Equal Fashion Magazine Vol 4-2016
Jo-Jo O ' & The WOODS with ' The Famous Six ' At The Belfast Nashville Songwr iter s Festival
What are a pair of ' late 20-something ' Canadians , three of Dublin ' s coolest Rock and Roll Dads , and one blonde , blue-eyed bluesy Belfast woman , playing together at The Belfast Nashville Songwriters Festival , under the name ' The Famous Six '?
Where does one even begin to explain this anomaly ? ?
We had arrived in Dublin , Ireland last May , by August we found ourselves swallowed whole by the enigma that is Darkey Kelly ' s . A little pub tucked around the corner from the bustle of Dame Street , and a hop and a skip from Temple Bar .
I don ' t know what is was about this pub ? but I felt I had arrived exactly where I was supposed to be . We ; Jo-Jo O ' & The WOODS , A random pair of Canadian songwriters , had become regular members of The Musicians and Songwriters Collective of Dublin , and performed our original music every Tuesday at Darkey Kelly ' s , shoulder to shoulder with the
local acts , men and women of all ages and walks of life , performing for audiences from all over the world . There we would establish friendships with this motley crew of artists , patrons , and the Darkey ' s Boys , who we affectionately refer to as our ' Irish Dads ' ( behind their backs , of course .)
' The Famous Six ' is the brain child of one Tony Floyd Kenna , creator and orchestra-tor of The Dublin Collective . Tony , a warm , gregarious force of nature - I think I speak for us all when I say he is a man we all struggle to keep up with . One Tuesday evening in November , Tony tells Rylan and I that we will be playing at " BelNash " in March ; " Three duos , Six voices , Twelve eyes , songs to stir your heart and soul . Writing and performing partnerships forged in the furnace of life ." - An excerpt from Tony ' s proposal .
It was that easy . And then we were the Famous Six , a band made up of three bands , shipped up to Belfast to represent The Dublin Collective .
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