Finally, after years of talking about it, KaliSara and RevKess got Tuatha Dea on the show. Joined by author Alex Bledsoe, Danny and Rebecca of Tuatha Dea talk music, inspiration, and taking a novel and making it into music.
From the back cover of the novel:
“No one knows where the Tufa came from, or how they ended up in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee, yet when the first Europeans arrived, they were already there. Dark-haired, enigmatic, and suspicious of outsiders, the Tufa live quiet loves in the hills and valleys of Cloud County. While their origins may be lost to history, there are clues in their music – hints of their true nature buried in the songs they have passed down for generations.”
It was at a Pagan festival where Bledsoe and Tuatha Dea first met. As Bledsoe describes in the interview, he was sitting in his cabin, not intending to go to the concert hall, when he heard this amazing drumming echoing through the event site. He felt compelled to see who was making such a magical noise. When he saw Danny, Rebecca and the rest of the Tuatha on the stage he felt as if he was seeing the Tufa at one of their barn dances. After the concert he asked Danny and the family if he could include them in his next installment in the Tufa Tales. As one might say, that is when a legend was born.
Throughout the program, KaliSara and RevKess asked probing questions to get to the nitty gritty of creating not only the books, but the music as well. A true cooperative effort, Tufa Tales is an amazing mix of story and song, some of it taken straight from the pages of Bledsoe’s story. In the program you will hear a small selection of music from the CD interspersed with back ground information and the inspiration of both projects. You’ll also learn a bit about Bledsoe’s other writings and the other music projects from Tuatha Dea.
THE MUSIC
KaliSara and RevKess focused on the music from the Tufa Tales release for this show. All of Tuatha Dea’s music worth a listen. At least in their opinions, and they are sure that you will agree. It should be noted that the version of Wisp of a Thing that was played on the podcast is available only as an mp3 download. The CD and video version of the song do not include the “siren” that starts the third portion of the set.
- Tuatha Dea – The Hum and the Shiver – Tufa Tales: Appalachian Fae
- Tuatha Dea – Wisp of a Thing (Part 1, Primal Flight/Part 2, Curnens Lament/Part 3, Alive!) – Tufa Tales: Appalachian Fae
- Tuatha Dea – Long Black Curl – Tufa Tales: Appalachian Fae
Additional Links
Review of Tufa Tales by David Banach from Witches&Pagans
Cooperhead Road by Steve Earle Bledsoe used Copperhead Road in a workshop to explain how music can tell a story that covers generations. Similar to how Wisp of a Thing tells a tale over many years.
Pagan-Musings Podcast Channel 