Robbi McMillen

Cheers, to the good years!

admin — Tue, 19 May 2009 19:04:34 +0000

Happiness comes to those who wait;
An appreciation of time.
A race that looks too far into future
Becomes endlessly blind.
So here’s to the good years!
The good months and even the bad weather.
And here’s to knowing I’ve not missed out
And to knowing my own luck.
Cheers, to the good years!

Tá todhchaí romhainn agus tiocfaidh sí.
Tá solas i gconaí linn, i gconaí, ‘gconaí.

Some of us are lucky to have faith
And some of us lucky not to.
It works out though; I know it can.
We have time, and many years;
though me may not realize it.

Oíche mhaith, a stór.
Téigh slán.

Rest in peace, Delara Darabi

admin — Sat, 02 May 2009 19:52:43 +0000

I have just had a text with the news of Delara Darabi’s execution in Iran. Can we not all stand up to those we pay every day?! Can we not pluck the courage to ask, as a world, a global village, for a fair trial for our own people; the citizens of the world? We really are in a bleak, disgusting place. Where has our strength gone?

Be Still My Soul

Be still my soul – the Lord is on thy side;
bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
leave to thy God to order and provide;
in every change – he faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul – thy best thy heavenly Friend
through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still my soul – when dearest friends depart,
and all is darkened in the vale of tears,
then shalt thou better know his love – his heart,
who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears.
Be still, my soul – the waves and winds still know
his voice who ruled them – while he dwelt below.

Be still my soul the hour is hastening on
when we shall be forever with the Lord,
when disappointment – grief and fear are gone,
sorrow forgot – love’s purest joys restored,.
Be still my soul – when change and tears are past,
all safe and blessed – we shall meet at last.

I'm Tweeting! / Israeli Celebration?

admin — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 00:17:04 +0000

It’s been almost two months since my last update, but you’ll hopefully be happy to know that I’m on Twitter, with almost daily text, email, web and TweetDeck updates! I hope to keep you up to date with as much as I can! At the moment I’m working on writing a new EP, but I’m desperately trying to catch up with my work for Reprise Media and the amazingly fun volunteer work for Féile an Phobail!

You can subscribe to my Twitter account at twitter.com/robbimcmillen. Hope you’re all doing well, I’m off to bed now for an early start! Have a great weekend and hope you all had an amazing Easter, I had my birthday on Easter Sunday, it was amazing!

Agh, hope to see you soon ladies, gentlemen, lassies and laddies!
Robbi xxxx

From The Gaurdian: In May, Jewish organisations will be celebrating the 60th anniversary of the founding of the state of Israel. This is understandable in the context of centuries of persecution culminating in the Holocaust. Nevertheless, we are Jews who will not be celebrating. Surely it is now time to acknowledge the narrative of the other, the price paid by another people for European anti-semitism and Hitler’s genocidal policies. As Edward Said emphasised, what the Holocaust is to the Jews, the Naqba is to the Palestinians.

In April 1948, the same month as the infamous massacre at Deir Yassin and the mortar attack on Palestinian civilians in Haifa’s market square, Plan Dalet was put into operation. This authorised the destruction of Palestinian villages and the expulsion of the indigenous population outside the borders of the state. We will not be celebrating.

In July 1948, 70,000 Palestinians were driven from their homes in Lydda and Ramleh in the heat of the summer with no food or water. Hundreds died. It was known as the Death March. We will not be celebrating.

In all, 750,000 Palestinians became refugees. Some 400 villages were wiped off the map. That did not end the ethnic cleansing. Thousands of Palestinians (Israeli citizens) were expelled from the Galilee in 1956. Many thousands more when Israel occupied the West Bank and Gaza. Under international law and sanctioned by UN resolution 194, refugees from war have a right to return or compensation. Israel has never accepted that right. We will not be celebrating.

We cannot celebrate the birthday of a state founded on terrorism, massacres and the dispossession of another people from their land. We cannot celebrate the birthday of a state that even now engages in ethnic cleansing, that violates international law, that is inflicting a monstrous collective punishment on the civilian population of Gaza and that continues to deny to Palestinians their human rights and national aspirations.

We will celebrate when Arab and Jew live as equals in a peaceful Middle East.

Seymour Alexander, Ruth Appleton, Steve Arloff, Rica Bird, Jo Bird, Cllr Jonathan Bloch, Ilse Boas, Prof. Haim Bresheeth, Tanya Bronstein, Sheila Colman, Ruth Clark, Sylvia Cohen, Judith Cravitz, Mike Cushman, Angela Dale, Ivor Dembina, Dr. Linda Edmondson, Nancy Elan, Liz Elkind, Pia Feig, Colin Fine, Deborah Fink, Sylvia Finzi, Brian Fisher MBE, Frank Fisher, Bella Freud, Catherine Fried, Uri Fruchtmann, Stephen Fry, David Garfinkel, Carolyn Gelenter, Claire Glasman, Tony Greenstein, Heinz Grunewald, Michael Halpern, Abe Hayeem, Rosamine Hayeem, Anna Hellman, Amy Hordes, Joan Horrocks, Deborah Hyams, Selma James, Riva Joffe, Yael Oren Kahn, Michael Kalmanovitz, Paul Kaufman, Prof. Adah Kay, Yehudit Keshet, Prof. Eleonore Kofman, Rene Krayer, Stevie Krayer, Berry Kreel, Leah Levane, Les Levidow, Peter Levin, Louis Levy, Ros Levy, Prof. Yosefa Loshitzky, Catherine Lyons, Deborah Maccoby, Daniel Machover, Prof. Emeritus Moshe Machover, Miriam Margolyes OBE, Mike Marqusee, Laura Miller, Simon Natas, Hilda Meers, Martine Miel, Laura Miller, Arthur Neslen, Diana Neslen, Orna Neumann, Harold Pinter, Roland Rance, Frances Rivkin, Sheila Robin, Dr. Brian Robinson, Neil Rogall, Prof. Steven Rose, Mike Rosen, Prof. Jonathan Rosenhead, Leon Rosselson, Michael Sackin, Sabby Sagall, Ian Saville, Alexei Sayle, Anna Schuman, Sidney Schuman, Monika Schwartz, Amanda Sebestyen, Sam Semoff, Linda Shampan, Sybil Shine, Prof. Frances Stewart, Inbar Tamari, Ruth Tenne, Martin Toch, Tirza Waisel, Stanley Walinets, Martin White, Ruth Williams, Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi, Devra Wiseman, Gerry Wolff, Sherry Yanowitz.

