News & Project Updates

• Callahan's "Shelter" New Theme Song for Activist Podcast

9/3/2020

- MAT CALLAHAN's exquisite composition "Shelter" is now being heard as the theme song for
Shelter & Solidarity's podcast & broadcast.

Written and performed by Callahan and from his solo album A Wild Bouquet, "Shelter" is the perfect lead-in to the organization's new online community collaboration. Callahan is joined by his daughter, Berlin-based/Broken Arrow artist SHANNON CALLAHAN who elevates the track with beautiful, ethereal vocal stylings throughout.

Shelter & Solidarity's weekly interactive sessions feature artists, activists, authors and experts in different fields of concern, focusing on the "struggles, challenges & opportunities" the pandemic Covid-19 is creating. Hosted by Joe Ramsey, the sessions are live-streamed and then broadcasted on YouTube, and are a joint effort of the Labor Press, Hard Ball Press, encuentro5, and
Socialism and Democracy.

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• Broken Arrow Artists Now Available throughout SAARC

7/1/2020

- Music fans throughout the SAARC union of countries in South Asia are now able to stream Broken Arrow artists.

Through a new deal with Broken Arrow Records' music distributor Orchard/Sony Music, audio/video streaming will be available in all SAARC countries via service provider AllSaints and all Oppo, Xiaomi and Vivo handsets. SAARC countries include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. All but India and Bangladesh now have Broken Arrow content for the first time. The deal with AllSaints also covers China.

With this, the great music of Broken Arrow's artists is now available virtually throughout the world. Check them out yourself at the Spotify playlist above, or anywhere fine streams are sold.

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• The HawtThorns Release New Single "Memphis Rain"

5/8/2020

- Releasing today is THE HAWTTHORNS new single "Memphis Rain".

The video premiered along with a great review in American Songwriter magazine. The Aaron Lee Tasjan composition has been wonderfully re-spun by KP Hawthorn (KIRSTEN PROFFIT) on acoustic guitar and Johnny Hawthorn on slide. The contemplative version features the duo sharing vocals, an uncommon approach so far in the young group's music.

"Memphis Rain" is the duo's first new offering since dropping their debut album Morning Sun last year, an 11-track, all original collection named one of the "50 Best Albums of 2019" by Albumism.

Tasjan says "“When another artist covers one of your songs it’s a wonderful feeling. I love what the HawtThorns did on their version of Memphis Rain. They made it their own in a beautiful way and it made me smile to think my song would get sung by talented artists like KP & Johnny.”

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• Kalli Releases Single Featured in New Film

4/6/2020

- Icelandic singer-songwriter KALLI has just released the new single "How Long",
a quiet, contemplative gem featuring Kalli on vocals, acoustic guitar and piano, and
Gudrun Palsdottir on upright bass.

"How Long" is a wonderful addition to Kalli's long list of singular, emotional and atmospheric tracks such as "Waterfalls", "Beautiful Son" and "Laurel Canyon", to name but a few. The track follows Kalli's latest EP Escape Artist, and the full-length Last Train Home, which was nominated for
Album of the Year honors at the Icelandic Music Awards.

"How Long" will be featured in the forthcoming documentary The Amazing Truth About Daddy Green, the latest effort from the Berlin Film Festival prize-winning director Olaf Johannesson. Kalli's work has been featured in numerous film and television projects, such as The Grocer's Son (César Award winner - France), and the Emmy Award-winning Criminal Minds.

The track was mixed and mastered by Arnar G (LEAVES), who also collaborated with Kalli on his most recent singles "Lost" and "My Bird".

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• International Collaboration for Swiss TV Brings in 2020

2/7/2020

Photo: Oscar Alessio

- Ok, for a great night and a once-in-a-blue (Ridge?)-moon special performance...

Start with a very accomplished singer-songwriter from Ireland, long-time BROKEN ARROW friend and artist SHIRLEY GRIMES... joined by Americana bluegrass & folk virtuosos from the Carolinas
the KRUGER BROTHERS... singing songs from the Swedish pop supergroup ABBA... all to help celebrate a very festive New Years' eve and bring in a new decade on Swiss TV and radio
via SRF Kulture...

