Phoebe Rees – “The Didin Didin”
Americana Highways is hosting this video premiere of Phoebe Rees’ version of Si Kahn’s song “The Didin’ Didin” from her recently released album Bring In the Light: Si Kahn’s Songs of Courage and Resistance, available on Strictly Country Records The album was produced by Phoebe Rees and Janos Koolen with assistance from Pieter Groenveld and Si Kahn. It was recorded and mixed at Studio Doornenburg.
In celebration of his 80th birthday, Si Kahn invited Phoebe Rees to create this album. Musicians on “The Didin Didin” are Phoebe Rees on fiddle and vocals; and Janos Koolen on bodhran and guitar.
This video was created by Carla Gover with fiddle footage by Ellie Bird and with special thanks to Bluegrass Ceili Academy & Friends Featuring Karrington True. A tale of rural Celtic folks escaping to the city to party and carry on and “do the didin’ didin’ all over Dublin town” is already a celebration, but it’s enhanced and made sweeter by Phoebe’s singing and rich fiddle playing. The decades old style of the song speaks to the very soul. The video footage of people of all ages, just natural regular human beings, dancing along with the song is highly inspiriting.
Recording a video for ‘The Didin Didin’ came about through being introduced by Si Kahn to Kentucky based songstress and dancer of Appalachian music, Carla Glover. The idea of collaborating with a videographer from the States added to the international theme of this project.
Carla’s work as a dancer and educator resonated with my work as a community musician, folk dancer and musician. Credit must also go to my friend and fellow dancer from Black Gate Morris, Ellie, for the video footage captured on a cold, windy (but thankfully sunny!) day in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
The music of ‘The Didin Didin’ is mostly inspired by my Celtic fiddle playing background, with two traditional Irish tunes interweaved into the arrangement.
Si describes “The Didin Didin” in the following way: ‘Throughout history, young people have tried to get away from the stifling strictures of rural and small town life by going to the city. Having escaped from the Irish countryside, three young women drink and sing ‘Kathleen Mavourneen’ and ‘The Star of the County Down’ until ‘the morning rose on Dublin town.’ – Phoebe Rees
Find the music here: https://sikahn.com/product/bring-in-the-light/
