Ireland

For a country roughly the size of Maine that has endured centuries of political and social upheaval, Ireland has remained an astoundingly influential musical hotbed. This is partly because Irish music is both appealing and accessible but because of the ready-made audience of literally millions of people of Irish descent around the world.

Traditional music, although it never quite died out, enjoyed a major renaissance during the 1960's, when the composer-arranger-musicologist Sean Ó'Raida embarked upon his grass-roots Celtic revival. Until he took action, the best-known Irish songs were the "come-all-ye's" made famous by acts venerable acts as the Aran-sweater wearing Clancy Brothers and the hard-drinking Dubliners. Sung in English and buoyed by the early '60s folk revival, these songs have a fun, if limited, repertoire devoted to the pleasures of the jug, romantic vicissitudes, deceased Republican heroes and/or inciting insurrection.

The ancient Bardic strain, harkening back to the great harpist and composer Turlough O'Carolan (1670-1738) had almost been snuffed out by British repression in the 19th century. This music languished outside of the popular imagination, mostly confined in Irish-speaking enclaves (gaeltachts) in the North, West and South. But as musical director of the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, Ó'Raida fermented a revival of the old ways in the 1950s and '60s. He single-handedly rescued the Irish harp from oblivion and introduced the bodhrán (hand-held goatskin frame drum) into general use. His own ensemble was called Ceoltoiri Chualann and out of it came the core membership of Ireland's best-known modern traditional music group, The Chieftains. The latter in turn broke ground for Planxty and The Bothy Band, who were important neo-trad role models. Thanks to their example, the uilleann pipes, tin whistle, fiddle and accordion are proliferating as never before. Folk-based acoustic styles, as performed by groups like Danu, Altan, Lunasa and Flook, have achieved mainstream status and their contributions are once again acknowledged as the heart and soul of the nation.

The human voice has always been an important part of Irish music as singing permitted everyone, rich or poor, a form of self-expression. The most ancient style, called sean-nós, requires years of study and a working knowledge of the Irish language, noted exponents would include Seosamh Ó hÉanaí (Joe Heaney,) Triona Ní Domhnaill , Dolores Keane, Niamh Parsons, Maighread Ni Dhomnaill, Liam Ó Maonlai and Iarla Ó Lionáird. But anyone with talent and something to say can create a ballad and Ireland is particularly fortunate in its singer-songwriters. Among the most respected modern troubadours are Christy Moore, Luka Bloom, Damien Rice, Donal Lunny, Damien Dempsey, Paul Brady, Pierce Turner, Andy Irvine, Anne Scott, and Mick Hanly.

Modern times have not left Ireland in the dust. Transformed by a bourgeoning economy and a dramatic loosening of once-solid bonds with the Catholic Church, the national genius has been successfully translated into a plethora of popular genres. That pure pop has its fans is proven by the high profile of Boyzone frontman Ronan Keating and the versatile sisters, Mary and Frances Black, who somehow manage to move between cornball middle-of-the road material and high art with no loss of credibility. Broadway-style extravaganzas have achieved Platinum sales and attracted SRO audiences everywhere they go. Riverdance and Lord Of The Dance, which reinvented the step-dancing with a Las Vegas twist, were the pioneers but other big-budget extravaganzas such as Celtic Woman and Three Irish Tenors are also packing them in.

New Age was practically invented by members of Donegal's own Brennan family, as represented by the members of Clannad ("Theme From Harry's Game") and their younger sister, Enya; the choral group Anuna, formerly of "Riverdance", has taken this amorphous vocabulary even further. As well, there is a growing market for mythological and history-inspired oratorios backed by full-sized symphony orchestras and choirs, such Shaun Davey's "The Brendan Voyage" and Patrick Cassidy's "The Children Of Llyr", "Deirdre Of The Sorrows" and "Famine Remembrance."

But it is the rockers who have achieved the most avid followings; CDs by Rory Gallagher, Boomtown Rats, U2, Van Morisson, Sinead O'Connor,, Stiff Little Fingers, Cranberries, Thin Lizzie and even The Commitments – an ersatz band created from the film of the same name -- have been snapped up all over the globe. While neo-trad hybrids like the Corrs and Afro-Celt Sound System cheerfully update older sounds, sometimes via electronica or by borrowing from other cultures. Even British rockers such as Elvis Costello and the hilariously profane Pogues flaunt their Irish roots, while former Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan has emerged as one of contemporary Irish music's most gifted songwriter, graced with the poet's gift, reworking Irish tradition for the 21st century. – Christina Roden