Or, how I discovered the music of Celia.
Let me set the stage for you. This was the first time that I was ever able to attend Atlanta Pagan Pride without being there as a representative for any sort of group. I wasn’t camped out at a table, I wasn’t tied to just one position. I was free in what I wanted to do with my day. I arrived around 2pm just in time to see Emerald Rose play, and while I enjoy them very much the truth is I see them play all the time. When you consider the limited amount of original Pagan music available, when you have a local band like Emerald Rose, you do tend to see them play a lot. It is great, but occasionally I think I would love to hear something else.
There is also the stereotype that there is a lack of quality in a lot of original Pagan music. So, when a musician I had never heard of was scheduled to take the stage at 4pm I wasn’t sure what to expect. Well, I submit that this artist absolutely smashes that stereotype and if you are looking for quality Pagan music you should check her out. Her name is Celia.
We had already taken seats while she was setting up her equipment. My partner, who is also a musician, was admiring her set up. She had a Roland GR-55, or something very much like it. I noticed it because he has something similar called a Pod but he explained the difference between the two machines. She had it set up in a really cool way where she had access to all the pedals at knobs while she played. She also had a little PA system that he was admiring. All of this was set up with a little mixing board on a stand. When she began to play she explained that she uses a technique called looping. She isn’t the first artist I’ve seen who uses this technology in concert, but I was impressed with the creative way she used it. She recorded parts in real time allowing the sound to build as the song progressed and then, when the song was done she just erased it off the board and moved on. She described it like a sand mandala that would just be swept away.
I really enjoyed her show. I also enjoyed the song where she brought Arthur Hinds from Emerald Rose on stage to sing and drum with her. Since this was the first time I had heard any of her music before, I was really moved by what she presented at Atlanta Pagan Pride. I even became a little misty eyed during her performance of her song Symbol.
I am really glad I had the chance to attend Atlanta Pagan Pride this year without any predetermined commitments. It gave me an opportunity to see Celia for the first time.
I love your blog! I wish I had known you were coming to Pride yesterday. I would have loved to have met you. Also, regarding Celia, she is amazing. It was my group North Georgia Solitaries who was responsible for her being booked for APPD this year, as well as Savannah Pagan Pride last weekend. I have spent some quality time with her and she is a beautiful soul. She loves to perform and she appreciates all her fans. The song she did with Arthur Hinds is a song she wrote for the Pagan Assistance Fund (started by North Georgia Solitaries), which is a charity aimed at helping pagans when they are down on their luck and can’t get help from secular or other religious charities. Feel free to check us out at NGSolitaries.com and look for Celia’s new album coming very soon.
Michelle, I was at Pagan Pride and I say your NGS booth. Did I understand that you are a group of solitaries? What’s that about? Who is your leader, if there is a leader?
Hi,
NGS is indeed a group of solitaries. We are lead by Lady Charissa who legally owns the group and organizes the events. But we are not a coven. We call ourselves a church of solitaries. We celebrate the sabbats together and put on the Pagan Pathways Festival, which we would love to have you at. All our events are open to the public and we allow children and family members, as well as non-pagans, as long as everyone is respectful and open minded. There is a lot more info on our website, and we are also on Facebook.
I loved reading your comments about Celia. We booked her last year for our Pagan Pathways Festival and fell in love with her music. I am fortunate to have made a dear friend as well over the last year. So when we had the chance to bring her to Georgia for Atlanta and Savannah PPDs we grabbed it. I’m so glad you enjoy her music. She puts her heart and soul into it.
Hello Dear Juggler,
Lady Charissa from North Georgia Solitaries shared your blog with me. I am delighted by what you shared and wrote. I would like to gift you with a download of music as a thank you for spreading the word. Please e-mail me where you would like me to send a download code for you.
With a Song in my Heart,
Celia
Michelle, I didn’t see anything about Lady Charrisa’s background on the website. Can you share that we me. I would like to know who trained her and about her tradition. I’m hesitant about visiting a group I know nothing about. I had a bad experience along those lines.
As the music vendor at Atlanta Pagan Pride, I can understand your frustration. The problem is that if there are good performers out there, I don’t hear about them, so I can’t get them for you to enjoy. Right now the only pagan-based albums I have are one from S.J. Tucker (a Pacific Northwest filker) and one from Hecate’s Wheel, plus the obvious Emerald Rose CDs.
Moon, if you check out Lady Charissa’s Witchvox page, there is much more info there.
http://www.witchvox.com/vn/vn_detail/dt_pa.html?a=usga&id=283671
I hope you will be willing to visit us sometime. We would love to have you at a ritual or social event.
Celia writes beautifully. S.J. is probablyy favorite. I know of quite a few Pagan or Pagan spirited musicians. Tina Malia, Blackmore’s Night, Inkubus Sukkubus, Damh the Bard, Within Temptation, Wendy Rule and there are others. And of course I would love to shake Arthur’s hand in person of the beautiful Emerald Rose.
Celia – that is extremely kind of you! I really enjoyed the show and I hope to be able to see you live again. I was sitting right in front with my partner and our friends – we even got hit with Piggus!
[...] based singer-songwriter Celia has released the new song titled “Bridget’s Song” just in time for Imbolc. The [...]