Much more than a collection of tunes and songs shining a light on a particular style, region or era, singer Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin and fiddler Ultan O’Brien’s Solas an Lae (The Light of the Day) is also an acoustic experiment. The project explores the relationship between the human voice and the fiddle and how they complement each ... [Continue Reading]
Traditional
Birds on a Wire: Ramages
Sur la place où tout est tranquilleUne fille s'est mise à chanterOn the square, where everything is quietA girl has started singing Jacques Brel Franco-American singer songwriter Rosemary Standley and Brazilian-born singer and cellist Dominique Pinto (aka Dom La Nena) released their enchanting self-titled début Birds on a ... [Continue Reading]
Martin Hayes & Brooklyn Rider: The Butterfly
For many, East Clare traditional fiddler Martin Hayes started venturing outside the tradition with The Gloaming project from 2011 onwards, or more recently with the Martin Hayes Quartet since 2016. But the seeds of these new endeavours were probably sown much earlier. In 2009, Martin Hayes commenced a musical partnership with ... [Continue Reading]
The Gloaming: Live at the NCH
Following in the footsteps of The Chieftains, Planxty, the Bothy Band and more recently Altan or Lúnasa, The Gloaming is one of the rare traditional Irish music bands to enjoy a commercial and critical success both a home and abroad while at the same time making a significant impact on the contemporary musical landscape. Since ... [Continue Reading]
Martin Hayes Quartet: The Blue Room
In a musical context, the word "quartet" can point to a small group of four classical performers as in a string, a baroque, a wind, a vocal or a piano quartet. It can also refer to a small jazz ensemble consisting of a horn, a chordal instrument, a bass instrument and a drum kit. Released on 251 Records on 27 October 2017 last, ... [Continue Reading]
Trio Da Kali and Kronos Quartet: Ladilikan
Opening the record, Trio Da Kali’s balafon (a wooden xylophone), bass ngoni (a traditional lute) and vocals clearly transport the listener to West Africa. But the introduction of Kronos Quartet’s classical strings a minute into “Tita” triggers an unexpected yet uplifting musical shift, thus unveiling an extraordinary fusion ... [Continue Reading]
Saileog Ní Cheannabháin: Roithleán
Born in a musical family, Saileog Ní Cheannabháin is a native Irish speaker, sean-nós singer, composer and multi-instrumentalist who was mainly influenced by the musicians and singers from the Iorras Aithneach area of West Connemara during her musical upbringing. Released in 2012, her début record I bhFior-Dheiriú Oidhche ... [Continue Reading]