Irish Trad Music Blog

Image by arndt_hoppe via Flickr Irish folk singer Tommy Sands has been complimented by Pete Seeger , honored as an International Peace Award nominee, and asked to bring his message of humanity to Israel and Palestine. His status as a spokesman for human rights is as much a part of his artistic identity as his emphasis on music with a strong Irish influence, but once he’s on the stage he never drifts far from his roots. When the lights go down and Sands and his two musician children, Moya and Fionan, are on stage he’s back home somewhere in rural Ireland singing for fun and spiritual fulfillment. In a phone interview from a Wyoming stop on a tour that brings him to southeast Michigan Saturday, Sands reflected on how his music connects him to his heritage. “It’s the idea of sitting around the fire and sharing songs and stories,” he said. “Even last night we were a long way from home [physically] but on the stage it was much like home.” His newest release is “Let The Circle Be Wide”...

Image via Wikipedia The Celtic Crossroads members have spread their passion for music far beyond Irish pubs-they are now on to the rest of the world. Celtic Crossroads makes its way to Eastern at 7:30 p.m. today in Dvorak Concert Hall of Doudna Fine Arts Center for a late St. Patrick's Day concert. The group combines traditional Celtic music and dance with bluegrass , gypsy and jazz . Dan Crews, Doudna arrangements supervisor, wanted Celtic Crossroads to perform at Eastern because of its superior musicianship and artistry. "Celtic music is a genre that appeals to a lot of people, both those on campus and from the surrounding communities," Crews said. "It is generational music, which means that it appeals to those young and old. The music is exciting with a contemporary feel." Critics have hailed Celtic Crossroads concerts as some of the most exhilarating and authentic shows to come from Ireland in decades, Crews said. The name, Celtic Crossroads, comes from a...

Image by tom frog via Flickr The second annual St. Pat's Fancy concert is set for Saturday, April 24 at PCVS auditorium. St. Pat's Fancy is an annual celebration of traditional Irish music , in support of The Market Hall. Returning is Cairdeas, a traditional Irish group featuring Steafan Hannigan and Saskia Tomkins, two world-class Celtic musicians who relocated to Northumberland from the UK in 2007, states a press release. This year, Cairdeas will feature its new singer Marsala Lukianchuk, who is well-known to local audiences for numerous musical and theatrical performances, including last summer's production of 4th Line Theatre's The Right Road to Pontypool. St. Pat's Fancy will take place at PCVS auditorium this year, because Market Hall is shut down for renovations, and this year's proceeds will go directly to support the renovation project that will transform the downtown landmark into one of Ontario's top medium-sized theatres, it states. Along with C...

Image via Wikipedia Written by Andres Chavez and Diana Martinez, Sun Staff Wednesday, 17 March 2010 Sergio "Checo" Alonso, Jesus "Chuy" Guzman and Jimmy Cuellar. From the evocative cover art of La Virgen de Guadalupe holding an Irish solider to the subject matter of the album and, most importantly, in the fusion of the music, San Patricio is a provocative work of art. Ry Cooder and the famous Irish musician Paddy Moloney and his band the Chieftains working with some of the great Mexican musicians have fused traditional Mexican and Irish music to tell the story of the San Patricio brigade. Most reviews rightly praise the work of Cooder and Moloney and acknowledging this part of both American, Irish and Mexican history through music as commendable, but what should be equally commendable and yet to be fully acknowledged is the long roster of accomplished Latino musicians, including Rene Camacho, Linda Ronstadt , Cesar Duarte, Edmar Castaneda, Los Camperos de Valle are...

