Returning to the KVMR Celtic Festival for an encore performce we are please to welcome back Dervish - music from the West of Ireland with passionate vocals and dazzling instrumentals.
The Sligo Borough Council’s decision to award Dervish the Freedom of the Borough of Sligo cemented the group’s position as preeminent band in Ireland’s wild west. It raised them into the exalted company of poet W.B. Yeats, who was the first person to be awarded the freedom of Sligo.
Built upon two sturdy pillars -- the hauntingly charismatic vocals of Cathy Jordan and the dazzling virtuosity of award-winning instrumentalists like Tom Morrow on fiddle, Liam Kelly on flute, and Shane Mitchell on accordion, Dervish is a solid structure of a band, its foundation in legendary pub sessions, its shape the result of years of international touring. In the most recent of many honors, Dervish was recently chosen to represent Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest. In 2005, just after the group toured China in the company of the Prime Minister, Ireland’s premier music magazine Hot Press voted the band Best Traditional / Folk Group.
The solid rhythm playing of Brian McDonagh and Michael Holmes drives the band, whose concert performances are a myriad of tones and moods ranging from high energy tunes, played with fluidity and intuitiveness, to beautifully measured songs, from charming lyrics of life and love, to inspiring melodies that lift audiences from their seats. All the elements are drawn together by Cathy Jordan’s masterful stage presence. Her stories to the songs and her interaction with the audience draws people into the music in a way very few performers can achieve.
Band Members
 Brian McDonagh, Mandola
Brian has extensive experience touring and playing on the international circuit. He is also an established painter in Ireland and has had many exhibitions at home and on the continent.
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 Liam Kelly, Flute & Whistles
Liam Kelly is a native of Sligo and a founding member of the band. His role in the band is a central one, as Dervish's core sound revolves around the tight and intuitive interplay between Flute, Accordion and Fiddle.
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 Tom Morrow, Fiddle
Tom is the newest member of Dervish and the youngest. He has won numerous awards including the All Ireland senior fiddle championship. He has toured extensively in Europe, North America and Asia.
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 Shane Mitchell, Accordion
Shane Mitchell is a native of Sligo and a founder member of the band. The Accordion is one of Dervish's core instruments, interacting in a tight and intuitive way with Flute and Fiddle. Shane plays a Briggs Accordion from Doug Briggs in England.
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 Cathy Jordan, Vocals, Bodhrán & Bones
Cathy’s love for traditional singing was instilled at an early age.Her performances with Dervish have thrilled audiences and sparked off attention across the board. It is no exaggeration to say that Cathy is regarded as one of the finest traditional singers in Ireland today.
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 Michael Holmes, Bouzouki
Along with the other founders, Michael’s music was first recorded in 1989. The recording enjoyed great success despite the fact that there was no band to tour in support of it. The requests for the group from festivals inspired the members to consider seriously forming together as a working traditional band.
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Website: www.dervish.ie
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