I Like All the Singing: Tommy Makem & Liam Clancy with "A Place in the Choir"

Today's tune is a nice happy one by Tommy Makem and Liam Clancy called A Place in the Choir. Makem, who died in 2007, was a folk musician, artist, poet and storyteller known as the Bard of Armagh. Internationally acclaimed, he was a member of The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. A baritone, he played a number of instruments including 5 string banjo, tin whistle, low whistle, guitar, bodhrán and bagpipes. Liam Clancy, who died in 2009, was the youngest member of The Clancy Brothers. He was known for his powerful voice. Bob Dylan considered Clancy the greatest ballad singer ever and he was a hero to the young Dylan as he was learning his craft. He was a central figure in the folk revival of Europe and North America. A Place in the Choir was released as a single in 1980 (the B side was Sliabh Geal gCua, and can be found on the retrospective The Makem And Clancy Collection, released by Readers Digest in 2011.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Makem; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liam_Clancy

Every Day is a Holiday: The Chieftains and "Brafferton Village/Walsh's Hornpipe"

Today's song is by The Chieftains, who are an Irish ensemble who introduced the wider world to Irish music. The Chieftains were formed in Dublin in 1962 and played their music primarily around the distinctive sound of uileann pipes. They took their name from the title of a novel by Irish author John Montague. Besides releasing several critically acclaimed albums, they are just as well known for their collaborations with such artists as Van Morrison, The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Sinead O'Connor and Roger Daltry. They have released 44 albums. Brafferton Village: Walsh's Hornpipe is from their holiday themed album The Bells of Dublin (1991), on which also appeared Jackson Browne, Elvis Costello, the McGarrigle sisters, Marianne Faithfull, Rickie Lee Jones, Nanci Griffith and Burgess Meredith.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chieftains; http://www.thechieftains.com

To a New World: Moya Brennan and "Sailing Away"

Moya Brennan brings us today's random tune entitled Sailing Away. In an interview, she describes the song as invoking the feelings of Irish people during the 1800s as they emigrated from their homeland, possibly never to return. An Ireland native, Brennan comes from a musical family (one of her sisters, Eithne, is better known as the singer Enya) and the family's band Clannad have been credited with creating the contemporary Celtic sound. Brennan is the eldest of the siblings, and started her own solo career in 1992. She is often classified as Celtic or New Age, though she feels uncomfortable with the New Age label as her music often has Christian themes. She has recorded 25 solo albums, her music has been featured in film, and she has collaborated with numerous other musicians in a variety of genres. She has also been very candid about her life - in her autobiography The Other Side of the Rainbow she recounts her upbringing in her family and her struggles with alcohol, drugs and an abortion which made her reevaluate her life and become a committed Christian. To help others with similar problems, she has given much to philanthropic endeavors and is a Goodwill Ambassador for the Christian Blind Mission. Sailing Away can be found on her album Two Horizons (2004) and on the 2011 live album Heart Strings.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moya_Brennan;

Just Let It Go: Afro Celt Sound System and "Release It"

The Afro Celt Sound System, a fusion band that mixes modern electronic dance rhythms with traditional Irish and West African songs, brings us today's random song, called Release It. The Afro Celt sound System were formed by British producer Simon Emmerson and Afro-pop star Baaba Maal in 1991. Since then they've been proclaimed a world music supergroup, and have collaborated with Peter Gabriel, Sinead O'Connor, Robert Plant, Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, Ayub Ogada and many other pop and world stars. This song, Release It, is an instrumental that can be found on their 1999 album Volume 2: Release.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: http://www.afroceltsoundsystem.com/; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afro_Celt_Sound_System

Polish Dance in Ireland: Altan and "Mazurka"

Today's random tune is performed by Altan, which was originally formed in County Donegal by vocalist and fiddler Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh and her husband Frankie Kennedy in 1987 after the pair initially released a pair of albums as a duo. They named the band after a lake in County Donegal. County Donegal has a rich tradition of Irish music and styles, and Altan made this music available to the world and in the process became known worldwide with a popularity to match The Chieftains. Kennedy died of Ewing's sarcoma in 1994, leaving Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh to keep the band going. Besides The Chieftains, they have worked with musicians such as Enya, Dolly Parton, Bonnie Raitt and Alison Krauss. This song, called Mazurka, can be found on their 1993 album Island Angel. A mazurka is a music and dance style originally from Poland that was imported into Ireland in the 1840s. It is a style largely played in the Donegal region.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altan_%28band%29; http://altan.ie/

Or Misremembered: Orla Fallon and Moya Brennan with "Forgotten"

