De Dannan play the Forge before heading Stateside
Date Published: {J}
Trad group De Danann will play an intimate show in the Forge Moycullen on Saturday February 26 to celebrate their most recent album, Wonderwaltz, which was released late in 2010.
The legendary group, once described by a critic as 'the Rolling Stones of Irish traditional music' are set to return to the USA in March for a series of dates that includes the National Geographic Center in Washington D.C. on St Patrick’s Day.
The return of the band has generated great excitement among traditional Irish music fans in the USA. Founding members Alec Finn and Johnny 'Ringo' McDonagh are joined by Eleanor Shanley (vocals), Mick Conneely (fiddle, whistle and bouzouki), Derek Hickey (accordion) and Brian McGrath (banjo and piano) for the tour, which will take in nine venues from Evanston Wyoming to New York.
De Dannan released their eponymous debut album in 1975 after being founded by Alec, Ringo and Frankie Gavin, who is not part of the current lineup. In total, they have recorded 14 albums including Anthem, Star Spangled Molly and The Mist Covered Mountain. Many of these albums achieved gold and platinum status.
The group became famous for their cross-cultural experiments and recorded traditional Irish versions of The Beatles Hey Jude, Handel's The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba (which they called The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba to Galway). They also recorded Jewish Klezmer music with Andy Statman and made an album called Half Set in Harlem featuring American Gospel singing.
Members of the band have included singers Dolores Keane, Maura O'Connell, Mary Black, Eleanor Shanley, Tommy Fleming and Andrew Murray. On the instrumental side, Alec Finn, Johnny 'Ringo' McDonagh, Jackie Daly, Máirtín O'Connor, Aidan Coffey, Charlie Piggott, Frankie Gavin, Colm Murphy, Derek Hickey, Mick Conneely, Brian McGrath, John Carty and John Faulkner have all toured and recorded with De Danann.
Before they set off across the Atlantic, you can catch the band in The Forge, Moycullen, on Saturday, February 26 at 8.30pm. For tickets call The Forge 091 868944