THE CELTIC CONNECTION » APRIL 1994
Page 5
Purist Approach to Traditional Music Make Altan Ireland's Number One
By JACINTA FRENCH ANCOUVER — It is always a special occasion for folk fans when Altan comes to town. This year was no exception. Recently acclaimed as Ireland's number one folk band, Altan played here last month, during their fifth annual tour of North America.
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As usual, Altan treated folk enthusiasts to an extraordinary night of traditional Irish music at its best. Despite the abundance of Celtic fusion bands visiting or living in the city, the opportunities to witness a truly traditional style of Irish music are few and far between. No wonder an Altan concert has become, for many, the folk event of the year — eagerly anticipated and always remembered.
Last year, Altan played two cause this is the music they most
sell-out shows at the WISE enjoy."
Club. Their sellout concert at Five 0f the six members of the
the larger Centennial Audito- band come from in or around
rium on March 1 of this year Donegal, a rural coastal county
reflects the rapidly growing located in the north-western cor-popularity of this relatively new band.
Seven hundred people braved the inclement weather and traversed the bridge to North Vancouver. This was a concert nobody wanted to miss.
An authentic traditional style and what could be described as a "purist" approach to Irish folk has become Altan's trademark in the music world. The key to their success, however, is their rare ability to continually produce exciting new material without sacrificing the inherent qualities of the old traditional tunes.
When I interviewed them last year, Frankie Kennedy clarified the band's music philosophy. In the past, they have been encouraged by many Irish people both at home and abroad to alter their traditional style and to drop the gaelic songs to "make it big."
They were shocked and disappointed by the lack of faith in the music that they were so proud of and by the display of disrespect for their audiences, by implying that they might not be able to appreciate Altan's high quality music.
At a time in Ireland when Gaelic music was frequently ridiculed and considered old-fashioned, Altan made no bones about their determination to continue playing the music they loved. In fact, says Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh, the lead singer, "we had to leave the country to make a name for ourselves and then the name went back home."
Despite their obvious dedication to their musical roots, presenting and preserving the traditions is not their primary aim, accord-
ner of Ireland.
Donegal is not only famous for its rugged terrain and panoramic scenery, it is renowned for its wealth of Irish music and for some of the last remaining Gaelic speaking communities in the country. Mairead herself comes from Gweedore or Gaoth Dob-hair, which is also home to the famous Clannad family.
In their five years together, Altan have produced five albums under the U.S. based Green Linnet label. Red Crow (1991) and Harvest Storm (1992) earned them numerous accolades in Britain, Europe and the U.S., where they have toured extensively. Ironically, it was not until recently that they were given full recognition for their talent by the Irish.
In January, they received the prestigious Smithwicks/Hot Press Critics Award (Ireland's biggest music magazine) for best roots band of 1993 and shared the stage with U2, Enya and the Cranberries.
Altan's latest release Island Angel is yet another masterpiece that reflects their versatility in exploring the boundaries of old tunes without compromising the essence of their style. The album includes a mixture of songs in English and Gaelic.
To date, Island Angel has been listed in the top 50 albums of the year by Q Magazine in the UK, as well as being voted number one in the Roots World Music Section.
The album went straight into the American Billboard World Music Charts at number 15 on release and has been steadily climbing since. After 17 weeks it is now at number 6! The Daily Tele-
ing to Frankie. "This is a tradi- graph voted it Folk Album of the
tion that has lasted because it is strong and vibrant and we see ourselves as just part of that living culture.
"We're not preaching a message and we don't treat the music or language like icons. Gaelic should be an everyday language and the best way to achieve that is to treat it naturally.
Year. In his review of the album, Liam Fay from Hot Press says "Every Altan album is essential, Island Angel is a downright necessity!"
Altan are the aforementionned Frankie Kennedy (flute) and Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh (lead voals and fiddle), as well as Ciaran Tourish who plays sec-
Photo: Colm Henry
ALTAN — IRELAND'S BEST ROOTS BAND OF 1993. CIARAN TOURISH, FRANKIE KENNEDY, MAIREAD NI MHAONAIGH, DAOTHI SPROULE, CIARAN CURRAN
Mairead sings in Irish simply ond fiddle (but not to Mairead!), because she if Irish and the band Daithl SJ>™ule °n guitar and vo-play in the traditional way be- cals and Ciaran Curran on bou'
zouki and the bizarre (a nickname for his unusual eight-stringed guitar).
Dermot Byrne, a recent addition to the group, is the renowned accordion player featured on Sharon Shannon's hit album.
They are arguably the most accomplished group of young musicians coming out of Ireland these days. Each of the six musicians has reached the highest level of technical ability in nis or her own sphere but it is only in their live performances that one can fully appreciate the extent of their exceptional skills.
Mairead, renowned for her unfaltering vocal precision and range and her sweet toned and angelic voice, opened the concert here with a riveting, unaccompanied version of An Cailin Gaelach. For the next two and a half hours the band captured the audience's unwavering attention.
With hardly a pause, Mairead picked up the fiddle and burst into a wild set of reels driven by
the fast and forceful movements of the bow.
By this time, an elderly dancer had taken to the floor and, much to the audience's delight, jigged his way through lengthy renditions of Bod an Lochainn, Strathspey and The Donegal Doherty's. Soon, people were clapping loudly to the bouncing rhythms of Boyle's Jig and the three-reel set of Kylebrack, Rambler and Gladstone.
The clapping gradually subsided as the audience realized they were drowning out the precious notes with their enthusiasm. Those who have had the pleasure of being at an Irish seslun (session) know foot tapping is a much more acceptable behaviour in these circumstances.
The night proceeded with a diverse combination of instruments and tunes and with frequent vocal performances by Mairead and Daithi. Their sincerity and lack of pretence was evident as they joked with each other and ca-
joled the audience "to get up off your bums and dance." The tunes alternated with impeccable ease from the soft, sweet and mournful to the wild, fiery and fast.
A solo spot by each musician further highlighted their individual expertise but it is the way they combine their separate talents into a single fine-tuned and harmonious blend of traditional Irish tunes for which they will be remembered.
The absence of Frankie Kennedy, due to temporary illness, was unfortunate only for those who have heard him play and realize the additional potential of the bands full line-up.
Nonetheless, the audience left Altan with two rapturous standing ovations. After a night with these "island angels," we were ready to brave any late night storm.
P.S. Thanks to the hosts, Steve Edge and The Rogue Folk Club and to Altan's North American agent, Helen Bommerito.