Our tune today is sung by Moya Brennan and Órla Fallon. Moya Brennan, also known as the First Lady of Celtic Music, first achieved fame with the band Clannad which was formed in 1970. In 1992 she released her first solo album. She has since released 12 albums as a solo artist or in collaboration with others and three live albums, as well as her work with Clannad. She also has been a vocal advocate for the blind and nature preservation, as well as those struggling with addiction based on her own struggles with alcohol and drugs as recounted in her autobiography. Órla Fallon is a harpist who first achieved musical success with the group Celtic Woman. She is also a member of the chamber choir Anúna. She released her first solo album in 2000 and joined Celtic Woman in 2004 as a founding member. She left the group in 2009 to have a break and focus on her family, but in 2010 she became the first former member of Celtic Woman to star in her own TV special, Celtic Christmas on PBS. She also released two Christmas albums that year, and another solo album in 2011. You can find this song, Forgotten, on the double album The Music of Ireland: Welcome Home (2011) released by Readers Digest and which was a PBS Special.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moya_Brennan; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%93rla_Fallon

Gimme Three Steps: The Chieftains with Tom Jones and "The Tennessee Waltz"

The Chieftains bring us today's random tune, with a little help from Tom Jones. The Chieftains are an Irish ensemble, formed in 1962 in Dublin, who helped introduced the wider world to Irish music. They made a new and unique sound for themselves by playing their music primarily around the distinctive sound of uileann pipes. Besides releasing several critically acclaimed albums, they are just as well known for their collaborations with such artists as Van Morrison, The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Sinead O'Connor and Roger Daltry. Tom Jones is a Welsh singer, known for his robust baritone, who became famous with a string of hits in the 1960s and through his performances in Las Vegas. You can find this song, The Tennessee Waltz, on The Chieftains 1995 album The Long Black Veil. A popular country music song first recorded by Patti Page, the song is one of loss as the narrator introduces his or her sweetheart to someone else, who waltzes away with him or her.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chieftains; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Jones_(singer)

Shell Shocked: Tommy Makem and Liam Clancy with "The Dutchman"

Tommy Makem and Liam Clancy bring us the random tune for the day. Makem, who died in 2007, was a folk musician, artist, poet and storyteller known as the Bard of Armagh. Internationally acclaimed, he was a member of The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. A baritone, he played a number of instruments including 5 string banjo, tin whistle, low whistle, guitar, bodhrán and bagpipes. Liam Clancy, who died in 2009, was the youngest member of The Clancy Brothers. He was known for his powerful voice. Bob Dylan considered Clancy the greatest ballad singer ever and he was a hero to the young Dylan as he was learning his craft. He was a central figure in the folk revival of Europe and North America. This song, The Dutchman, can be found Clancy's 1974 album Farewell to Tarwaithie and its 1993 re-release under the title The Dutchman, and on the retrospective album The Makem and Clancy Collection by Readers Digest (2011). This video is concert footage from 1983.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Makem; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liam_Clancy

Hopping to the Music: Lúnasa and "The Cullybacky Hop"

Today's random tune, The Cullybacky Hop, is a song by Irish band Lúnasa. Lúnasa is named after an ancient harvest festival, and they primarily play Irish traditional music. The band was pieced out of musicians that played in support of original band member Sean Smyth's solo tour in the mid-1990s. Their first album was a live album with recordings from the band's initial tour, and was critically acclaimed. The group has released seven studio albums, one live album, and has been featured on various artist compilations of Irish music. The Cullybacky Hop can be found on their 2006 album Sé.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%BAnasa_(band)

Steppin' and Hoppin': Altan and "The Tin Key/Sam Kelly's Jig/The Gravediggers"

A few jigs to get give you a spring in the step make up our random tune for today. The jigs are performed by Altan, which was originally formed in County Donegal by vocalist and fiddler Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh and her husband Frankie Kennedy in 1987 after the pair initially released a pair of albums as a duo. They named the band after a lake in County Donegal. County Donegal has a rich tradition of Irish music and styles, and Altan made this music available to the world and in the process became known worldwide with a popularity to match The Chieftains. Kennedy died of Ewing's sarcoma in 1994, leaving Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh to keep the band going. Besides The Chieftains, they have worked with musicians such as Enya, Dolly Parton, Bonnie Raitt and Alison Krauss. This set of jigs, called The Tin Key/Sam Kelly's Jig/The Gravediggers, can be found on their 2015 album The Widening Gyre.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altan_%28band%29; http://altan.ie/

Who Will Listen: Moya Brennan and "No One Talks"

