Altan

	Altan is called after Loch Altan, a lake near Gweedore that lies in the shadow of Mt. Errigal in north-western Donegal. The band’s music, like the name, is firmly rooted in this area. Donegal fiddle music is closely related to the Scottish fiddle tradition due to the constant stream of migrant workers travelling between both places. Altan grew out of a musical partnership between Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh from Gweedore and Frankie Kennedy from Belfast. Having had emphatic responses to their exploration of the Donegal fiddle and song traditions and Northern flute music, Mairead and Frankie decided to leave their teaching jobs to form a professional band. Ciaran Curran from Co. Fermanagh, a session and festival veteran and, nephew of fiddler Ned Curran was first to be invited on board. Ciaran’s unique bouzouki style lies at the heart of the Altan sound. With the inclusion of guitarist Mark Kelly in the mid-eighties Altan truly became a band. Mark’s experience in other musical styles has always influenced his approach to rhythms and chord structures and thus the band’s driving sound. Derry guitarist, Daithi Sproule, a Minnesota resident and like, Ciaran and Mark, an old friend, now plays in place of Mark when the band tours. Fiddle player Paul O’Shaughnessey was the last element to be added to the Altan sound. The two-fiddles sound has always been a hallmark of Altan and, when Paul had to leave due to work commitments, Ciaran Tourish, from Donegal, was asked to step in. The tragic death of founder member Frankie Kennedy was a great shock to the band but, on his insistence, they continued to travel the world, bringing their interpretation of Donegal music to thousands across the globe. Dermot Byrne, also a native of Donegal, guested on Altan’s second Green Linnet album ‘The Red Crow’ (‘Horse with a Heart’ being the first) and, ‘Island Angel’ (which followed the ’92 release ‘Harvest Storm’). Dermot then joined in 1994 solidifying the band’s sound with his sensitive box style. Signing with Virgin Records in 1996 has meant the band can now reach a wider audience, but, though with a major label, they have continued to play the music in their uncompromising style. They have recorded three albums for Virgin so far: ‘Blackwater’, ‘Runaway Sunday’, ‘Another Sky’ and their most recent release, ‘The Blue Idol’.