Let me add one un-notable name to the list: Robbi McMillen.

Eddie Keenan: Irishman

admin — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 22:27:40 +0000

Eddie Keenan died at his home yesterday afternoon in Twinbrook, West Belfast. He was a well-known seanchaí (story teller), singer and historian to his friends and extended family and will be sadly missed. Eddie was a man I had spent many hours with over the years, discussing history and politics, and indeed discussing the lives of my late grandfather Bob McMillen and late great-uncle Liam. Eddie was a true Irishman, a true rebel – in only the good senses of the word. Eddie Keenan’s wife, Mary died in October. Many countless hours I have spent with them at céilí’s in the Cultúrlann in Belfast or at special events at Cumann Chluain Árd in Hawthorn Street discussing the history prior to my birth.

His daughter, Máire, I have known since I was two years old. She was my dinner lady in primary school, educator during that same period and one of the strongest women I have ever met. I was also directly related to Eddie’s wife Mary, and to Eddie through her. I suppose we have to keep in mind that people pass on in the end… but that they will be sadly missed. Eddie and Mary are priceless to this day, and will never cease to be.

My dad told me just a few minutes ago of how when he was seven years old, he first visited his dad, my grandfather, in prison in Crumlin Road Gaol. He got out early from school. His teacher would ask, “Why is your daddy in prison?”. He would simply reply, “Because he’s an Irishman miss,” and then he’d meet my grandmother Ena, my uncle Terry and auntie Maura, to go to the prison to visit my grandfather – four years of this and my father and siblings managed to leave the situation strong people. Eddie was imprisoned himself illegaly by Westminster, led by the Torys at the time.

It was Eddie’s words that inspired the song ‘Banba’s Enemy’, which I recorded in 2004. Each time I as much as think about that song I will be reminded of that great man – the great seanchaí and singer, Eddie Keenan.

Roibeárd Óg Mac Maoláin

Change of Direction

admin — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 22:29:42 +0000

In November I asked the distributors of the albums (the amazing Tunecore and Amazon) to take down the albums they’ve been selling for me. I’ve had a few nice emails asking why, and he truth of it is, I’m hoping to move away from that work. I have a lot of plans for the future, including projects outside of music and am planning a new album/EP (plans!!). I know you’ll all be fine with the decision and hope you email me if you would like the tracks for free. At the minute, I hope to really think about how to arrange songs, mainly traditional, in a generic but exciting way and it’ll take a few months to get everything done. Have a class February guys!

I mí na Samhna d’iarraidh mé ar dáileoirí (seirbhís ar fheabhas Tunecore agus Amazon) na halbaim atá déanta agam a ghlacadh síos as á gcuid siopaí srl. An fáth atá leis seo na go bhfuil mé ag iarraidh bogadh ar aghaidh ón tsean-obair agus stíl difriúl a thaiféadadh. Tá a fhios agam go mbeidh sibh uilig i gceart leis seo agus tá súil agam go gcuirfeadh sibh r-poist chugam má tá sibh ag iarraidh an cheol a fháil uaim saor in aisce. Faoi láthair, tá mé ag iarraidh foghlaim agus smaoiniú fán dóigh a dtiocfadh liom amhráin a chóiriú, i mbealach cineálach ach corraitheach. De thairbhe, glacfaidh sé cupla mí gach rud a ullmhú i gceart. Bíodh Feabhra torthúil agaibh!

Robbi x

Nollaig Shona, Happy Christmas!

admin — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 16:33:12 +0000

I hope you all enjoy Christmas (or the holidays, depending!). Obviously it’s a hard time for a lot of people, so don’t forget a wee thought for them – there’s an amazing album called Wells for Zoë which you could buy for yourself, and it will really benefit others! As one man said “this life is hard, and this life is odd”, and he’s oh so right. Take a week or two to relax and forget about the worries of life! Don’t get too drunk! I’m off for some mince pies to nibble (scoff??) on…

Súil agam go mbainfidh gach duine sult as an Nollag. Dar ndóighe is am cruaidh é do scaiftí mhóra, déan cuimhne orthu i gcónaí. Mar atá scríofa ag duine amháin, “tá an saol seo cruaidh, ’s tá ‘n saol seo cóir”, nach bhfuil an ceart aige! Bain sult as bhur gcuid ama le do theaghlach agus ná bí buartha ar feadh coigíse fá bhuaireamh a’ tsaoil! Ná hól barraíocht!

Happy new year too! See y’all in 2009!
Grá agus beannacht,
Rob