Our random tune for today is sung by Moya Brennan. A native to Ireland, Brennan comes from a musical family (one of her sisters, Eithne, is better known as the singer Enya) and the family's band Clannad have been credited with creating the contemporary Celtic sound. Brennan is the eldest of the siblings, and started her own solo career in 1992. She is often classified as Celtic or New Age, though she feels uncomfortable with the New Age label as her music often has Christian themes. She has recorded 25 solo albums, her music has been featured in film, and she has collaborated with numerous other musicians in a variety of genres. She has also been very candid about her life - in her autobiography The Other Side of the Rainbow she recounts her upbringing in her family and her struggles with alcohol, drugs and an abortion which made her reevaluate her life and become a committed Christian. To help others with similar problems, she has given much to philanthropic endeavors and is a Goodwill Ambassador for the Christian Blind Mission. This song, No One Talks, can be found on her album Signature (2006) and on her 2011 live album Heart Strings.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moya_Brennan

Crying Over You: Maura O'Connell and "Stories"

Today's random tune is by Irish singer and actress Maura O'Connell. Maura O'Connell is known for contemporary interpretations of Irish traditional music, influenced by American country music. Born and raised in Ennis, County Clare in a musical family, she worked at her family's fish shop until she started music as a full-time career. She performed country music in the local folk scene with Mike Hanrahan as a duo called Tumbleweeds. In 1980, as vocalist for the Irish group De Danaan, she toured the US and got very interested in American experimental roots music and eventually moved to Nashville in 1986. There she met newgrass pioneers Bela Fleck and Jerry Douglas, who produced most of her subsequent albums. While her first album didn't make any waves, her second gained her a Grammy nomination. In addition to her solo work, she has collaborated with a number of famous Celtic, folk, pop and country artists. She also was cast as a Irish migrant street singer in the movie Gangs of New York. You can find this song, Stories, on her 1995 album of the same name, and on the compilation album Putumayo Presents: Women of the World - Celtic (1995).

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maura_O%27Connell

Making Babies: Tommy Makem and Liam Clancy with "Morning Glory"

Today's random tune is by two legends of Irish folk music. Morning Glory is by Tommy Makem and Liam Clancy. The song was clearly written before the Irish were willing to ignore church warnings and began using birth control - it is about a guy who regularly visits four sisters - the daughters of the landlord in the Cross Keys Inn. This man goes to war, and comes back to find the four sisters have four babies that look just like him. Makem, who died in 2007, was a folk musician, artist, poet and storyteller known as the Bard of Armagh. Internationally acclaimed, he was a member of The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. A baritone, he played a number of instruments including 5 string banjo, tin whistle, low whistle, guitar, bodhrán and bagpipes. Liam Clancy, who died in 2009, was the youngest member of The Clancy Brothers. He was known for his powerful voice, and Bob Dylan considered him the greatest ballad singer ever and he was a hero to the young Dylan as he was learning his craft. He was a central figure in the folk revival of Europe and North America. Morning Glory can be found on Makem and Clancy's 1978 album Two for the Early Dew, and this version is from 1980s The Makem and Clancy Collection.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Makem; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liam_Clancy

What Are You Thinking: Afro Celt Sound System and "I Think Of..."

Today's song is called I Think Of... and is performed by The Afro Celt Sound System, which fuses modern electronic dance rhythms with traditional Irish and West African songs. The Afro Celt Sound System were formed by British producer Simon Emmerson and afro-pop star Baaba Maal in 1991. Since then they've been proclaimed a world music supergroup, and have collaborated with Peter Gabriel, Sinead O'Connor, Robert Plant, Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, Ayub Ogada and many other pop and world stars. I Think Of... can be found on their 1999 release Volume 5: Anatomic.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afro_Celt_Sound_System

Like a Phaser: Van Morrison and The Chieftains with "Celtic Ray"

Van Morrison and the The Chieftains are the performers of today's random tune, called Celtic Ray. The Chieftains are one of the greatest ambassadors of Irish music to the world, and have formed their distinctive sound around the Uileann pipes. Van Morrison, from Northern Ireland, is a singer-songwriter and musician who has been described as mystical and transcendental. Some of his albums have appeared near the top of many lists of the greatest albums of all time. He has released 39 albums. The collaboration between Van Morrison and The Chieftains goes back to at least 1979, when they met at the Edinburgh Rock Festival, and agreed to record an album together. The result, 1988's Irish Heartbeat, received positive critical acclaim, including 4 stars from Rolling Stone and was called one of the best albums of the year by The Village Voice. You can find Celtic Ray as the 8th song on Irish Heartbeat, and the video we found is a studio performance, date unknown, by Morrison and the Chieftains which has Morrison on drums and vocals.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Morrison; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chieftains