Yet again, showing music knows no boundaries, and is truly our global language and connection.
Well done to all.

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• Holiday 2019 Events: Iconic Halls & Singular Performances

1/13/2020

- The holidays are always hectic, and for Broken Arrow this year was happily no exception...

Events to celebrate were wonderfully diverse, starting with an other-worldly concert event at New York's Carnegie Hall by the VIENNA BOYS CHOIR. The 25-member strong ensemble graced the world famous theatre with nothing more than their exquisite voices and grand piano for a special holiday performance, and showed the timeless approach from over 500 years from the Wiener Sangerknaben school.
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At San Francisco's storied Swedish American Music Hall & Cafe du Nord, urban jazz harmonicist FREDERIC YONNET wowed the crowd at an annual holiday party with a great set. This distinctive booking was a very fresh presentation for the guests and solidified the host's reputation as a music trailblazer in their events.
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Back to New York and to a third iconic building - the New York Public Library. Most won't equate the great, majestic building as an event space, but that was one of the many things making this night so special. Guests viewed an original manuscript of "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens upon entering the Edna Barnes Salomon Room, which was transformed from grand reading room to atmospheric event space. To match the intellectual surroundings of the night was a mind-bending performance by mentalist ASI WIND.

Live music & performances elevate any event, and when creative bookings meet one-of-a-kind venues, event hosts are well on their way to giving their guests lifetime memories.

To all of our artists, clients and vendors, we say thanks to a great year. And now, on to 2020...!

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• Iconic Hall, Exceptional Talent, Extraordinary Evening

12/27/2019

The Choir and minimal stage setup

- When talent and venue alone redefine the concert experience...

The VIENNA BOYS CHOIR gave an acoustic, non-amplified concert at New York's iconic Carnegie Hall for a special holiday event, and the combination of pure talent, venue design, and performance resulted in a one-of-a-kind evening. It was an evening that was solely about song, as the minimal production set up included just two stage risers and a grand piano. No special lighting, video, effects, or any other production elements were necessary, and in fact would have detracted from the natural sound of the boys' voices. Which were resplendent.

The 25-member choir, all between the ages of nine to fourteen, is one of four touring groups of the famed Wiener Sangerknaben group, who have been educating children for over 500 years. The sound and presentation were timeless, and within the aura of the hallowed hall, showed us why this choir is one of music's, and culture's, great achievements.

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• After 25 years, Shirley Grimes Returns Home to Ireland

10/3/2019

- At long last (if you count over 25 years as long...) SHIRLEY GRIMES returns to her homeland for 5 special concerts beginning tonight, for the first of two shows in Killaloe, County Clare. Ending in Dublin, the run is the long-awaited highpoint of the Hold On.... tour.

The concerts will feature songs and musicians from Shirley's new release Hold on... which have already gained critical attention with the Irish press:

"Her newest album 'Hold on....' is a work of wisdom and maturity. It collects 11 poignant songs that are both outspoken about world affairs and intimately personal. The songs are beautiful, the arrangements refined, the voice as honest as ever. 'Hold on....' is the sound of sincerity." - The Glens, Manorhamilton

The songs are wonderful, but always so extra special, when sung at home.

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• The HawtThorns Lift Off featuring Kirsten Proffit

8/16/2019

The "HawtThorns excel at expertly weaving pop into Americana,
which is what makes 'Morning Sun' a special album."
- Steven Ovadia, Albumism

- Long-time, prolific Broken Arrow artist KIRSTEN PROFFIT has created a wonderful new music adventure in THE HAWTTHORNS. The new husband-and-wife team bring Johnny Hawthorn
(Toad the Wet Sprocket, Everclear) together with KP for a poppy, electric guitar-driven, thoroughly enjoyable Americana debut release Morning Sun.

Kirsten continues what she started with the female California Country duo CALICO THE BAND but this time brings in Mr. Hawthorn to share vocals and lend his considerable guitar talents to KP's melodic song arrangements.

This is not sleepy, mirage-inducing Americana, but upbeat, energetic excursions in and out of the genre all the while focusing on their blended harmonies and expert songcraft. For those fans of Kirsten's pop styles, this album has you covered. More from Steven Ovadia:

"Ultimately, the gift of the HawtThorns is how they make songs sound pretty. They do it in a variety of ways. Their arrangements. KP's vocals. And their gorgeous sense of melody."

