Celtic Connections 2009 @ Various Venues Across Glasgow, 15 Jan - 1 Feb

There have been more Scottish music festivals in the last couple of years than ever before, all clamouring for the tag of most eclectic and wide-reaching. Quietly but effectively getting on with it for the last 15 years has been Glasgow’s Celtic Connections - not held in a muddy tent, no gurning neds in sight, but with a genuine focus on the best of traditional Scottish music. A look back at some of the festival’s past highlights shows how influential it has been in shaping the new pride Scotland has in its indigenous talents. But what started in 1994 as a showcase of local folk sounds has grown into a multinational celebration of Scotland’s place in the world music scene.

The three-week festival features over 200 events, but some particularly notable ones are a Jamaican Burns night at the Old Fruitmarket (Sunday, 25 Jan) with legendary Kingston producers Sly & Robbie and our own Edwyn Collins (also playing the ABC on Friday 23 Jan); the Showshine Showcase with Attic Lights, Glaswegian indie godfathers BMX Bandits and Norman Blake at the ABC (Saturday, 17 Jan); and the curious coupling of Martha Wainwright with Teddy Thompson at the Old Fruitmarket (Tuesday, 27 Jan). Another one to look forward to is The Burns Unit at the Old Fruitmarket (Friday, 16 Jan), a modern appraisal of the bard’s work by an all-star lineup that boasts King Creosote and Karine Polwart as well as Roddy Woomble's sublime trio with Kris Drever and John McCusker. [Euan Ferguson]