Traditional Music: The Heartbeat of Ireland

"Irish music has always been intensely pictorial, constantly throwing up images to the listener. Irish music is visual, it's tactile. You can feel it. You can smell it. It's all around you. Irish music is earthy. Irish music is of the people and of the land. It's full of life & emotion. It's exciting & moving. It lives & it breathes. To best understand that, you need to stand & watch it happen right in front of you."  -Water From the Well Liner Notes

The last post covered Dublin Pubs and got me looking back at the Musical Pub Tours that we've taken. I have, for quite some time, loved Traditional Irish music. Perhaps I can hear an ancestral rhythm within it or inklings or the bluegrass I've grown up around. One thing is for sure, it is lively, fun, passionate music. Here is but a sample from our pub tour (yes that second one is sung in Irish): 

Around home, I listen to a lot of The Chieftains, a staple in Irish trad or folk music Forming in 1962, they have a long history and a huge catalog of music. They've collaborated with many other musicians from different genres over the years as well.  A few of my favorite albums are "Water From the Well," "Boil the Breakfast Early" and "Chieftains 7." Recently, I've taken to listening to the Irish music stations on Pandora. They even have a St. Patrick's Day channel which combines some traditional Irish with harder pub rock and even some old sea shanties. Happy Listening!