The band from Galway plays a blend of traditional Irish, old-time, and bluegrass music they call Celtgrass.The banjo has a long, contested and even controversial history. Musicologists now generally agree that an early form of the instrument was first brought to America by enslaved people from West Africa. It was possibly an akonting, a three-stringed instrument with a long … [Read more...] about We Banjo 3
Music
Love of Country
When music legend Bruce Springsteen recorded his excellent 2007 “Live in Dublin” concert, it’s no accident that the famed rock-n-roller opted for a decidedly more country flavor, using fiddles and slide guitars, on tunes such as “Jesse James” and “My Oklahoma Home.”Springsteen – who in his recent biography said he grew up on a New Jersey block surrounded by “old-school Irish, … [Read more...] about Love of Country
Woodstock: The Irish Contribution
On the 50th anniversary of the Woodstock Music Festival, Christine Kinealy remembers the legendary guitarist from Northern Ireland who gave a celebrated performance.Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, The Who, The Band, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Jefferson Airplane, Ten Years After, Joan Baez, Santana, Joe Cocker, Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, and – Henry McCullough. They all … [Read more...] about Woodstock: The Irish Contribution
Makem & Clancy Together Again
On Tuesday April 16, 2019, Dónal Clancy and Rory Makem performed in a special concert at the Tommy Makem Arts and Community Centre (TMAC) in Keady, County Armagh. The center is just a stone’s throw from the Makem homestead where their fathers, Liam Clancy and Tommy Makem, met for the very first time 64 years ago. Tommy died in 2007 and Liam in 2009, but they live on in the … [Read more...] about Makem & Clancy Together Again
Makem & Clancy Together Again
On Tuesday April 16, 2019, Dónal Clancy and Rory Makem performed in a special concert at the Tommy Makem Arts and Community Centre (TMAC) in Keady, County Armagh. The center is just a stone’s throw from the Makem homestead where their fathers, Liam Clancy and Tommy Makem, met for the very first time 64 years ago. Tommy died in 2007 and Liam in 2009, but they live on in the … [Read more...] about Makem & Clancy Together Again