Maca postpones Turkish tours over civil unrest
WEXFORD BAND, Maca, have been forced to postpone two planned tours of Turkey as a result of civil unrest in the country.
The trio, formerly known as the Carty Sisters, have been blazing a trail of credibility on the contemporary Irish music landscape for the past couple of years and are currently involved in the Realta agus Gaolta competition on TG4.
With successful appearances at festivals here and abroad and rapturous receptions in prestigious venues like the Olympia Theatre in Dublin, music critics and the music press here are finally beginning to take notice of the band - widely tipped to be Ireland’s next big thing.
Composed of sisters, Saoirse, Naoise and Ciara Carty, the band, from just outside New Ross, was invited on two tours of Turkey over the coming months but a spokesperson for them told this newspaper those plans have been put on hold as a result of conflict in the region.
Turkey was long regarded as an area of stability between Europe and the Middle East, however, there has recently been heightened threats of terrorism in the country and the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs is advising people intending to travel to the region to exercise a high degree of caution at all times.
The department is also advising people to ‘minimise time spent in crowded areas’ and as a result Maca decided the best course of action for the moment is to postpone their tour.
However, they still plan on having a busy summer and there will be a homecoming gig on Sunday, May 6, when they will join rock legends, Aslan, for a gig in Wexford’s, Dun Mhuire Theatre. They will also be joined at that gig by Wexford rockers, Corner Boy.
There are also plans for the band to get back into the recording studio in the summer.