Four musicians in We Banjo 3 head for Draoicht
Sit back and watch the sparks fly as We Banjo 3 – virtuosos Enda and Fergal Scahill with Martin and David Howley - take you on a rollercoaster ride through banjo history from ragtime to reels at Draíocht, The Blanchardstown Centre on Thursday 13th June at 8.15 pm. Featuring banjos, fiddle, mandolins, guitars, banjolin and David’s vocals “with soul beyond his years”, We Banjo 3 combine Irish music with Old-Time American, Ragtime and Bluegrass influences, revealing the banjo’s rich legacy from its roots in African and minstrel music through to the Irish traditional sound pioneered by Barney McKenna. Tickets priced €16 / €14 can be booked by calling Tel 01 8852622 or www.draiocht.ie. This concert is promoted by Music Network and Draíocht.
Up to now, the banjo has been to some extent an unsung instrument, but when the remarkable We Banjo 3 hits the vellum and virtuosity takes flight, any doubts about this fascinating instrument are swept aside in a wave of verve and sheer joie-de-vivre.
Winners of the Music Network Young Musicwide Award, the group from Galway - brothers Enda and Feargal Scahill, and Martin and David Howley - play with swing and soul, effortlessly combining the best of Irish and Bluegrass banjo music, mining the rich vein of the American Old Time tradition and thoroughly reinventing the banjo band sound. Their first Irish tour came hot on the heels of their performance at the Milwaukee Irish Fest, North America’s largest celebration of Irish music and culture.
Their début album, Roots of the Banjo Tree, was voted best trad album in The Irish Times in December 2012. The album is a fascinating musical journey through the intertwined traditions of Irish, Old-Time and Bluegrass banjo music and song highlighting their virtuosic technique and interweaving harmonies and soulful song. Available at www.webanjo3.com.
Full details at www.musicnetwork.ie