Image by D80FTW via Flickr TARPON SPRINGS - International Celtic-roots sensation MacTalla Mor performs at the Tarpon Springs Performing Arts Center on March 25 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20; $18, for members and students; plus tax and $1 fee. Call the Box Office 727-942-5605 or visit www.tarponarts.org. MacTalla Mor (Gaelic for great echo) is a national touring band featuring great Highland bagpipes , piano, vocals and bodhran in a dynamic mix of traditional Celtic, roots rock, calypso, blues and jazz. Their champion pipers and award winning Gaelic singers and musicians set them apart and make them a crowd favorite at major festivals and concerts throughout North America. Their energetic performances include traditional Irish and Scottish tunes, MacTalla's original songs, arrangements and driving rhythms create an engaging and magical blend of the past and the present. The band, which is made up entirely of members of the Devlin-Ofgang family has performed at Caesar's Palace, La...

JOE BREEN, Irish Times http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/features/2010/0322/1224266807175.html?via=mr Both his native Donegal and American country music course through Kevin Doherty’s memorable caustic lines, built on melodies of elegant intensity A FRAMED VINTAGE broadsheet poster of Donegal’s attractions sits on the wall of his Dublin home, while on the floor rests a vinyl copy of a Carter Family recording. Kevin Doherty doesn’t have far to go for inspiration when his well runs dry. Both his native county and American country music course through his wonderfully imaginative and compelling songs, including the 12 tracks that comprise his latest project, Telegraph . Strictly speaking this is not a solo album but a collaboration between a number of leading Irish musicians, including guitarist Conor Brady and pianist James Delaney, who fly under the flag of Telegraph . But Doherty writes all the songs, sings and produces and, in the way of many independent artists, he also markets it b...

If There Weren't Any Women In The World... CD featuring Stephen Ducke (Irish flute) and Bean Dolan (guitar)

St. Patrick’s Day is coming soon and the libations will surely be flowing around town this weekend, but there is more to Irish culture than that, you know. On Sunday afternoon the Irish Arts Center in Clinton presents its annual Open Day, a free sampler of Irish culture. “Many people, when they think of St. Patrick’s Day, think of the parade and green beer, but this is a chance for people interested in the culture to see what traditional Irish arts are all about,” said Rachael Gilkey, education coordinator for the center. The center will be abuzz with Irish music and dance performances, film screenings and educational opportunities for people of all ages and ethnicities. Ever think about learning to play the tin whistle? They’ve got a workshop for that. Kids will be able to learn about St. Patrick and can even take an Irish language class. (An adult class is also on the agenda.) The center regularly offers courses in Irish language, music, history and more, and students from some of th...

At the Philadelphia Flower Show, the crowd is snaking along the pathway through the Irish garden display, their eyes intently raking the underbrush as if engaged in an Easter egg hunt for adults. In a corner of the exhibit's colonnaded courtyard, largely unnoticed, Moya Brennan is singing a haunting rendition of "Down by the Salley Gardens," accompanied by a harpist and a fiddler. That she is drawing so little attention is remarkable. Imagine stumbling across Aretha Franklin singing "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" in a spark-plug booth at the Detroit Auto Show. Brennan, singer for the seminal Irish group Clannad, is widely known as the First Lady of Celtic Music. She was the obvious choice to host Music of Ireland: Welcome Home, airing Tuesday night on WHYY TV12. Brennan interviews a who's who of Hibernian stars - from the Chieftains' Paddy Moloney to U2's Bono - in the documentary, which charts the course of contemporary Irish music. ...

Irish music stream for St Patrick's Day NPR Media Player

There are some Irish music bands that fly a little too far under the radar for no real fault of their own, and it can lead to their being overlooked when it comes to discussion about bands that bring a lot to the tradition and its performance values. One of those bands is Danu, who came through the greater New York area this past weekend including a wonderful Sunday afternoon matinee up at the Quick Center for the Arts on the campus of Fairfield University in Connecticut where I was in attendance. Danu is associated with Co. Waterford because two of the founding members of the band, Brendan “Bennie” McCarthy, the box player and leader, and Donal Clancy, accompanist on guitar (and son of Liam Clancy), hailed from there, as did some later members in piper Donnchad Gough and singer Ciaran O’Gealbhain. From the first time I saw them in the late 1990s at the Greater Washington, D.C. Irish Music Festival in Gaithersburg, Maryland, I have been tremendously impressed with their lively stage pr...