Now that the album is out, the road is where you'll find the HawtThorns.

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• "In Search of a Better Life" Concerts in Bern, CH

7/10/2019

- The impact of music to tell a story...

Two special "In Search of a Better Life” concerts took place this past weekend at the majestic French Church in Bern, CH, featuring Irish songstress & Broken Arrow artist SHIRLEY GRIMES, joined by the ORCHESTRA DIVERTIMENTO, the THIRD DAY CHORALE from Dublin, and the
ONE RIVER VOICES choir from Bern. With 180 performers on stage, it promised to be a very special presentation, and it exceeded all expectations.

The remarkable and emotional peak in both sold-out shows was Shirley’s beautiful & haunting new song “Here Upon the Water”, which she wrote in anticipation of the shows, telling "the story of a man forced to flee his country and embark on a deadly trip across the sea to Europe.”
There wasn't a dry-eye in the house.

Unfortunately both song & concerts become more poignant by the day, but here they creatively helped divert the global narrative,
to the personal story.

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• Mat Callahan Hits Woodstock; Clearwater Folk Festival

6/13/2019

- Author, singer-songwriter, provacateur...MAT CALLAHAN arrives stateside for a slate of appearances supporting his new release Working Class Heroes, with YVONNE MOORE. Mat kicks off the tour with two very special dates this weekend.

June 14 Mat appears at the Woodstock 50 anniversary conference at Marist College in Bethel Woods, NY. Mat will be speaking about music and the sixties' counterculture in his talk
"Music as a Rival of the State."

Then on June 15, joined by blues songstress Moore, Callahan will appear at the 41st annual Clearwater Folk Festival, aka The Great Hudson River Revival, alongside artists such as
MAVIS STAPLES and ANI DIFRANCO. This great and storied festival - the country's oldest & largest music & environmental festival - is rooted in the environmental causes spearheaded by local resident and iconic folk music pioneer PETE SEEGER, whom Mat collaborated with in, among other projects, presenting Seeger's program on Public Domain reform at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva, Switzerland in 2007.

This year's festival is celebrating Seeger's 100th birthday, as well as the 50th anniversary of the sloop Clearwater, the famous ship Seeger built to advocate cleaning up the Hudson River. Also appearing are such artists as Railroad Earth, The Wailers, and Immortal Technique.

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• New Album Release for Mat Callahan & Yvonne Moore

6/3/2019

- Broken Arrow artists singer-songwriter MAT CALLAHAN and Swiss blues songstress
YVONNE MOORE have just released a special new album Working-Class Heroes. This represents the duo's forth major release together and will be supported by initial tour appearances in the U.S., U.K., and Switzerland.

The album arose out of Moore's exploration of Sarah Ogan Gunning songs after her acclaimed Blue Wisdom albums, which featured gems from the American blues songbook, and follows a parallel path with the duo's previous release on the songs & writings of Irish Eastern Rising
leader James Connolly.

From PM Press:
"The most essential music is conceived by real human beings; ordinary, anonymous, often poor who stood up and joined together to fight injustice and institutional oppression. This is the story of Working-Class Heroes, a collection of American working-class, pre-World War II folk songs revived by Mat & Yvonne. Here the duo presents 20 songs written by both folk cannon heavyweights and lesser-known but equally gifted songwriters. Both beautiful and emotionally arresting, the album is a collection of stories as much as songs - stories of the women and men who (sometimes literally) gave their lives to emancipate the working class. Heroes such as Sarah Ogan Gunning, Woody Guthrie, Paul Robeson and Ella May Wiggins...and several more anonymous proletarian songwriters, whose names have been long forgotten but their words immortalized."

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• Kalli's "Lost" Releases Today Worldwide

5/3/2019

- KALLI's new single "Lost" releases today around the world through Broken Arrow Music ,
his first release since the Escape Artist EP was released in 2017.

"Lost" also follows Kalli's last full-length album Last Train Home, which was nominated for
Album of the Year at the Icelandic Music Awards.

