Altan

Artist's Website

Dubbed “one of the hottest groups in the Celtic realm these days,” by the Boston Globe as well as “the preeminent Irish Band in the world today,” by the Wall Street Journal, Altan (Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh, Ciaran Tourish, Dermot Byrne, Daithi Sproule, Ciaran Curran and Jim Higgins) prove to be one the most successful traditional Irish bands in existence. With their award-winning recordings and dynamic live performances, Altan continues to move audiences worldwide.

The group’s band founders, Belfast flute-player Frankie Kennedy, and Gweedore singer and fiddler, Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh joined forces in the late ‘70s. The duo recorded its debut album “Ceol Adualigh” in 1983 with bouzouki player Donal O’Hanlan and Mairead’s brother and guitarist, Gearoid O’Maoinaigh. In 1987, the two musicians recorded their second album as a duo entitled “Altan,” featuring accompaniment by Mairead’s sister Anna Ni Mhaoinaigh, Ciaron Curran on bouzouki and Mark Kelly on guitar. Shortly after the completion of the album, the group Altan was officially formed.

In succeeding years, the band recorded albums for Green Linnet, all of which won accolades and awards and appeared in the Billboard charts. Collaborators on these albums included Donal Lunny, Brian Masterson, Steve Cooney, among others. Friend and master fiddler, Paul O’Shaughnessey, a dazzling and fiery player with a deep knowledge of Donegal music, also played with the group for years. When work pressures caused Paul to leave the group, another great young Donegal fiddler, Ciaran Tourish, took his place to continue the two-fiddle sound that the group had become famous for. Eventually, old-friend and accordion-player Dermot Byrne, joined the group formally in 1994. Sadly, the group’s bandleader and manager, Frankie Kennedy was diagnosed with cancer in the late ’90s. At his insistence, the band continued to tour and perform throughout his long illness.

Altan’s international status and success found a very practical recognition when they were signed in 1996 to Virgin Records, the first Irish band of their kind to be signed by a major label. The band gained gold and platinum albums in Ireland and toured larger venues, with tours in Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Europe as well as regular successful U.S. tours. After a switch to Narada Records, the group released “Another Sky” in 2000, and its newest and tenth album “The Blue Idol” in 2002.