Irish Trad Music Blog

The funeral of Séan Potts, founding member of the Chieftains, will take place in Dublin today. From the Irish Times: The death has occurred of famed whistle player and founding member of The Chieftains, Seán Potts (83) He was born in Drimnagh, Co Dublin, in 1930 and became friends with fellow whistle player Paddy Moloney in the 1950s. Potts was a founder member of The Chieftains and honorary life president of Na Piobairí Uilleann, the association of uilleann pipers. Before The Chieftains, Potts was an original member of Seán Ó Riada’s group Ceoltóirí Chualann. The Chieftains were formed in 1962 and Potts briefly left the group in 1968 but rejoined and finally left again in 1979. Although he was primarily a whistle player, he also played the bodhrán.

Martin Fay, who has died aged 76, was the original fiddle player with the Chieftains, the band that has done more than any other to popularise Irish traditional music globally. Led by the charismatic piper Paddy Moloney, the Chieftains collaborated with musicians from a wide range of genres and cultures – from bluegrass to Chinese and Mexican music – and brought in guest performers such as Mick Jagger, Van Morrison and James Galway. Yet traditional tunes lay at the heart of the band, with Fay's fiddle a vital part of their distinctive sound.

Cover of The Chieftains Traditional musican Martin Fay, a founding member of The Chieftains, has died aged 76. The fiddler, a native of Cabra in Dublin, had been ill for some time and had not performed regularly with the group for over a decade. A statement from the group said "his memory and music will be with The Chieftains always. He will be dearly missed", Mr Fay was best known for his interpretation of slow air, demonstrating emotion and tranquility. He helped found The Chieftains in 1962, but in 2001 he decided to retire from touring.

Cover of Paddy Moloney NAPLES, Fla. — When Paddy Moloney started considering possible collaborators for The Chieftains’ 50th anniversary album, he knew the kind of artists he didn’t want: Mick Jagger, Sinead O’Connor, Van Morrison. He’d worked with all of those stars in the past: “I didn’t want to go in that generation,” he explained. “I wanted a newer generation; new kids on the block, you might say. Great indie contemporary stars of music.” Still, the 72-year-old Irish music titan admits to being a bit nervous about bringing young musicians into the Chieftains fold. “I was 50-50 about doing it,” he said. “Because I haven’t been happy about what I’ve been hearing over the last 20 years, the music that’s been coming out. I just wonder, is it music at all, you know? It’s all commercial.” Here’s who Moloney ended up with on “Voice of Ages”: Best new artist Grammy winner Bon Iver, the Pistol Annies, the Civil Wars, the Secret Sisters, the Carolina Chocolate Drops and the Decemb...

Image via Wikipedia Paul McCartney, Madonna, Doc Watson and Luciano Pavarotti have at least one thing in common: They've all collaborated with Irish folk band The Chieftains. The band, credited with helping to revive Irish music, is celebrating its 50th anniversary and a career that includes more than 50 albums, six Grammys and an Oscar. The latest album, Voice of Ages, includes recordings of traditional songs with help from indie-rocker Bon Iver, folk group The Civil Wars, string band Carolina Chocolate Drops and country trio Pistol Annies, among others. Chieftains founder Paddy Moloney tells Morning Edition's Renee Montagne that it all began for him in the 1940s, with a gift from his mother. "I was 6 years of age," he says, "and my mother bought me what you call a pennywhistle — a tin whistle — for one shilling and nine pence." The Chieftains began in 1962, at a time when rock 'n' roll was king. Moloney's goal was not only to bring back t...

Cover of Paddy Moloney The Chieftains celebrate their 50th Anniversary Tour with Philadelphia performance at the Kimmel Center on March 9, 2012 at 8 p.m. in Verizon Hall. The six-time Grammy-winning ensemble performs traditional Irish music and dancing on stage, as well as new works from their 2012 release, Voice of Ages. Their performance features Paddy Moloney as pipe virtuoso and master of ceremonies, Matt Molloy on flute, Kevin Conneff as the rhythmic and vocal heartbeat of the ensemble on the bodhrán, along with Deanie Richardson and Jon Pilatzke on fiddles, Triona Marshall on harp, and Jeff White on guitar. Philadelphia marks one of the final U.S. stops on The Chieftains’ 50th Anniversary Tour, which concludes with a special St. Patrick’s Day concert at Carnegie Hall on March 17. Also marking their semi-centennial is the February 21 release of Voice of Ages, an imaginative recording featuring a dazzling collection of like-minded musical visionaries and kindred spirits. The albu...