The Kalli & Katherine Hoyle penned song was recorded in his hometown of Reykjavik, & features Kalli on vocals, organ & guitar, plus Gudrun Hulda Palsdottir on background vocals.
Arnar Guðjónsson (Leaves) plays drums, bass, guitars, & synths, as well as co-produced the track with Kalli.

A lush, expansive song with building dynamics, energy & positive feel, Kalli says "Lost" is about
"transformation, change...letting go of the past & finding new ground."

Available worldwide wherever quality notes are found.

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• Vinyl Release Today for Shirley Grimes' Hold On....

3/6/2019

- Today SHIRLEY GRIMES' new album Hold on... releases in vinyl format.

Exquisite acoustic guitar and mandocello work, Shirley's singular vocals, and all the deep glows of Hold on... are wonderfully captured in the warm embrace of vinyl, a perfect way to listen to her most personal release.

This release comes with a flurry of new spring tour dates, including tonight in Basel, CH, at the Atlantis. Maybe the only way better than vinyl to hear these songs is live, so we're covered there as well.

For full information, ordering, and tour dates, head over to Shirley's website.

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• Hot Concerts Heat Up Holiday Parties

2/28/2019

- The holiday season came and went in a blur, but what a blur it was...

We had the pleasure of acquiring great live music for a variety of events. In particular we wanted to thank LA MISA NEGRA for their irresistible sets of high-fun Afro-Latin dance jams at AT&T (now Oracle) Park in San Francisco. A hot band on the rise, check out their new album
La Misa Negra ("the Red Album").
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Latin orchestras are always a big hit for festive live events, and we had the pleasure of working again with one of the best, the Grammy-nominated PACIFIC MAMBO ORCHESTRA, in their full 20-piece attack. This band is just hot, so be sure to check them out when they're back on tour.
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Another holiday treat was working with DJ RED CORVETTE. This Oakland-based DJ not only excels in prime soul/r&b/hip hop mixology, but as well in taking things to a higher level as co-founder of the Women Sound Off festival (coming up this year April 5-7 in Oakland). At this same event from Los Angeles was GROUND CONTROL, an A-list party band that shook the house down.
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Also, our first time at the "new" August Hall was a great success. In a historic building right off Union Square in the heart of San Francisco, the former home of Ruby Skye has been remodeled sonically and visually, and besides being a new tour stop for many, it's now a wonderful venue for private events with a great staff.

Definitely a happy holiday for all.

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Music curation, booking and contracting by BROKEN ARROW

• Pacific Mambo, Kotoja, Headline a Global Music Feast

10/11/2018

- San Francisco's Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park is one of the world's largest natural history museums, housing over 26 million specimens from around the world, in what is as well California's oldest museum. And on a recent memorable night, the venerable collection had a live soundtrack and private celebration well-befitting of its place and stature.

Guests to this private event had the after-hours of the museum to themselves, and once inside, the host wanted to take all on an exotic journey. Music led the way.

While exploring the Renzo Piano designed rebuild and its inhabitants, guests were serenaded by renown world music DJ HARRY DUNCAN, who set the mood with a vibrant global-soul mix that pulsed throughout the building's sound system. Once the special tours and presentations from astronauts, painters, and science experts were over, the crowd gathered in the expansive main piazza next to the 4-story rain forest and started moving to the afro-funk beats of African music stalwarts KOTOJA, as the 10-piece band laid down an irresistible, feel-good set. Then, Fiji's
RAKO PASEFIKA took everyone to islands far away with their native songs & dance.

With Duncan's mixes expertly connecting the dots between live sets, the Grammy award-winning PACIFIC MAMBO ORCHESTRA took the stage 13 members strong and brought the crowd to its dancing best. The Latin big band ignited the room with with its high energy blend of 40s - 60s golden era sounds of mambo, salsa, cha-cha, and Latin jazz. Feet and faces alike were smiling wide from the power of the PMO.

It was a sensory, mental and physical escape for all the guests of the host, a social justice organization involved in environmental, educational and immigration issues. All under an intoxicating blend of world music sounds from Africa, Latin America, Pacific Islands,
and all points in-between.

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Music curation and booking by BROKEN ARROW. Event production by e2k events.

