Dervish

Booking Fee: Contact us below  Artist Location: United States  Wikipedia

Dervish's Bio: From the Great Wall of China to packed auditoriums in the Holy Land and more recently being the first Irish band to perform at the greatest music festival in the world, "Rock in Rio" on front of an estimate audience of two hundred and forty thousand people, Dervish have come a long way in seventeen years. Formed in 1989 by a group of five musicians, Liam Kelly, Shane Mitchell, Martin Mc Ginley, Brian Mc Donagh and Michael Holmes who came together to record an album of local music which was released as The Boys of Sligo.Inspired by the project they decided to develop this informal gathering (which gathered weekly to play sessions in local pubs) into a working band under the name Dervish which was chosen as it related to any group of spiritual people who become enraptured by music.

Over the following two years Dervish honed their craft as a formative band. In 1991, Roscommon born singer Cathy Jordan and all Ireland champion fiddle player Shane Mc Aleer joined the band giving them the right balance to produce the first Dervish album Harmony Hill which was released in 1992. It wasn¹t long before the impact of that album became apparent, winning widespread critical acclaim and the album was described by many as “a landmark Irish traditional album". The impact of the recording was immediate. Its artistry, musicianship and maturity won outstanding praise from the media placing Dervish to the forefront of the bands working on traditional Irish music. Substantial TV and radio exposure for the band and the album began to open all kind of doors. Dervish soon became one of the most sought after acts on the live music circuit worldwide and have continued to remain so over the years.

This demand led to the band touring continuously throughout 1993 and performing at all the major folk festivals. The enormous work load and the constant touring made it difficult for the band to work in the studio, but the following year their keenly awaited second album was released. “Playing with Fire” was released in 1994, and so again, began the band¹s worldwide travels to satisfy the demand created by both albums. The high expectations for the recording were not only met, but also surpassed. Reviewers and critics alike lauded praise for “Playing with Fire” confirming Dervish status as the pre-eminent Irish traditional band. The album reached number 1 in the Irish Folk Music Charts and World/Roots music charts internationally and stayed on top for several months.

With their reputation firmly established, Dervish now set their sights on the American market, signing a deal with the New York-based Company Kells Music. The release of their two albums in the USA saw the demand for the band take off in dramatic terms. Performances at highly regarded festivals such as Wolf Trap and the Milwaukee Irish festival projected Dervish into a new sphere of operation on a worldwide scale. Appearances at festivals such as City Stages in Birmingham Alabama seen Dervish bring Irish music far beyond the Irish/American music circuit in the US Recognition for the band¹s achievements followed with nominations and awards in a variety of traditional/Folk music polls including two in the IRMAs in Ireland.

In 1996 Dervish released “At the End of the Day", which firmly established the band as a major force in world music, winning them the Hot Press Folk Album of the Year Award. In the same year the band performed a series of shows in Hong Kong and Malaysia which opened the door to the Far Eastern market. Since then Dervish have been a ground breaking force within Irish music bringing the Roots of Irish music to almost all continents.

2010 marked Dervish's 21st year anniversary, and to celebrate the occasion they brought out the album "From Stage to Stage" featuring live concert footage from both sides of the atlantic with special guests, Ron Sexsmith, Duke Special, Vasen, Martin Hayes, Denis Cahill and Mike Marshall. The anniversary was also marked by four very special concerts to bring together musicians from different countries who had inspired and influenced Dervish. The first at the largest Celtic music festival in the world - Celtic Connections in Glasgow - featured Kate Rusby, Mick Mc Goldrick, Vasen, Kevin Burke, Moya Brennan and Brian Cunningham. The second to a packed 3,500 seat dome at Shrewsbury folk festival included Steve Knightly, Andy Irvine, Moya Brennan and Karen Matheson. The third, a sell out of The National Concert Hall Dublin saw memorable collaborations with the likes of Damien Dempsey, Martin Hayes and Denis Cahill and Triona Ni Dhomhnaill. The final of these celebratory concerts was at Christmas 2010 in Sligo to a massive hometown audience with special guests, Eddi Reader, Tom Baxter, Moya Brennan and Triona Ni Dhomhnaill, plus over 30 other guest singers dancers and musicians. … Read more