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All Bookings and Enquiries: MPI - Martin Nolan & Associates, Booking Agency & EntertainmentConsultants tel +353 16684017 email info@mpibands.com web www.mpibands.com The Gasworks, 10Upper Grand Canal Street, Dublin 2, IrelandOver those 25 years they have established themselves as one of themost important live acts to play traditional Irish music in Irelandand on the World stage. The Boston Globe has described them as“The hottest group in the Celtic realm!” Altan have toured all overthe USA and Europe. They also enjoy popularity in Japan wherethey frequently tour and have hosted Altan festivals in the middle ofTokyo to thousands of enthusiastic fans.Founding members, the late Frankie Kennedy and his partnerMairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, lead singer and fiddler with the band, begantheir musical career whilst teaching in a school in Malahide inNorth County Dublin, playing music for fun and enjoyment notknowing that it would end up as their main way of life and bringthem all over the world! Frankie and Mairead started out by playingwith and meeting older musicians from the Donegal tradition, likeJohn Doherty, Con Cassidy, James Byrne, DinnyMcLaughlin,Vincent Campbell and Mairéad’s own father Francie,Listen to 'The Roseville'Listen to 'Cití Ní Eadhra'Listen to 'Donal agus Morag'
who shared their music with them and most importantly, theirfriendship. The pair learned their music, tried to emulate their styleand listened to their general philosophy of life, which, in retrospectwas just as important as the music. Later it would be Francie whotranslated the beautiful Gaelic songs into English on all of the Altanrecordings to date. Francie was also responsible for the translationsof ‘Barbara Allen’ and ‘In the Sweet Bye and Bye’ on two projectswith the legendary Dolly Parton which Altan were involved with.Frankie and Mairead made their first forays into live shows in theUSA in 1985, releasing two albums together as a duo; 1983’s “CeolAduaidh” (<strong>Music</strong> of the North) and the self-titled “Altan” in 1987.Altan as a band began as a quartet with Frankie on flute, Mairéad onfiddle and songs, joined by Ciaran Curran on bouzouki and MarkKelly and Dáithí Sproule sharing the role of guitar player, Marktouring with the band in Europe and Dáithí in the States. Later PaulO’Shaughnessy on fiddle joined, augmenting and driving the soundof the band to new levels on Green Linnet recordings “Horse with aHeart” (1989), “The Red Crow” (1990), “Harvest Storm” (1991)and “Island Angel” (1993). “The Red Crow” became the first ofthree Altan albums to win the prestigious “Celtic/British IslesAlbum of the Year” award from the National Association ofIndependent Record Distributors and Manufacturers (NAIRD).<strong>Download</strong> Altan BiographyAltan - Full Group scenic (5.5MB)Altan - Full Group outdoor (6.8MB)Altan - Full Group session (7.7MB)Altan - Full Group Donegal (8.6MB)Altan - Irish postage stamp 2006http://www.altan.ieFrankie Kennedy and MairéadNí Mhaonaigh - Ceol Aduaidh(1983)Ciaran Tourish on fiddle and whistle joined the band for the“Harvest Storm“ recording, adding his innovative harmonies andcounter melodies. The context of having three fiddles in the bandhelped drive Altan to newer heights and introduced the Donegalfiddle tunes, which the band became reknowned for, to a muchwider audience. Q magazine described “Island Angel” as a“combination of head spinning drive and pure melancholy”,qualities that gave the band “a one-two punch that is unmatched incontemporary folk circles.” Altan are no stranger to the Billboardworld music charts, “Island Angel” was the fourth-best-sellingFrankie Kennedy and Mairéad Ní
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