Since forming from two local Newfoundland bands in 1990, The Irish Descendants have had a wide impact on audiences and music lovers all around the world. The bands exquisitely produced, award-winning recordings, ranging dynamically from the most sensitive and touching ballads, to high energy toe tapping reels along with their heartwarming and humorous live performances, has led the group to achieve a large and loyal fan base, impressing audiences with their live shows.
The first album in 1991, Misty Morning Shore, presented an opportunity for the band to be heard on the radio and to reach a much wider audience. 1993’s major label debut on Warner Music, Look To The Sea, was recorded in Toronto with Irish expatriate Derek Harrington. Delivering a force and fullness that made it easy to call their versions of songs the definitive ones; combined with the band’s playfulness and each member’s down-to-earth charm made for an irresistible package.
It was the Gypsies & Lovers album in 1995 that marked the turning point for the band. After winning the 1996 East Coast Music Award for “East Coast Music Entertainers Of The Year”, the band was presented with a Gold Album for Look To The Sea. A few weeks later, The Irish Descendants were presented with the Juno Award for “Best Roots/Traditional Album” for Gypsies & Lovers. By years end, the group received their second Gold Album for Gypsies & Lovers and were touring in support of their fourth album Livin’ On The Edge. The Irish Descendants first ever “best of” collection, So Far So Good, was released in 1999 and the band continued to tour and play to sold out crowds.
2001 brought The Irish Descendants to a new level in their career. Founding member and lead vocalist Con O’Brien assembled a cast of old and new faces and returned to the studio with producer Derek Harrington to record Blooming Bright Star released on Sextant Records. Never have Con’s vocals sounded stronger or the band played with such feeling. Blooming Bright Star is a wonderful mix of time-honoured traditional songs and contemporary compositions by the likes of Luka Bloome and Gerry Rafferty.
After touring most of 2001 for Blooming Bright Star, The Irish Descendants took some time off to come home and record a heartfelt Christmas album titled The Gift. The album contains traditional family carols such as ‘God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,’ ‘O Holy Night’ and ‘The Instrumental Medley (Joy To The World/Ding Dong Merrily On High),’ all played and sung with the warmth and virtuosity you have come to expect from the band. The Gift also includes a personal song written by Con, called ‘Heading Home For Christmas’.
The Irish Descendants have performed religiously through out Canada and the US including the East Coast Music Awards, The Boston St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations, and as a guest of the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra. It was immediately apparent there was a rare power at work. The group traveled to Ireland in 1994, where the Irish Press dubbed them “the lost Celtic tribe of Newfoundland” coming from “the land the Irish forgot.” In 1998, they traveled across the sea again to perform in England at the International Festival of The Sea – but not before appearing in the Mirvish production of Needfire.
The Irish Descendants have also performed at such prestigious theatres as The Smithsonian in Washington and major Celtic festivals including Cleveland, Chicago and Boston. They were chosen as the official band for Newfoundland’s 500th anniversary and proudly performed for both the Queen of England and the President of Italy.
2004 marked a new chapter in the band’s career. They signed to the New York based Kells label opening up the lucrative US market for the band. In January, Kells released a new compilation album “We are The Irish Descendants” to be followed, in early March, with “Across the Water”, a brand new fifteen song CD that immediately cruised to the top of the North American Irish Music Charts.
The band continues touring and attracting old and new fans and they will begin recording their eleventh CD album, We laughed, this Fall. Sixteen years and still going strong!
|
