Altan 
Town Hall Theatre, Feabhra 2, 8pm 

Táthar ag tagairt d’Altan le fada an lá mar an dream atá ag tús cadhnaíochta i gceol traidisiúnta na hÉireann le nach mór dhá scór bliain anois. Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, príomhamhránaí, fidléir agus amhránaí, agus a fear Frankie Kennedy, atá anois ar shlí na fírinne, a bhunaigh an grúpa siar ag tús na n-ochtóidí tar éis dóibh an ceirnín “Ceol Aduaidh” (Music of the North) 1993, ceirnín a fuair moladh mór, a eisiúint ar Ghael Linn a bhí dírithe ar cheol óna ndúchas féin agus óna gcúlra féin i nDún na nGall agus san Iarthuaisceart trí chéile.


Tá camchuairt tugtha ag an mbanna ar fud an domhain mhóir agus a gcuid ceoil ar leith casta acu in áiteanna chomh héagsúil leis an Hollywood Bowl, an Albert Hall mar aon le hallaí agus beáir bheaga damhsa i gceantair iargúlta i nDún na nGall agus níos faide i gcéin.

Baineann ceol an bhanna le réimse leathan ceoil, ó réimsí bríomhara agus nádúrtha ina gcuid ceoil damhsa go dtí réimse níos íogaire agus casta sna cóirithe a dhéanann siad ar amhráin agus ar phíosaí níos moille. Tugann sin léargas don lucht spéise ar shaibhreas agus ar dhoimhneacht oidhreacht na hÉireann.

Bhí an tábhacht a bhain leis an tóir a bhí ag daoine ar Altan anseo sa bhaile agus thar lear chomh suntasach sin gur thug an Rialtas onóir don ghrúpa tríd An Post (Comhlacht Poist na hÉireann) trí stampa poist a raibh an banna air a eisiúint ar an 7 Samhain 2006.

Léiríodh leis an stampa sin an tionchar ollmhór a bhí ag Altan ar chultúr na hÉireann anseo sa bhaile agus thar lear agus an tóir níos mó a bhí anois ar cheol traidisiúnta na hÉireann trí chéile.

Thug Comhairle Contae Dhún na nGall aitheantas d’Altan freisin nuair a d’óstáil sí fáiltiú cathartha ina cuid oifigí i Márta 2018 mar aitheantas ar an méid a chuir siad le ceol traidisiúnta na hÉireann le breis is 30 bliain agus as bheith ina n-ambasadóirí domhanda do Chontae Dhún na nGall ar fud na cruinne.

Lena gcuid taifeadtaí léirithe den scoth a bhfuil duaiseanna buaite acu, óna gceirnín ceannródaíoch ‘Island Angel’ a chuaigh go dtí uimhir a 2 sna Billboard World Music Charts in 1993 go dtí a gceirnín “Gap of Dream” a eisíodh in 2018, tá Altan ag dul ó neart go neart agus breis is 2-7 milliún amas bainte amach ag a gcuid ceoil ar Spotify!

Tá Altan ag obair ar albam nua anois agus tá an ball is déanaí, Clare Friel, anois ag ceol in éineacht le Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh agus ag tabhairt cheol an dá fhidil ar ais go dtí croílár fhuaim an bhanna.

Le Ciaran Curran ar an mbasúcaí, Mark Kelly ar an ngiotár, Dáithí Sproule ar an ngiotár agus Martin Tourish ar an mbosca, tá an banna ag súil go mór le tuilleadh ceolchoirmeacha agus camchuairteanna amach anseo.

Roinnt sleachta:

The Boston Globe :”The hottest group in the Celtic Realm”.

Is éard a dúirt Dolly Parton faoi bheith ag ceol le Altan ar Heartsongs in 1994 agus ar Little Sparrow in 2001:


“A match made in heaven with the best traditional band”


Agus scríobhadh in Q Magazine sa Ríocht Aontaithe “The Red Crow is a triumphant statement of the virtues of the traditional approach”


‘The Poison Glen’(2012), scríobh Siobhan Long ó The Irish Times ”Altan have never sounded better or tighter.”


Thug Altan faoina gcuid ceoil agus cóirithe riamh leis an gcaighdeán is airde agus go hoscailte agus rinne siad a ndícheall i gcónaí a gcultúr féin a roinnt le lucht spéise nua atá ag forbairt ar fud an domhain.



Altan 
Town Hall theatre, February 2nd, 8pm

 Altan have long been established as being to the forefront of traditional Irish music for nearly forty years now. Frontwomen, fiddler and singer, Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh and her late husband, flute player, Frankie Kennedy formed the band back in the early eighties after their highly acclaimed album on Gael Linn, “Ceol Aduaidh” (Music of the North) 1983, which focused on the music of their roots and background in Co. Donegal and the North-West in general. The band have toured all over the world, bringing their unique sound to places as diverse as the Hollywood Bowl, The Albert Hall and to small dance halls and bars in the remote areas of Donegal and beyond. Their music spans the spectrum of being energetic and raw in their dance tune selections to being sensitive and sophisticated in the arrangements of the songs and slower pieces. This gives audiences a glimpse of the depth and richness of our Irish heritage. Such is the importance of Altan’s popularity at home and abroad that the Irish Government through An Post (The Irish Postal Body), honoured Altan by issuing a postal stamp featuring the band on November 7,  2006. This award showed Altan’s immense impact on recent Irish culture at home and abroad and the growing popularity of Irish traditional music generally. 
Altan have also been recognised by Donegal County Council, when they hosted a civic reception in their offices in March 2018, in recognition of their contribution to traditional Irish music for over 30 years and becoming global ambassadors for County Donegal worldwide. With their excellent produced award-winning recordings, from their ground breaking ‘Island Angel’ album going to no.2 in the Billboard World Music Charts in 1993, to their more recent “Gap of Dream” 2018, Altan are going from strength to strength having over 2-7 million hits on tracks on Spotify ! 
Altan are working on a new album with latest member Clare Friel joining ranks with Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh and bringing the dual fiddle sound back to the core of the band’s sound. With Ciaran Curran, bouzouki, Mark Kelly guitar, Dáithí Sproule guitar and Martin Tourish, accordion, the band are looking forward to more concerts and touring in the future 
Some Quotes: 
The Boston Globe : ”The hottest group in the Celtic Realm”. 
Dolly Parton on her collaboration with Altan on Heartsongs 1994 and Little Sparrow 2001: “A match made in heaven with the best traditional band” 
And the UK’s Q Magazine wrote “The Red Crow is a triumphant statement of the virtues of the traditional approach” ‘The Poison Glen’ (2012), Siobhan Long of The Irish Times wrote ”Altan have never sounded better or tighter.” 
Altan have always approached their music and arrangements with integrity and openness and have strived to share their culture to new expanding audiences worldwide

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