Longing for Home: Van Morrison and The Chieftains with "Carrickfergus"

Okay, okay, it looks like I'm violating my rule again, but I'm not. This song is by Van Morrison and The Chieftains, so it's different. The Chieftains are one of the greatest ambassadors of Irish music to the world, and have formed their distinctive sound around the Uileann pipes. Van Morrison, from Northern Ireland, is a singer-songwriter and musician who has been described as mystical and transcendental. Some of his albums have appeared near the top of many lists of the greatest albums of all time. He has released 39 albums. The collaboration between Van Morrison and The Chieftains goes back to at least 1979, when they met at the Edinburgh Rock Festival, and agreed to record an album together. The result, 1988's Irish Heartbeat, received positive critical acclaim, including 4 stars from Rolling Stone and was called one of the best albums of the year by The Village Voice. You can find this song, Carrickfergus, on Irish Heartbeat.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Morrison; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chieftains

Ring Ding Dinging: The Chieftains and "The Bells of Dublin/Christmas Eve"

I'm forgoing a rule I have, in which I don't play the same group within the same month. Because it is getting toward Christmas, and a Christmas themed song has come up by the Chieftains, I am going to use it anyway. The Chieftains are an Irish ensemble formed in Dublin in 1962, and they developed their music primarily around the distinctive sound of the uileann pipes. They took their name from the title of a novel by Irish author John Montague. Besides releasing several critically acclaimed albums, they are just as well known for their collaborations with such artists as Van Morrison, The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Sinead O'Connor and Roger Daltry. They have released 44 albums. This song, The Bells of Dublin/Christmas Eve, is from their 1991 album The Bells of Dublin.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chieftains; http://www.thechieftains.com/main/

Early Christmas: The Chieftains with Renaissance Singers Belfast and "Ding Dong Merrily on High"

We're about a month away from the holidays, and the Global Music randomizer wants you to start getting in the mood, kind of like a department store after Halloween. Today's song is by The Chieftains with The Renaissance Singers Belfast, and is a holiday song called Ding Dong Merrily on High. The Chieftains are an Irish ensemble formed in Dublin in 1962, and they developed their music primarily around the distinctive sound of the uileann pipes. They took their name from the title of a novel by Irish author John Montague. Besides releasing several critically acclaimed albums, they are just as well known for their collaborations with such artists as Van Morrison, The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Sinead O'Connor and Roger Daltry. They have released 44 albums. Ding Dong Merrily on High is from their 1991 album The Bells of Dublin.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chieftains; http://www.thechieftains.com/main/

Like Ring Around the Rosie: The Chieftains and Van Morrison with "I'll Tell Me Ma"

Today's random song is called I'll Tell Me Ma and is by Van Morrison and the The Chieftains. The Chieftains are one of the greatest ambassadors of Irish music to the world, and have formed their distinctive sound around the Uileann pipes. Van Morrison, from Northern Ireland, is a singer-songwriter and musician who has been described as mystical and transcendental. Some of his albums have appeared near the top of many lists of the greatest albums of all time. He has released 39 albums. The collaboration between Van Morrison and The Chieftains goes back to at least 1979, when they met at the Edinburgh Rock Festival, and agreed to record an album together. The result, 1988's Irish Heartbeat, received positive critical acclaim, including 4 stars from Rolling Stone and was called one of the best albums of the year by The Village Voice. You can find I'll Tell Me Ma on Irish Heartbeat. The song is traditional and accompanies a children's game.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Morrison; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chieftains

Forgotten Heroes: Tommy Makem and Liam Clancy with "The Band Played Waltzing Matilda"

Today's random song is by Liam Clancy & Tommy Makem, two legends of Irish music. Tommy Makem, who died in 2007, was a folk musician, artist, poet and storyteller known as the Bard of Armagh. Internationally acclaimed, he was a member of The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. A baritone, he played a number of instruments including 5 string banjo, tin whistle, low whistle, guitar, bodhrán and bagpipes. Liam Clancy, who died in 2009, was the youngest member of The Clancy Brothers. He was known for his powerful voice. Bob Dylan considered Clancy the greatest ballad singer ever and he was a hero to the young Dylan as he was learning his craft. He was a central figure in the folk revival of Europe and North America. This song, The Band Played Waltzing Matilda, can be found on The Makem and Clancy Collection (1980). Written by Eric Bogle in 1971, the song evokes the horrors of war through a protagonist from Australia who fought in the Gallipoli Campaign in Turkey during World War I, losing both legs in the invasion, and the indifference to veterans who fought.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makem_and_Clancy; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Makem; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liam_Clancy