There’s a timeless beauty to the music Mick O’Brien makes with Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh, pitched as it is a few semitones below the rest of things, in the warm and rich worlds of B and Bb.

Mick O’Brien was named Musician of the Year at the 2003 TG4 Gradam Ceoil Awards, a fitting tribute for one of Ireland’s great uilleann pipers. Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh was a founding member of The Gloaming, and has been involved in many projects across the spectrum of music, from quite traditional to what he describes as ‘fairly out there’.

Together, the released two albums: ‘Kitty Lie Over’ in 2003, and ‘Deadly Buzz’ in 2011, both of which have found a permanent home into the hearts of many listeners to traditional music.

Breaking stereotypes and igniting power, Áine Tyrrell is a force.

In a time when Irish identity is too often misused to derail Indigenous justice, Áine’s voice is a fire starter: lighting up our memory, our responsibility, and our place in the global fight for Land Back and justice. A woman with something to say, Áine’s live shows are compelling and unforgettable. Her solid stage presence blends spoken word, hip hop, acoustic guitar and ancient melody with an unmistakable voice and energy that is both electric and intimate.

A thought-provoking multi-instrumentalist songwriter, Áine defies labels and blends genres. Her music cradles the spirit of her native homeland, embodying a solid, elated rhythm that a thousand years of ancestry has slammed to the floorboard in celebration and protest. Her music fuses traditional Irish roots into a fierce and wild sonic, leaving you charged in potent fragile humanity.

In recognition of the valour and artistry of Irish women, 2021 saw the significance of Áine’s impact soar. Joining the Irish President, Michael D Higgins, and his wife Sabina in the national tribute celebration. Hailed as “a force” by The Irish Times, Áine has ignited airwaves from ABC to BBC, and become a festival favourite across continents. From so-called Australia to Ireland, the UK to the US, Áine has forged a revolutionary path.

Pulsating dance music from Norway

GKN5 creates modern interpretations of the unique Tovdals tradition and brings the captivating music both to pulsating dance floors at festivals and to the deepest corners of Scandinavian fiddle enthusiasts.

GKN5 are recreating the intricacies of the legendary fiddler Salve Austenå forming it into contemporary ensemble music. It is more than arrangements and compositions - it is a way of listening and co-creating the moment as if being one. Bridging over time and space captivating both pulsating dance floors and the deepest corners of our souls. GKN5 connects generations of Norwegian fiddlers and musicians to the audience of today. Since the debut the group has released two albums and toured some of the major festivals and venues of Northern Europe with their captivating instrumental music.

Members:

Guro Kvifte Nesheim - hardanger fiddle/hardanger D’amore
Anna Malmström - clarinet/bas clarinet
Anna Freiman - nyckelharpa
Jens Linell - tamburin
Thomas Eriksson - 12-stringed guitar