Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh with Gerry O'Beirne and Niamh Varian-Barry
Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh is a multi-award winning traditional singer and musician from Corca Dhuibhne, West Kerry. A leading exponent of the sean nós style, her repertoire also includes songs from a wide variety of folk and contemporary sources. Her childhood in West Kerry saw her immersed in a rich cultural environment and vital living tradition, which was to be hugely influential on the foundation of her distinctive vocal and instrumental sound.
She has enjoyed a successful career as a touring artist, with over thirteen years experience as lead singer and flute player with the Irish traditional supergroup Danú, as well as a many years performing as a solo artist. Muireann is also a popular television presenter, having hosted a range of programmes for Irish and Scottish TV over the past decade including the celebrated traditional music series “Port”. She currently presents her own music programme “Malairt Poirt le Muireann” on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta and has collaborated with many musicians in genres ranging from traditional to classical, world music to electronica.
“One of the earthiest and most distinctive voices, not just in traditional circles, but anywhere” _ The Irish Times
“One of today’s great singers” _ Irish Echo
“Mysterious Perfection” _ Dónal Lunny
Renowned guitarist and songwriter Gerry O’Beirne is a master of the six and twelve string and many other stringed instruments. His lyrical and passionate songs such as the Holy Ground and Western Highway have been recorded by Mary Black, Maura O’Connell, Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh among many others. He has released four albums of his music and has toured the globe as a solo artist and with The Sharon Shannon Band, Patrick Street, Midnight Well, Andy M. Stewart, Kevin Burke, Andy Irvine, and the Waterboys and most recently with Arthur Russell’s Instrumentals. He has performed at the White House and on Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Companion, opened for the Grateful Dead, and played electric guitar with Marianne Faithfull. His latest album is Swimming The Horses.
He lives in West Kerry where he plays music all the time.
Former lead singer of American supergroup ‘Solas’ and multi-instrumentalist Niamh Varian-Barry is a musician and composer from Cork City with a unique and individual style. She has a reputation as an exceptional communicator of the arts. Her powerful vocals have been praised world-wide and she is a trained viola and fiddle player, holding a Masters in Music Performance from the Royal Irish Academy of Music.
She is a founding member and leader of Dave Flynn’s Irish Memory Orchestra and the Kerry Scotia Ensemble. She has performed with and alongside Martin Hayes, Máirtín O’Connor, Rhiannon Giddens, Béla Fleck, Dick Gaughan, Lúnasa, Altan, Natalie Haas, Dirk Powell, Josh Ritter, Katherine Jenkins and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra.
Her debut solo album, “Wings”, released to critical acclaim in 2018, is a marriage of her heart-felt passion, creative imagination, and technical skill.
“You could paraphrase that old Dire Straits song when talking about Niamh Varian-Barry “the girl can play”. And she can sing too. This is her debut album and on it her musical genius really does take wings” _ Irish Music Magazine
“Niamh’s fiddle playing has a natural flow and rich sound, her singing is expressive and beautiful… the album is a showcase of a simply wonderful musician” _ FolkWorld.eu
“The cream of the current crop” _ John Creedon