Image via Wikipedia CONVENTION CENTRE : AN ECLECTIC mix of people from various walks of Irish life attended last night's indoor garden party and concert at the national convention centre in Dublin on the third day of the State visit by Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. The royal couple's final public engagement in the capital was hosted by the British embassy as a "return event" which the visiting country hosts during state visits. The event, organised by Docklands entrepreneur Harry Crosbie with Riverdance founder John McColgan acting as artistic director, was designed to showcase the best in Irish music and culture. It was attended by President Mary McAleese and her husband Martin, together with some 2,000 guests from the worlds of fashion, sport, business politics and entertainment. The royals were treated to a festive occasion which included music from the Chieftains , Westlife, X-Factor contestant Mary Byrne, 1996 Eurovision Song Contest winner Eimear Quin...

Image via Wikipedia " Irish music will be out of this world literally today when the U.S. /Russia joint space station mission blasts off from Kazakhstan. That is because astronaut Catherne ‘Cady’ Coleman has packed a traditional Irish concert flute given to her by Chieftains musician Matt Molloy . Coleman is a committed Irish traditional musician and told a press conference yesterday that she intended playing Irish music in space, the first time it has been heard beyond the bounds of earth. Matt Molloy told The Irish Times yesterday that he had met the NASA astronaut ten years ago after playing a concert in Houston. “We had done a concert and as always we had a tune afterwards with local musicians.It transpired she played the flute and we have been friends ever since,” he told the paper." Irish music will be out of this world for first time ever | Irish News | IrishCentral :

Image via Wikipedia "World-renowned traditional Irish music band The Chieftains will play four concerts in Ireland in November, it was announced today. The six-time Grammy Award winners play at Limerick University on the 17th of November, Cappoquin Community Centre on the 20th, the Mermaid Theatre in Bray on the 21st and the Tullamore Court Hotel on Wednesday 24th November. The tour will feature original members Paddy Moloney, Matt Molloy, Se�n Keane and Kevin Conneff, but will also feature guest performers from around the world including Ottowa Valley Dancers Jon and Nathan Pilatzke, New York-based champion Irish dancer Cara Butler , eight string guitarist Redmond O’Toole, harpist Triona Marshall and guest singer Yvonne Mc Mahon-Tiernan." Chieftains to play mini Irish tour - The Irish Times - Wed, Sep 29, 2010 :

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...

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...

By Edward Ortiz, The Sacramento Bee, Calif. Feb. 7--The music of Mexico is not the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of the legendary Irish band the Chieftains. But Mexico is where this Dublin-based band has been living -- musically. In its soon-to-be released CD, "San Patricio," the group tastefully blends Irish and Mexican music. The band will perform songs from "San Patricio" (due out March 9) at UC Davis' Mondavi Center as part of its monthlong U.S. tour. "The reason this Celtic band is melding Irish and Mexican music has a lot to do with history," said Paddy Moloney who founded the Chieftains and plays Uilleann bagpipe and tin whistle. "Over a year ago, I was doing a music project on the Civil War, and that's when I came across the history of the 'San Patricios,' " said Moloney, who will be joined on the Mondavi stage by fiddler Sean Keane, bodhran drum player, vocalist Kevin Conneff and flutist Matt Molloy. The li...

Paddy Moloney's memorable music at Ground Zero By GEORGINA BRENNAN , Former Irish Voice Reporter This story first appeared in the Irish Voice newspaper, on October 16, 2001 "Will you hold my hand?" asked Lauren Murphy as she braced herself to greet her husband's mourners. Lauren was speaking to Paddy Moloney, founder of the Chieftains, the Grammy award winning musical ambassadors of Ireland. Moloney and the band had come to New York specially to play at the memorial service for Lauren's husband Matthew, who considered himself the Chieftains' biggest fan. Matthew O'Mahony, a merchant banker for Cantor Fitzgerald, had been on the 95th floor of Tower One on September 11. His death brought thousands of mourners to St. Ignatius Loyola Church on Park Avenue on the afternoon of October 10, 2001. It also brought the Chieftains to grieve the loss of their number one fan. "He never missed any of our concerts," said Moloney sadly. Moloney wanted to come for...

(Kayos) Switzerland's legendary Montreux Jazz Festival has always boasted a variety of talent, in all musical genres. In 1997, it proudly hosted a feast of Irish culture, when The Chieftains graced the stage. On September 1, Eagle Rock Entertainment, through its Eagle Eye subsidiary, will bring this special performance to DVD, when Live At Montreux 1997 hits stores. Bringing a unique aesthetic to the Montreux stage, The Chieftains effortlessly engaged the crowd on this night. Celebrating a stellar 35-year career at the time, they brought their seemless blend of Irish culture, folk, pop, and classical influences to the festival. Complete with special appearances from step-dancers and bagpipe players, this is a set that gave a whole new flair to the jazz festival. One of the first bands to popularize traditional Irish music, The Chieftains have enjoyed a long and celebrated career, and are still undisputed as one of the greatest Irish folk bands of all time. Originally founded in 19...