• New Album and Tour from Shirley Grimes

9/20/2018

- Longtime Broken Arrow artist SHIRLEY GRIMES has announced a new album release and corresponding tour.

Hold on... is the Irish singer/songwriter's 8th album, and it releases worldwide on October 19. On November 2, Shirley and band set out on a 24-date tour starting with a sold-out show in Munchenbuchsee, Switzerland. A second Munchenbuchsee show has just been announced for Nov. 3.

The Hold On... tour follows the incredibly successful Lovesongs tour, which ran from 2015 - 2016. Lovesongs covered 72 shows, 24 of which were sellouts, and included three Bob Dylan tribute shows and three shows with the Biel Solothurn Symphony Orchestra. On the road as she was in the studio, Shirley will be accompanied on mandocello and bass by Wolfgang Zwiauer and by
Tom Etter on acoustic guitars.

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Music marketing, promotion, worldwide digital distribution by BROKEN ARROW

• Jam-Packed Night Sends Guests on a Global Musical Journey

6/22/2018

Yismari with Candela

Jeffrey Iqbal

- On a beautiful evening in the hills above San Francisco bay, world music and dance graced an elegant yet very lively annual celebration and party...

Musically, the night began in the mountains of western Bolivia and ended in the streets of Mumbai, India. In between, the lucky guests had an entertainment tour throughout Latin America, Europe and far-flung spots along the Caribbean.

Upon arrival guests were serenaded by the incredible MARIO and JOSE ORETEA, flamenco guitar virtuosos playing traditionals from their Bolivian homeland as well as from their mentors from France, the Gypsy Kings. The Latin jazz trio LaTiDo then took over during the catered dinner and played a wonderful set that hinted of musical journeys to come.

Bossa nova music created a sexy segue into the dance portion of the evening, which featured the RUEDA con RITMO dance group performing the "wheel" style of Cuban street dance to the music of Los Van Van. Then a solo dance performance by YISMARI to Camila Cabello's current mega-hit "Havana" was a show-stopper. Increasing the energy, the CANDELA salsa orchestra immediately lit into their fiery set and guests quickly jammed the dance floor, and stayed there. Guests only thought they were danced-out after Candela's last song... but once led inside, JEFFREY IQBAL hit them with big, India/Bollywood-style pop hits, and more dancing and fun were unavoidable.

In all, the exquisite setting and event were truly graced by an entire evening of fantastic live music and dance performances from around the world.

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Music Curation, Booking and Contracting by BROKEN ARROW. Event production by e2k and Taste Catering.

• Mehling, Samuels Light Spigit's Ignite 2018 Conference

5/23/2018

- Ideators came together for two days and nights in San Francisco recently for the annual Ignite conference by Spigit. Spigit is an industry leading ideation management platform, with offices in San Francisco, London and Sydney. Ignite 2018 landed at the stately Battery building in downtown SF and featured an A-list group of speakers and of course, entertainers.

Elevating the opening reception was the exquisite guitar stylings of PAUL MEHLING, the godfather of American gypsy jazz, and leader of the Hot Club of San Francisco. Following up at the closing party was the equally-exquisite jazz guitar of JORDAN SAMUELS, who regularly performs with the Electric Squeezebox Orchestra and other top ensembles, as well as his own trio.

Both artists brought a large amount of talent, creativity and distinction...and a lot of fun, to the social nights of Ignite 18. Well done to all.

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Music curation and booking by BROKEN ARROW. Event production by ANNA MARIE EVENTS

• Calico the Band Returns to Stagecoach

4/30/2018

- Coachchella's ever-popular and ever-growing sister festival Stagecoach took over the Empire Polo Club grounds in Indio, CA, this weekend for their annual country music festival, and
CALICO THE BAND was there gracing the grounds & stage for the second time in their brief history on Sunday. Produced by Goldenvoice, the day was headlined by Garth Brooks, with Keith Urban and Florida Georgia Line headlining the festival on Saturday and Friday nights.

Calico the Band distinctly features the dual lead-singers Manda Mosher and BROKEN ARROW artist KIRSTEN PROFFIT, and the stop was part of their tour supporting their wonderful sophomore release Under Blue Skies.

Well done, Ladies of the Canyon!

See & hear more of Kirsten here

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