CHAMPAIGN-URBANA - On Tuesday, the night before St. Patrick's Day, Irish music fans in the twin cities will be faced with a choice: traditional folk or punk rock? In a coincidence of scheduling, two bands that show the extremes of Irish music will perform. The first is folk supergroup Danu, which hails from Ireland and has been one of the most influential traditional folk groups on the Irish music scene for more than 15 years. It will be playing at the Krannert Center in Urbana. The second is The Tossers, Chicago natives and festival staples who play the popular subgenre of "Celtic-punk" and symbolize a contemporary, blue-collar spin on traditional music. They play at The Highdive in downtown Champaign. The question is inevitable: Which to pick? Benny McCarthy, the button accordion player for Danu, believes the crossover in fans between the two groups is larger than most people might think. "We have many fans who are also fans of Celtic-punk; it is all music, after a...

By Adobe Staff In celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, one of the most dynamic and exciting bands playing Irish music today will perform at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the Clark Center for the Performing Arts in Arroyo Grande. Led by world-renowned fiddler and vocalist Mair/ad N’ Mhaonaigh, the Irish folk band Altan emerged during the 1990s as one of Ireland’s premier traditional musical groups. Since then, the group has sold millions of records worldwide and is known for many critically acclaimed albums and a relentless touring schedule, a Clark Center spokesman said. Altan has developed an international audience for what is essentially an unadorned and straightforward presentation of the traditional music and song the members grew up with, the spokesman said. The group is unique in the way it is able to imbue a fresh approach to that tradition while maintaining the respect of peers and friends in the world of Irish music. The Claddagh School of Irish Dance, will open the show for Altan. The s...

Irish traditional music masters Kevin Crawford and Cillian Vallely create a melodic, lyrical beauty that flows like a clear mountain stream. They are making the last stop of their nine-town New England tour at Katharine Cornell Theatre in Vineyard Haven this coming Saturday evening at 7:30, before beginning a tour as members of the Irish super group Lunasa in April. Boston's Ted Davis will provide guitar accompaniment. Kevin Crawford, left, and Cillian Vallely perform Saturday. Click on photo to enlarge. Photo courtesy of KCT Concerts Mr. Crawford and Mr. Vallely, who performed here last year to rave reviews, began performing as a duet with the release of the album, "Common Ground" last year, an album the Irish American newspaper, The Irish Echo, ranked number three on its list of top 10 Irish albums of 2009, calling it "A pinnacle performance from...two uncommonly gifted Irish traditional musicians." Kevin Crawford was born in Birmingham, England and now lives ...

Traditional music legend Sean Potts has proven that age is no barrier to productivity by releasing his first solo recording of music on the tin whistle entitled, Number Six, months before his 80th birthday. Mr Potts, who will receive the TG4 Gradam Ceoil lifetime achievement award at a ceremony in Wexford next week, is celebrating the launch of his CD, which is a fundraiser for uilleann pipes organisation Na Piobairi Uilleann. The founder member of The Chieftains and Ceoltoiri Chualann was joined by fellow Dubliners -- film star and keen trad musician Brendan Gleeson and singer-songwriter Damien Dempsey -- to mark the launch of the record, which he hopes will generate much-needed funds to help promote the manufacture of the uilleann pipes and the further development of the piping headquarters in historic Henrietta Street. Since retiring from touring as a professional musician, Mr Potts has dedicated over 30 years of his life to the promotion of the uilleann pipes in his role as chairma...

