ALTAN

Altan's name comes from Loch Altan. Loch Altan is situated in north-western Donegal on the border of the parishes of Dobhair and Cloughaneely. The lake lies in the shadow of Errigal and Musckish - two of the main mountains in the Derryveagh Range that spread north-east towards the Caledonian mountains in Scotland. This is a very appropriate background to the band Altan, as this picturesque area is the source and inspiration for their music and song. The connection with Scotland is not only geographical but also historical. Scotland, like Ireland, was also a Gaelic speaking area, being one of the Celtic nations. In more recent years Donegal people have had to go to Scotland for work, mostly laboring on farms and construction work. While there, they mixed with the local people and exchanged and learned songs and stories, brought them home to Donegal and gave them their own accent. Nowadays, Altan travel the world bringing their rich traditional music and old Gaelic songs to theaters and venues from New York to Hong Kong.

MairÈad's father, Francie Mooney (Proinsais ²Maonaigh), has long been a leading figure in preserving and promoting Donegal's unique strain of fiddle music whose distinctive Scottish flavor is a result of the constant migration between each others' shores by both Scottish and Donegal workers. The quick single-stroke bowing and staccato triplets favored by Donegal fiddlers lie at the heart of MairÈad and Ciar·n Tourish's propulsive twin fiddling, the core of Altan's instrumental sound. The fiddles are fleshed out by the accordian playing of Dermot Byrne and the dynamic rhythmic accompaniment of Ciar·n Curran on bouzouki and independently, D·ithÌ Sproule and Mark Kelly on guitars.

Altan emerged from the personal musical partnership of MairÈad NÌ Mhaonaigh and Frankie Kennedy. They met when she was 15. Belfast native Frankie proceeded to learn the flute and they became immediate artistic allies. They made their recording debut in 1979 on Albert Fry (Gael Linn). By now both were teachers in Dublin and, after marrying in 1981, they formed the group Ragaime. In 1983 the couple recorded their own album for Gael Linn Ceol Aduaidh, a title that translates as "Music from the North" and later voted one of the best ten albums of the decade. Still teaching, the couple didn't re-emerge on record until 1987 when they recorded Altan for Green Linnet. The positive response encouraged them to turn professional and form the group Altan with guitarist Mark Kelly, bouzouki player Ciar·n Curran and the additional fiddle of Paul O'Shaughnessy.

Despite personnel changes, Altan quickly prospered recording a succession of increasingly successful albums for Green Linnet and emerging as standard bearers both for the Donegal tradition and a fresh acoustic approach in stark contrast to some of the pseudo mystical and New Age embellishments that briefly dominated Irish music in the early 90's. "Q" magazine celebrated 1993's Island Angel, Green Linnet's fifth Altan Album, as the number one "roots" album of the year. Yet even as Island Angel secured Altan's place on the international "roots" scene, personal tragedy struck at the heart of the band.

In June 1992, Frankie Kennedy was diagnosed as suffering from Ewing's sarcoma, a bone cancer. In September 1994, Frankie finally succumbed to the disease. Throughout these painful years, MairÈad continued to find solace and inspiration in the music, finding within herself further proof of the power of the music so many had already discovered through her auspices. MairÈad's fiddling, her still, pure voice and her serene presence are at the very heart of Altan's expanding appeal.

Altan's newest album Runaway Sunday on Virgin Records is already certified gold in Ireland.

Visit the Altan website.

Altan is:
MairÈad NÌ Mhaonaigh......lead vocals, whistle
Dermot Byrne......................button accordion, melodeon
Ciar·n Tourish....................fiddle, tin whistle, backing vocals
DaÌthÌ Sproule....................guitar/vocals
Ciar·n Curran.....................bouzouki, bouzouki guitar

The Members:

MairÈad NÌ Mhaonaigh - is regarded as one of the finest exponents of the Donegal fiddle style. She was taught by her father Francie who in turn learnt a lot of local tunes from his mother Roise. MairÈad was also taught by the renowned fiddle player, Dinny McLaughlin who was a frequent visitor to her home when she was a young girl. MairÈad's songs are collected and learned from family and neighbors. The Gaoth Dobhair Gaeltacht has a very strong singing tradition both in Irish and English and it's from this rich source that she finds most of the material which she sings with Altan.

Ciar·n Tourish is from Buncrana in east Donegal. Like MairÈad, Ciar·n was taught from an early age by Dinny McLaughlin. He began playing the whistle and after several years picked up the fiddle. His ability and dexterity on the instrument have won him praise from many quarters. When not on the road with Altan he is in great demand for solo and session work and has guested recently with such luminaries as Dolores Keane, Matt Molloy, Martin O'Connor, Frankie Lane and Maura O'Connell.

Ciar·n Curran is a native of Kinawley, Co. Fermanagh, an area rich in music and song, and brings his strong family musical tradition to bear on an instrument relatively new to Irish traditional music, the bouzouki. Ciar·n's uncle, Ned Curran is a great fiddle player and has given the band unusual tunes. Ciar·n was introduced to a lot of traditional music and musicians by his friend Cathal McConnell (flute player with The Boys of the Lough) from whom he also learned many tunes. Another friend of his, fiddle player Ben Lennon from Co. Leitrim taught him much about the rhythms involved in traditional music. Ciar·n has worked with Co. Antrim singer Len Graham, with fiddle players Ben Lennon and Seamus Quinn and with singer Gabriel McArdle.

Dermot Byrne guested on two of Altan's recordings, The Red Crow and Island Angel, before joining the band in 1994. Like Mairead and Ciaran Tourish, he is also a native of Co. Donegal. Dermot got his music from his father Tomas O Beirne, who comes from Teilann in the south west of the country. His young age belies the maturity of his music and is ranked as one of the country's top accordian players. Dermot has guested over the years with Donal Lunny, Tommy Peoples, Sharon O'Domhnaill and Sharon Shannon.

DaÌthÌ Sproule is a guitarist and singer from Derry, now living in St. Paul, Minnesota. He has performed and recorded with many great musicians through the years, including Michael O'Domhnaill, TrÌona NÌ Dhomhnaill, Liz Carroll, Billy McComiskey, Peter Ostroushko and James Kelly.

Discography

1987 - Altan Green Linnet Records
(MairÈad Ni Mhaonaigh and Frankie Kennedy)

1989 - Horse With A Heart Green Linnet Records

1990 - The Red Crow Green Linnet Records

1992 - Harvest Storm Green Linnet Records

1993 - Island Angel Green Linnet Records

1995 - The First Ten Years Green Linnet Records compilation

1996 - Blackwater Virgin Records

1997 - Runaway Sunday Virgin Records

**MairÈad NÌ Mhaonaigh and Frankie Kennedy

1979 - Albert Fry Gael-Linn Records

1983 - Ceol Aduaidh (Music From The North) Gael-Linn Records

Updated 2/23/98

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