting Radio by Sigbjørn Nedland on his Jungeltelegrafen show, on Radio 3 Radio Nacional de España by José Miguel López on Discópolis show, on Radio Rivas by Fco Enrique Perez Farelo on his show Alkimia!!! (Spain), Govorit Moskva PRR Radio by DJ Nazim Nadirov, Russia, on YLE Radio Vega by Ole Holmberg, Finland, on Vltava FM by Petr Dorûzca, Czech Republic, on PBSFM Australia by Saúl Zarvace from Fiesta Jazz, Len Davis from Bitches Brew and other shows, on CHLY by Fergus Foley on his show 3rd Stone from the Sun (British Columbia, Canada), has made the charts on WEMU Radio and it's being airplayed by Michael G. Nastos on his show, USA, featured as new release and airplayed on Anna Livia FM by Sean Brophy on his show Jazzorama, Ireland. Will be shortly airplayed on Espace Musique/ Radio Canada by Dan Behrman, on BBC Scotland by Mary Ann Kennedy on her show Global Gathering, on DLF/Deutschlandfunk radio by Michael Kleff, Germany, on BSR Radio, USA, on Radio 6 in the Netherlands by Saskia Bender, on KUOM Radio - Radio K International by Paul Harding, USA, on RUM Radio, Baile dos Bombeiros, show by Ivo Martins, Portugal, and many more coming soon, we'll keep you informed.

Reviews of Alkimia will appear within the next few months on www.worldmusiccentral.org, www.musicasdelmundo.org, www.estaciontierra.com, www.jazzreview.com, www.allaboutjazz.com, www.allmusic.com, www.billboard.com, Billboard magazine, www.jazzitalia.net, www.apoloybaco.com, www.bassmagazine.nl, www.bassplayers.co.za, (sites that already feature the Alkimia release), Jazzenzo magazine and Musicmaker.nl in the Netherlands, Folker! magazine in Germany, Djembe magazine in Denmark/Sweden/Norway, Jazzwise magazine in the UK, Bass Guitar Magazine in the UK, www.tomajazz.com (Spain), and more coming.

You can check out recent interviews by Stephen Bocioaca from Fuse this Jazz (Canada/USA) and Martin Simpson from www.bassplayers.co.za on Interviews section.

Also check out comments and reviews from people that have listened to Alkimia, radio shows and printed press and online on What you say about Alkimia section.

PRESS RELEASE

Title: Alkimia
Artist: Franc O’Shea
Release: 06/06/06
Catalogue number: AZFO 001
Label: Azulah

After the critical acclaim received for his first album, O’Shea began to search beyond the confines of electric Jazz instrumentation for his music. His eclectic approach to composition had already begun to bear fruit on his 1999 ‘Esprit’ album with tunes such as the African tinged ‘Bé for Baka’, but the coming years saw both a new musical and spiritual journey open before him. He could feel the call of the drums that he grew up with in Swaziland pulling him south.

Following a period of intensive study of Flamenco forms, O’Shea decided to pack his bags and make the move to Andalucía in Spain, the birthplace of Flamenco. This period turned out to be a four year sojourn and he became steeped in a culture full of musical treasures with Granada’s pungent mix of Arabic and Moorish melodies. Being of Irish, Spanish and African descent, O’Shea felt at home in this atmosphere where people and music come first and business later. He spent many a night jamming with the gypsy’s in the caves of the Sacromonte experiencing first hand the ‘duende’ of the Flamencos.

As O’Shea became established in Spain’s burgeoning Flamenco/Fusion scene, he got to know members of the legendary guitarist Paco de Lucia’s group. This included Spain’s top musicians Jorge Pardo and Rubem Dantas who are renowned on the world stage in their own right through their work with the likes of Astrud Gilberto, Chick Corea, Paquito D'Rivera, Camarón de Isla, Tomatito, Michael Brecker, Al Di Meola. Along with Paco’s second guitarist of ten years, Juan Manuel Cañizares, Jorge and Rubem agreed to collaborate on O’Shea’s Alkimia album.

Flautist and saxophonist Jorge Pardo was barely in his twenties when he began to share the world stage with de Lucia in the seventies. Renowned as the spearhead of the Nuevo Flamenco scene, with many awards under his belt, he has created a stylistic space all of his own, fusing elements of Flamenco, Moorish, African and Jazz music, securing a place as one of Spain’s greatest player/composers.

Rubem Dantas will forever go down in the annals of Flamenco history as the man who bought the Peruvian percussion instrument, the cajón (box), to flamenco music during his tenure with Paco’s band in the seventies. Realising the potential this instrument had to blend seamlessly with the guitar and palmas, he created a sound that is so associated with Flamenco that many are not aware that this instrument is a relative newcomer.
Both Rubem and Jorge appear on Chick Corea's most recent album 'The Ultimate Adventure' and are currently touring the world with his Touchstone band.

O’Shea also enlisted the talents of other great Spanish players such as the percussionist Nan Mercader and guitarist Chema Vilchez, another musician who crosses both the worlds of Flamenco and Jazz through his work with Richard Bona and John Patitucci. Not forgetting his Irish roots, O’Shea also called upon the renowned Folk flautist Philippe Barnes to add Celtic flavours, and the young Peruvian born violinist Benjamin Sarfas who’s improvisational daring belies his age.

‘Alkimia’ is a Magickal journey through European, Eastern and African music that transports the listener to a place where cultural elements blend and transmute into a timeless experience.

For more information, please call Maria Romero on +44 (0) 1273 820 395/ Mob. +44 (0) 7775 898 545 or email her at mariaromero@azulah.com. Also you can visit www.azulah.com and www.francoshea.com