Blackwater

Blackwater (黑水) is an international band based in Beijing, China, playing Irish music.

It consists in the singer Desmond McGarry (Canada), Daniel Brustman (USA) on guitar, Zoe Wang (China) on the accordion, and Nico Torrese (France) on the tenor banjo and the mandolin. Their music draws from the rich traditional Irish repertoire (The Limerick Rake, The Foggy Dew, Wild Rover, I’ll Tell Me Ma, Spancill Hill, John Ryan’s Polka…. and much more). From beautiful ballads to frenzied jigs and reels, Blackwater is probably the most authentic Irish music band one can listen to in Beijing.

They’ve played a special concert for the President or the Republic of Ireland in june 2010.

Desmond McGarry was born in Dublin a long time ago and spent most of his life in Canada. Coming from a musical family, he has been singing Irish music since he was a child, in pubs, partys, street corners and wherever else people will stop and listen. Since coming to Beijing he has performed Irish music both as a solo artist and in bands. In his alter ego he is also the lead singer of Black Cat Bone, China’s pre-eminent blues band.

Zoe Wang started playing the accordion at the age of 4, and graduated from the Institute of Music of Tianjin in 2003. She also studied the French accordion style in France in 2007 and 2008 and stands today among the best Chinese accordion players. She has performed Irish music in the band The Dublingers in 2008 and 2009.

Also member of The Dublingers, Nico Torrese has been playing Irish music on tenor banjo for many years in France and Ireland.

Daniel Brustman is a professional guitar player who has been working in China along with Nico Torrese and Zoe Wang in the jazz band No Name Trio, specialized in swing and French musette.

http://site.douban.com/blackwater/

Past Gigs:
2010-04-22 @ 21:30 : Jianghu Bar
2010-09-02 @ 21:00 : Jianghu Bar
2010-11-24 @ 21:00 : Yugong Yishan (with Hanggai)
2011-05-08 @ 15:00 : Ditan Park (with Leidi & Jieteman, Chuanzi, Afrokoko Roots, Yang Jiasong, Lin Tianran, Zhong Lifeng, Dolan, Shanren, No Name Trio, Big John Blues Band, Wan Xiaoli, Bloody Woods, Kamila, Ma Tiao)
2011-05-19 @ 21:00 : Jianghu Bar
2011-08-27 @ 21:30 : VA Bar
2011-09-04 @ 21:00 : Jianghu Bar
2012-02-14 @ 21:00 : Bei Luo Cafe & Bar
2012-03-16 @ 21:30 : Modernista