Ireland

I take this opportunity to have witnessed last night at a concert (in the bottom of this post will find a video testimony of the night) to tell you about the extraordinary Lunas.

The Lunasa are in my opinion one of the nu-Irish folk formations most interesting and talented of all. The band's name is taken from one of the most important festivals of the Celtic calendar. The fact was the Lunasa harvest festival dedicated to the deity Lugh (patron of the arts) and fell during the night between July 31 and August 1.

The Lunasa consist of:
Seán Smyth - Violin
Kevin Crawford - flute and bodhrán
Trevor Hutchinson (ex Waterboys) - Low
Cillian Vallely - uillean pipes
Paul Meehan - Guitar

Originally published in the training was very good guitarist Donogh Hennessy (universally recognized as the best Irish guitarist and former band member of Sharon Shannon) who now is working on personal projects and collaborations with Pauline Scanlon is not the last.

The Discography includes:

• Lunasa (1999, 2001)
• Otherworld (1999)
• The Merry Sisters of Fate (2001)
• Redwood (2003)
• The Kinnitty Sessions (2004)
• Self (2006)
• The Story So Far ... (2008)

The Lunasa arise as interpreters but often the authors of the Irish folk tradition (and, more generally, "Celtic"). They have good technical qualities and their sound is fresh and very addictive.

Their latest album The Story So Far ... is an exceptional collection of the best musical production of Lunasa and is an excellent starting point for those who want to approach the Irish folk tradzionale rinvigrito and revisited in a more modern.

Links to explore:

http://www.lunasa.ie/
http://www.myspace.com/lunasaofficial
http://www.myspace.com/donoghhennessy
http://www.myspace.com/paulinescanlon1
http://compassrecords.com/