The Chieftains Featuring Ry Cooder, "San Patricio" (Hear Music) "Riverdance" visits the Rio Grande on "San Patricio," an unlikely but likable merger of music from Ireland and Mexico. The album tells the story of Irish immigrants who deserted the U.S. Army in 1846 to fight on the side of the Mexicans against the invading Yankees. Known as the San Patricio battalion, the immigrants were scorned in the United States, but they're remembered as heroes in Mexico. The Chieftains bring history alive with their characteristic exuberance and grace, and a parade of guest artists help celebrate a confluence of musical genres. Ry Cooder, who co-produced with the Chieftains' Paddy Moloney, contributes an original ballad, and there are fine performances by singers Linda Ronstadt, Lila Downs and 92-year-old Chavela Vargas, among others. Included are a lullaby and march, airs and reels from Ireland, as well as Mexican sones, boleros and canciones rancheras. Uillean...

The Star Series and Albright College will present the Irish band Beoga, Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the Albright College Chapel. Opening for Beoga will be local musicians Ken Gehret and Irish Mist; Beoga will also hold a workshop on Irish music from 5 to 6 p.m. in the chapel, free and open to the public. Based in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, which includes the city of Belfast, Beoga (the Irish word for "lively") was founded in 2002 when its five members jammed together at the All-Ireland Fleadh. Their lineup is unique: two button accordionists (Sean Og Graham and Damian McKee), pianist Liam Bradley, singer/songwriter and fiddler Niamh Dunne and four-time all-Ireland bodhran champion Eamon Murray.They released their first CD, "a lovely madness" in 2004, and it became one of the top traditional/folk albums of the year in Ireland. They went on to record "Mischief" in 2007, and, in 2009 they released their latest CD, "The Incident." In a recent tele...

The historic, patriotic, and romantic music of Ireland is being brought to life at the Thomas Moore Festival on Monday, March 15 at the legendary Carnegie Hall in New York City. Known as the “Bard of Erin,” Thomas Moore is best remembered as the writer and performer of “Moore's Irish Melodies” which, it was said, would “outlive Ireland.” Thomas Moore was born on the corner of Aungier Street in Dublin on May 28, 1779. His father hailed from an Irish speaking Gaeltacht in Co. Kerry and his mother from Co. Wexford. He was educated at Trinity College which at the end of the 18th century, had begun to allow entry to Catholic students. It was as a poet, translator, balladeer and singer that Moore found fame. His work soon became immensely popular and he is thought of as the most enduring representative of Ireland’s musical culture. His 124 songs, the “Irish Melodies,” commonly called “Moore's Melodies,” were published in 1846 and 1852. The collection was based on the finest Irish air...

In keeping with its tradition of featuring Irish music for St. Patrick's Day, the Barre Opera House Celebration Series will present Beoga on Friday, March 12, at 8 p.m. If you haven't heard or heard of Beoga before, you'll be happy to know that this young band from County Antrim in the north of Ireland extends the high quality as yet another exciting musical ensemble from Erin. Beoga represents a new era of Irish music. The formative first wave included groups like Planxty, the Chieftains and The Boys of the Lough. In the second wave came Patrick Street, Altan and Dervish, among others. Beoga (Gaelic for "lively") represents the third wave. Here we have younger musicians imbued with both the heritage of their traditional music and, also, a more worldly outlook that encompasses rock music, the blues, elements of world music and other influences. Beoga has, to this reviewer's ear, a bit more of a percussive approach, with an emphasis on accordions and keyboard, ...

By Jim Vorel, Herald and Review, Decatur, Ill. Mar. 5--Eamonn De Barra grew up immersed in the traditional music of his homeland, Ireland. His bandmates, a collective of equally enthusiastic Irishmen, wanted to name their band after a traditional tune type in Irish music, the "slide." It wasn't until they found success and began touring in America that this proved a problem. "It turns out there was already some kind of '80s hair band named Slide, so we had to tack an 'IE' for Ireland on," De Barra explained. "Now we're just SlideIE." SlideIE has gone on to popularity as a front-runner of a new wave of young Irish bands that are bringing contemporary energy to traditional music. The band brings its new sound to Millikin on Wednesday. "We've been hitting universities and Irish festivals in the states," said De Barra, whose group began a U.S. tour last month. "We're really enjoying the university shows. It's grea...