I’m curious whether the New Agish music of preformers like Enya, Clannad, Lorrena McKennit etc. flows from traditional Irish music.
My taste runs more toward what is widely known as tradtional music from Mrs Crotty to Danu. During the last few yrs as I’ve tried to find out what I like and build my own music library I’ve bought a few cds by the artists above. So is the new agey, chanting, synth music they perform an evolution from earlier forms - airs, harp music etc. or is it simply more modern and happens to have developed with a collection of Irish performers?
Clannad started from purely traditional music, but made their mark in the early 70s by fusing trad with jazz (poorly IMHO). However, they were a great source of trad songs. Enya is little sister to the Brennans in Clannad, and did backing vocals on one of their early albums. As Clannad progressed, they moved more and more into jazz and synths. I stopped listening to them after their 6th or 7th album, as they got more and more into doing their own compositions instead of trad. If you like their version of trad in a New Age jazz fusion setting, I would say they peaked with their album “Magical Ring”. If you want to hear more trad songs, but also in a more amateurish sound, check out their earlier albums: Clannad, Clannad 2, Dulamann, Crann Ull, Fuaim.
Enya’s solo stuff is entirely New Age, from the little I have listened to. Lorrena McKennit is also very New Age. All of them can say they base their stuff in trad, and sometimes they use trad instruments, but none of what they do is performed in a trad way. I’m not sure if that helps or confuses more.
In each case, I picked up a cd cheap & used off e-bay. And in each case about 1 minute in I knew this was not a branch of Irish music that I would play in.
The Brennan’s traditional roots are in Gweedore, Co. Donegal. Their father played in céilí bands and owns a well known pub. As far as their music, djm summed it up pretty well.
I think the synth, chant stuff is just as likely influenced by the developments in technology as Clannad and Enya were developing their respective sounds. In the liner notes of Enya’s CDs she even lists the different models of synthesizers she uses.
Enya is much more Classically and liturgically influenced as you can tell by the string and choral sound she uses. Plus she has always worked very closely with Nick and Roma Ryan so what you hear on the CDs aren’t just Enya alone. I think if she, Nicky, and Roma collaborated with a conductor and had actual orchestras and choirs perform their pieces, they would be quite impressive.
Enya’s first recording credit (under her original name, Eithne Ni Bhraonain) was as playing Prophet 5 synthesizer on the album “Ceol Aduaidh” by Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh and Frankie Kennedy back in 1983 or so.
I may be unusual in that I love Clannad, but don’t care much for Enya. Being about 90% synth-based and repeatedly using the old I-vi-IV-V chord turnaround doesn’t really do it for me.
Of course, I also love Fairport Convention, so take it for what it’s worth!
Enya came from a very traditional background but has
almost completly gone away from it. I would agree with
the others she is New-Age and Ambient or whatever.
The wee girl has lost her roots and the run of her music,
and lives in a castle like some medieval princess - sounds
like she has lost the run of herself as well.
I still like some of the noises she makes but these are
not ITM. Not that the use of synths or any other instrument
would determine how traditional is the music. I think you
can have ITM on most any instrument. In fact most instruments
today associated with ITM are relatively recent imports to the music.
The Box and the whistle only became ITM instruments in the last
100 years ot so. If you want to be purist ITM you could only really
rely on the “Clairseach” or Irish harp, the Uillean Pipes and
“Sean Nós” singing.
).