Irish Music Forever

Links and Bio's

Name of Performer/Group      Page 37

Sharon    Shannon    Back to Artist List

Recent Album:    Spellbound-Best Of Sharon Shannon    1999

Sharon Shannon is a young, gifted accordion player from Galway. Her pared-down, speeded up and rocked-out approach to traditional music appeals to other artists as much as it does to her fans. It earned her a place in The Waterboys and in Christy Moore's band before she toured Europe and the U.S. with her own successful band. ~ Steve Winick, All-Music Guide (From CD-NOW Biography)
    CD NOW     Green Linnet     Ceolas     Celtic Heritage Article
    All Music Guide Bio


   Shantalla    Back to Artist List

Recent Album:    Shantalla    2000

"Their live shows radiate a raw pulsating energy and musical force not witnessed since the Bothy Band era... Their reputation lies in the strength of their stage show and the power of their music... a lethal concoction of musical dexterity and gut power... when they put the hammer down they play with a fury unmatched since The Bothy Band's heyday." - Irish Music (From the official Shantalla web site)
    CD-NOW     Official Web Site     Celtic Heritage Article



   Sileas    Back to Artist List

Recent Album:    Play On Light    1999

FORMED: 1985
More than a decade since Scottish harpers Patsy Seddon and Mary MacMaster's first collaborations, their duo, Sileas (pronounced: She-less) remains the only duo of its kind. While they remain rooted in traditional Scottish folk music, Sileas' combination of nylon-strung acoustic harp and brass-strung electro-harp creates a lively, exciting and contemporary sound. Although Seddon and MacMaster have recently focused their attention to The Poozies, the eclectic band that they share with accordionist Karen Tweed and guitarist Kate Rusby, their harp duo has been a regular feature of The Poozies' concerts. The inspiration for Sileas was initially conceived when Seddon, who studied harp for four years with Alison Kinnaird, and MacMaster, who was mostly self-taught, played together in a short-lived band, Sprangeen. Named after a 17th century female poet who wrote in Gaelic, Sileas released their debut album, Delighted With Harps, in 1986. Produced by Freeland Barbour, the album showcased the two women's unique harp playing and their silken vocal harmonies with songs sung in both Gaelic and English.
Sileas' second album, Beating Harps, released in 1988, continued the high-quality of its predecessor. The duo's third album, Harpbreakers, released in 1990, was their weakest effort, concentrating too heavily on an electronically-enhanced sound. Six years passed before the release of Sileas' fourth album, Play On Light, in 1996. Produced by Jim Sutherland, the album signaled a return to the acoustic sound of the duo's first two albums and included a medley of Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine" and MacMaste 's instrumental composition, "The Flawless Juggler".
Seddon and MacMaster recorded an album, Sail On, with Clan Alba, a band of Scottish musicians assembled by Dick Gaughan, in 1996. Play On Light followed three years later. ~ Craig Harris, All-Music Guide (From CD-NOW Biography)
    CD NOW     Ceolas     Link #2



   Silly Wizard    Back to Artist List

Recent Album:    Live In America    1988

Generally considered the world's finest performers of traditional and contemporary Scottish music -- and with good reason. Silly Wizard's music is at once driving and sensitive, powerful and poignant, at times hypnotic, often humorous, with sensitive group interplay and virtuoso-level musicianship, particularly from brothers Phil (accordion, keyboards, whistles, guitar, vocals) and Johnny (fiddle) Cunningham. Their repertoire includes centuries-old instrumental dance music along with traditional and contemporary narrative ballads: tales of joy and woe, of men and women, of time and travel, of love and loss. Silly Wizard is not just another folk music group; they rank with the greatest creators and performers from any country from any time.
Several members of the group, particularly The Cunningham brothers and vocalist Andy Stewart, have made solo and duo recordings and have performed and recorded with other artists, primarily Scottish traditionalists. These recordings are also well worth investigating, but get The Silly Wizard stuff first. ~ Niles J. Frantz, All-Music Guide (From CD-NOW Biography)
    CD NOW     Ceolas     Celtic Heritage Article     All Music Guide Bio


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