CELTIC MUSIC THAT MAKES YOUR FEET MOVE
&
YOUR HEART SING!
DEWAR is a Celtic folk band and plays throughout Europe. The band was founded in april 2022. Dewar play at Private Party's, Highland Games, Irish and Scottish Events, pubs and theaters and Celtic festivals; Magdeburger Irish Folk Festival, Kulturhaus Wilster, Folk for Friends Steinheim, Emsdetten Highland Games, Open Air Folk Abend Waltrop, Breddermann Kunst und Kulturcafé, Kulturhaus Windheim, Samhain Bourtange, Keltisch Openlucht Concert Overtuin, Benefit Concert Glenelg Scotland and Space Mountain Festival Granada, Spain. With their powerful songs, enchanting ballads and uplifting traditional Celtic tunes they touch the soul of their audience and deliver an energy boost. Alongside the Celtic folk music, the band have a varied repertoire including many songs of their own.
The core of the group are the experienced frontman of the band The Assassenachs, Scottish born and bred Steve Dewar (vocals, guitar & bodhrán) and the Dutch Lena Dewar (vocals & fiddle).
Dewar also play often as a trio: with Irish born and bred Eamonn Kane (bodhrán, vocals, guitar), likewise from Dublin: Peter Kelly (bodhrán, vocals) and Dutchman Dennis Delger (bodhrán & cajon). Whether as duo or trio, the music and performances are passionate and straight from the heart.
The aforementioned variety of the bands' setlist is one of their many strengths. Traditional celtic songs, instrumental celtic tunes (jigs, reels, strathspeys) and contemporary Scottish songs (written by Steve Dewar) flow effortlessly into each other and transport the audience to a spectrum of times, places and expieriences. Ballads, love songs, songs of hard times. Raunchy songs about drinking, fighting, and good times -less we forget: life in general promise a Celtic celebration at its finest - Steve singing in English and Scots Tongue, Lena mostly in Gaelic.Songs like Star of the County Down, Whiskey in the Jar, Dirty Old Town and The Drunken Sailor are given a freshening once over by the band and with a unique slant but also lesser known classics such as Shady Grove, From Claire to Here and Black is the Colour keep their essence whilst being given the Dewar touch.Steve's own songs like Celebrate, The Crow and Winter bring another dimension to the performances and have audiences captured and tapping feet at the same timeSome of the traditional and newer tunes played are: Out on the Ocean (jig), The High Road to Linton (reel), Calum's road (strathspey), Maggie in the Woods (Polka), Top of Maol(Polka), Inisheer (walz), The Butterfly (slip jig), Bo mhin na toitean ( March), Arran Boat Song ( Walz).Gaelic songs; Hé mo Leannan, Suilean Dubh, Chí mi na Mórbheanna, Seallaibh Curaigh Eòghainn.Dewar are constantly writing new material and learning new traditional songs and tunes so the setlist is ever evolving.
Steve Dewar is a Scottish folksinger, songwriter and guitarist born and raised in Edinburgh by his mother Janet Dewar and his father Alistair Dewar. When Steve was 12 years old he picked up the guitar and started playing and singing, he never put the guitar down again. From 1987 till 1993 Steve played as lead guitarist (electric) in the Scottish punk rock band Political Asylum. Since 1998 he has been playing solo or accompanied by his band Dewar or the Assassenachs, on stages of all sizes, throughout Europe with his self-written repertoire and exciting take on Celtic folk music. When he can, Steve goes back to his roots and plays at venues in the area of the Isle of Skye in Scotland. Steve is influenced by his upbringing in Edinburgh, he gives traditional folk songs a new lease of life but they retain their authenticity and integrity. That, mixed with his own unique songs makes for a powerful and diverse experience. For more information about Steve you can visit: stevedewarmusic.com
Lena Dewar is a Dutch musician who plays traditional and new Celtic music on fiddle and sings in Gaelic. She plays instrumental tunes at her fiddle, such as strathspeys, polkas, jigs, reels, waltzes and marses. After a few, years Lena started accompanying Scottish and Irish songs with her own compositions and lines. Working together with her husband Lena started singing songs in English and also Gaelic, incorporating the tradition of Puirt à beul. Her Gaelic vocals are described by the audience as; sweet and touching. Puirt à beul, “tunes from a mouth”, is a traditional form of song native to Scotland that sets Gaelic lyrics to instrumental tune melodies. Historically, they were used to accompany dancing in the absence of instruments and to transmit instrumental tunes orally. As a guest musician Lena plays with the band The Assassenachs. For more information about Lena you can visit her website; www.lenadewar.com