This article appeared in the
March 5, 2003 Cambridge Chronicle.
A Celtic Evening at Sanders
By Susie Davidson
CORRESPONDENT
When Altan signed
with Virgin/Narada Records in 1996, it became the first Irish band of its kind
to obtain major record label status. Founded in the early 1980s by the late
Frankie Kennedy and wife Mairéad Ni Mhaonaigh, the traditionally Celtic
band, generally regarded as Ireland’s finest, was critically and
popularly acclaimed from its onset. This Saturday at 8 p.m., World Music will
present the ensemble, in the midst of a one-month U.S. tour, at Sanders
Theater.
Altan began showcasing their particular brand of classic Donegal fiddle music, meshed with Northern Ireland flute songs, in Dublin’s music festivals and pubs in 1981. They quickly established a loyal fan base and within a few years, began to produce five albums for the Green Linnet label. All made the Billboard chart and went gold or platinum.
Kennedy was diagnosed with cancer in 1991, which took his life in 1994. “Ni Mhaonaigh continues to sing the old ballads with seemingly effortless beauty and grace,” said World Music Interim Marketing Assistant Mary Curtin. “Furthermore, her duets with fellow fiddler Ciarán Tourish are the centerpiece of the group's instrumental sound.” Curtin hailed their rhythm section, comprised of Daithi Sproule on guitar, Dermot Byrne on accordion and Ciarán Curran on bouzouki, as one of the best in the business.
The Blue Idol, released in February 2002, is the group’s tenth and latest LP. Featuring guest appearances by Dolly Parton, Paul Brady, Liam O'Flynn and Donal Lunny, the record pays tribute to the fresh and vital power of the band’s backroom pub sessions. Their previous effort, 2000’s Another Sky, was voted Best Folk/Traditional album of the year by Ireland's Hot Press as well as The Irish Times and Irish Music magazine.
County Donegal in Ireland’s Northwest corner, with its distinctive mix of Scottish and Irish inhabitants stemming from a centuries-old labor exchange, is the source for much of Altan’s repertoire. “The result is a distinctive musical style that combines the melodic quality of Irish tunes with the power and drive of Scottish music,” said Curtin.
Altan members Mairéad, Dermot and Ciarán Tourish belong to a younger generation which received the musical gifts, both stylistic and mechanistic, from their cultural elders. Along with singular pieces native to the area are classic Scottish “highlands,” and strathspeys, tunes which include Scots snaps rhythms. Mazurkas, tunes derived from Poland which are still danced in Donegal, accompany the mix.
The group was invited by Dolly Parton to record her 2001 Grammy-nominated album Little Sparrow. Prior to this, Altan toured the world and performed at the Hollywood Bowl. But the band does recall Sanders and the local Irish scene with fondness.
“Last time we played in this lovely wooden venue we were joined by Tommy and Louise McCarthy, who as well as running the famous Burren Pub in Somerville, Mass., are wonderful musicians,” stated the band on their Web site. “We've made a few more friends in the Boston area as a result of spending a bit of time in the Burren, so who know who might turn up on the night.”
World Music is partially funded by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency which also receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts.
World Music presents Ireland's Altan on Saturday, March 8 at 8 p.m. at Sanders Theatre, 45 Quincy Street, Cambridge. Tickets, $30 and $22, are available at the Harvard Box Office in the Holyoke Arcade, Harvard Square. For information or to charge tickets, please call World Music at 617-876-4275 or the Harvard Box Office at 617-496-2222.
Mary Curtin Interim Marketing Assistant World Music/CRASHarts 720 Massachusetts Ave Cambridge, MA 02139 617-876-4275, x15 fax: 617-876-9170 email: mary@worldmusic.org www.WorldMusic.org
Altan, March 8th at Sanders Theatre
Susan Weiler phone: 617-876-4275 susan@worldmusic.org