CLANNAD

Perhaps more than any artist, CLANNAD has been responsible for keeping Irish traditional forms of music alive on the world's stage as well as keeping the dwindling Irish language from becoming extinct, at least in terms of music. It's amazing that this band that everyone has heard of due to its extraordinary popularity and longevity began 50 years ago in 1970 in the remote northwestern town of Greedore (known as Gaoth Dobhair in Irish). This band has been mostly a family affair since the beginning with its earliest years consisting of siblings Ciarán Brennan, Pól Ó Braonáin and Moya Brennan with their twin uncles Noel and Pádraig Duggan. CLANNAD has been most successful in bridging the gap between traditional Celtic music and pop and was also responsible for launching another Brennen whose name is Enya and would become one of Ireland's most successful crossover acts, but that's later!

It didn't take long after the band's inception that its unique style captured the attention of the public and in no time at all Polydor Records was interested in offering the fledgling band a recording contract after they won the Letterkenny Folk Festival albeit with apprehension of the band's desire to include songs in the Irish language. The label capitulated although the band which started out as Clann as Dobhar which is Irish for "The Family from Dore," was truncated to CLANNAD and the eponymously titled debut album was released in 1973. Unlike some of the more progressive, new age and crossover sounds they would craft on later albums, in the beginning CLANNAD was all about nurturing and keeping alive the pure unadulterated sounds of traditional Irish music with half of the songs performed on this debut completely sung in the Irish language however to appease the record label recorded half of the tracks were in English.

While CLANNAD would eventually write mostly original material, on this self-titled debut they perform a number of traditionals as well as a cover of Bonnie Dobson's "Morning Dew." The instrumentation is set mostly on acoustic mode with acoustic guitar, double bass, flute and harp providing the rhythm section while electric guitar leads and the occasional mandala add some contrasting sounds. The percussion is delivered by the bongos which shows how CLANNAD was straying away from the rigid orthodoxies of Irish music even at this stage. There are other drums sounds as well as a tin whistle but for the most part the focus is on the sensual lead vocals of Máire Brennan and the vocal harmonies of the other four members making this a mesmerizing display of traditional Celtic music with each track capturing a unique spiritual quality of the Irish landscape and traditional folklore.

While CLANNAD wasn't the only Irish folk band offering a modern version of timeless sounds from the Emerald Isle, others included Mellow Candle, Plenty and Tír na nÓg, CLANNAD was successful in winning over the orthodox crowds who favored artists like The Chieftains and Mary O'Hara and in the process nurtured a successful career in the 70s which propelled them into the 80s and beyond as one of Ireland's best exports, however at this stage this band sounded like many others by delivering purely passionate representations of a traditional style of music that had sustained an isolated culture throughout the centuries and one that hits the right notes for an immediate emotional connection. For many who dislike the band's later crossover into new age, this earliest example may offer the proper doses of traditional purity. Honestly you can't go wrong with this kind of beautifully performed Celtic music. It just warms the soul and evokes happy Leprechauns rolling around in green clover fields. Ah.