Wowing audiences all over the world with their seasoned brand of Celtic music, the seven-member Dervish has risen to the top of their genre over the past ten years. They’ve shared the stage with such popular acts as REM, Sting and Britney Spears in front of a crowd of 250,000 at Brazil’s Rock In Rio music festival, the first Irish band to perform at this event. They’ve toured the world including Italy, Spain, The Netherlands, Israel, Switzerland, Sweden and Greece, as well as their native Irish homeland and have proven that they deserve the reputation they’ve earned as of one of the best Irish bands playing today.
Founded in 1989 by a group of five musicians (Liam Kelly, Shane Mitchell, Martin McGinley, Brian McDonagh and Michael Holmes), Dervish initially came together to record an album of local music, released as The Boys Of Sligo. Inspired by the project, the musicians decided to develop the informal gathering into a working band. The name Dervish was chosen because it relates to any group of poor but spiritual people who become enraptured by music. More than a decade later, four of the original members are still at the helm. In 1991, Roscommon-born singer Cathy Jordan joined the band, followed by the addition of All-Ireland Champion Shane McAleer giving the band the balance they were looking for to produce their first recording, Harmony Hill, released in 1993. The album was well received by the media, putting Dervish at the forefront of bands working in traditional Irish music. Substantial radio and TV exposure followed, opening the doors for Dervish to perform in many European countries and at major folk festivals. Their second album, Playing With Fire was released in 1995. Reviewers and critics confirmed Dervish’s pre-eminent status among Irish traditional bands. The album reached #1 on the Irish Folk Music Charts and stayed on top for several months.
Le Vent du Nord hits the stage with the unstoppable force of its namesake, the north wind. The four members of the band–Nicolas Boulerice, Olivier Demers, Simon Beaudry, and Réjean Brunet–all sing, play multiple instruments, and perform with irresistible energy and infectious verve. Veterans of famed groups like La Bottine Souriante and Ad Vielle Que Pourra, these youthful ambassadors of the current roots revival in Quebec play their own dynamic arrangements of traditional Quebecois songs and dances, as well as plenty of fresh original music. Their fine harmony singing and richly textured mix of fiddle, guitar, and hurdy-gurdy make for a truly uplifting evening–in the sense that you’ll be lifted up off your chair and into the aisles to dance!
Since its inception in 2002, Le Vent du Nord has made quite a splash on the Canadian folk music scene. The group has won numerous awards, from a 2004 Juno for Traditional Album of the Year for Maudite Moisson! to the award for Best Traditional Artist at the North American Folk Music and Dance Alliance’s 2006 conference. Their 2012 album, Tromper le Temps, prompted this remark from Pierre Therrien of Radio Canada: “Just between us, may we say that Le Vent du Nord is THE best traditional Francophone band in this country?” Now they have a brand new album that they’re excited to show off at the Freight. If you were lucky enough to see them here a few years ago, you know that we’re in for a big treat!
CALENDAR SPONSORED IN PART BY THE CONSULATE GENERAL OF IRELAND, SAN FRANCISCO