Caracana

Caracana are a Cornish cèilidh, or Nos Lowen folk band.^[1] They principally play Cornish music, but also fully embrace music from the other Celtic nations; Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Brittany, Galicia and Sweden. Tunes from Eastern Europe are also a firm fixture in their repertoire as are their own compositions.

Members play the clarinet, bass clarinet, fiddle, guitar, double bass and percussion. They sing in both Cornish and English.

Various members of Caracana formerly played/also play in Bagas Crowd, Kescana, The Hornets Street Band and others. Their music draws on all of these folk influences, yet their own sound remains unique.

Origin

Caracana formed as a trio in 1997 and have been part of the Cornish movement ever since. Playing at festivals such as Lowender Peran,^[2] Aberfest^[3] and its twin festival Breizh-Kernow in Brittany,^[4] Fowey Fringe Festival,^[5] Cornwall Folk Festival in Wadebridge and representing Cornwall in 2007 at the Festival Interceltique de Lorient. Caracana supported The Incredible String Band at The Eden Project in 2001. Another firm fixture of the Cornish revival is the event Degol Stul, literally twelfth night in the Cornish language and is a celebration of Cornish Nos Lowen dancing. Caracana have played for this event on numerous occasions over the years.^[6] Plus at many other collaborative Nos Lowen's, too numerous to list.^{[7] [8][9]}The band also play for private functions such as 'The Spring Dance' held by the Friends of Par Beach.^[10]

Members

• Pema Wainwright, clarinet, bass clarinet, vocals and percussion
• Frank Pickering, fiddle, guitar, vocals
• Alastair Russell, guitar, vocals
• Anita Wells-Cock, double bass, vocals
• Emma Packer, Phil Wisdom, Joanna Tagney, Trevor and Jacki Lawrence, Keith Marshall, Heather Turner and Graham Ellaby are former members of the group.

Caracana are a quartet, but they often have guest musicians and equally often, they play as a trio.

Discography

Albums

• For the love of it (2005)^[11]
• The banks of the Fowey (2012)
• Now the summer is over (2015)

They also have tracks on some Cornish Music compilation CDs;

• Music from a Cornish World - Volume 1
• L.E.T.S. Aid 2012

Caracana are available to listen to on both Spotify^[12] and iTunes^[13]

References

External links

• www.caracana.info