Artists Profile

Deirdre Ní Chonghaile is a fiddler-player from the Aran Islands. She researches the music, song and dance of the Aran Islands and is writing a book about the collecting of traditional music in Ireland. She is the co-ordinator of the Amhráin Árann - Aran Songs project, which aims to publish all of the songs composed in the Aran Islands (http://aransongs.blogspot.ie/). She is also researching sean-nós song manuscripts created among the Irish diaspora in Pennsylvania by Fr. Daniel J. Murphy in 1884-1924, around the time Chief Francis O'Neill was collecting instrumental music in Chicago. Deirdre recently recorded for a recording/film project by the University of Notre Dame. Since 2011, she has appeared on a number of occasions as musical director and performer for silent film screenings by the Irish Film Institute. She also works closely with documentary filmmakers on a wide range of topics that resonate with life in the West of Ireland.

Artists Profile

Andrew Mac Namara’s individual style of playing traditional Irish music is both true to his heart and to the area in which he was reared. He was born in Tulla, Co. Clare, learning the strong traditions of East Clare music from older players such as Joe Bane and Bill Malley. In his late teens he joined the highly esteemed Tulla Ceili Band in which he toured both nationally and internationally for a number of years. Andrew has the knack of electrifying audiences and this is evident on both his collaborative projects and his solo albums. He was a member of the group Skylark and recorded one albums with them before forming his own band called ‘The Lahawns’ and recorded two further albums with them (‘Live at Lena’s’ and ‘Live at Winkles’). He has also recorded an album with his sister Mary Mac Namara (called ‘Open Heart’). His solo albums include ‘the Dawn’ and ‘No Compromise’. More recently he has toured in the UK, Europe, North America, Australia and Japan. His solo performances and collaborations are unique and listeners are never disappointed
www.andrewmacnamara.com

Aki

Artists Profile

Ultan O’Brien & Aki

A Clare native fiddle player Ultan O’Brien (Skipper’s Alley) and a Dublin-based multi-instrumentalist Aki (Slow Moving Clouds) join forces to create a new exciting and versatile traditional music duo with its own unique meditative drone-rich sound.

Ultan O’Brien is a fiddle player and violist from Co. Clare. He is a member of the acclaimed traditional music band, Skipper’s Alley. Ultan is involved in a number of collaborative music projects within the traditional music world and further afield. He has recorded with and performs regularly with the band Juhn Echo and Aon Teanga: Un Çhengey

Aki is a multi-instrumentalist with a background in traditional, popular and experimental music. The night’s performance will feature some of the instruments that he has develop with various instrument makers to create a new sound textures that sit seamlessly with traditional soundscape. He is also a member of an experimental urban folk band Slow Moving Clouds.

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George Grasso

Artists Profile

Originally from the west coast of the US in California, I’ve been living off and on in Galway for the past 9 years and been playing Irish traditional music going on 22 years. The wooden flute drew me into the tradition, listening to the tone and rhythm that can come out in abundance from a good player is mesmerizing. Playing the guitar came later and gives equal enjoyment musically and tonally. Being on both sides of these tunes, playing the melodies or accompanying them keeps the music constantly challenging and new.

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