Iarla Ó Lionáird facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Iarla Ó Lionáird
Iarla Ó Lionáird in Woodstock Gardens, Inistioge, County Kilkenny in August 2011
Background information
Origin	Baile Mhúirne, County Cork, Ireland
Genres	Sean-nós Experimental
Occupation(s)	Singer Songwriter
Instruments	Voice
Labels	Real World Records
Associated acts	Afro Celt Sound System Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin The Gloaming

Iarla Ó Lionáird, born in 1966, is a famous Irish singer and music producer. He is known for his unique singing style called sean-nós, which is a very old and traditional way of singing in Ireland.

Iarla was part of a group called Afro Celt Sound System and is currently a member of an Irish-American supergroup called The Gloaming. He has released several solo albums with Real World Records. You might have seen him in the 2015 movie Brooklyn, where he sang an a cappella (singing without instruments) version of an Irish song.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Iarla Ó Lionáird grew up in Baile Mhúirne, a place in County Cork, Ireland, where most people speak the Irish language. His father was a teacher, and his mother and grandmother were also traditional sean-nós singers. A famous singer named Elizabeth Cronin, whose songs were recorded by Alan Lomax, was Iarla's great-aunt. Iarla was one of twelve children in his family.

He started singing publicly when he was only five years old. By the age of seven, his voice was heard on the radio for the first time. When he was twelve, he recorded a traditional song called "Aisling Gheal" for Gael Linn Records. As a child, he joined a male choir called Cór Chúil Aodha, which was led by Seán Ó Riada and later by his son Peadar. Iarla sang with this choir until his early twenties.

Before becoming a full-time singer, Iarla studied to be a teacher and worked as a primary school teacher for seven years.

Musical Journey and Collaborations

Iarla Ó Lionáird has worked with many talented musicians. In 1993, he collaborated with Tony MacMahon and Noel Hill on a live album called Aislingí Ceoil – Music of Dreams. On this album, Iarla sang three sean-nós songs with piano music.

He wanted to mix his traditional singing style with new kinds of music. He was especially interested in ambient music, which is a calm and atmospheric style. He felt that sean-nós singing could fit well into this sound. A big moment for him was hearing Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan sing on Peter Gabriel's album Passion. This made Iarla realize that sean-nós could also be part of a modern sound.

Iarla wrote to Peter Gabriel, hoping to record with Gabriel's Real World Records label. Gabriel invited him to a special "recording week" at his studio. This led to Iarla joining the Afro Celt Sound System in 1995. He appeared on many of their albums and also sang on Peter Gabriel's album OVO.

Solo Albums and Other Projects

Iarla has released several solo albums on the Real World Records label. His first, The Seven Steps to Mercy (1997), included sounds of nature that Iarla had recorded himself. It also featured a recording of him singing "Aisling Gheal" when he was fourteen. He then released Invisible Fields in 2005 and Foxlight in 2011. His 2000 album, I Could Read the Sky, was the soundtrack for a film of the same name. He also sang on Áilleacht, an album by Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin in 2005.

Many composers have written music especially for Iarla's voice. Gavin Bryars wrote a song for him that appeared on Invisible Fields. Bryars also created a larger work called Anáil Dé (The Breath of God) for Iarla and the Crash Ensemble. This piece was based on old Irish prayers and poems.

Iarla also worked with composer Donnacha Dennehy on a piece called Grá agus Bás. This work combines traditional sean-nós singing with modern music. It was first performed in Dublin in 2007 and later in New York City and at Carnegie Hall. Nonesuch Records released a CD of this work in 2011.

Iarla Ó Lionáird is also a member of The Gloaming, a supergroup that includes fiddlers Martin Hayes and Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh, guitarist Dennis Cahill, and pianist Doveman. Their first album, released in 2014, won the Meteor Choice Music Prize for Irish album of the year. In 2016, Iarla performed in an opera called The Hunger, which was about the Great Famine.

Other Activities

In 2013, University College Cork made Iarla Ó Lionáird their first Traditional Artist in Residence for the School of Music and Theatre. In this role, he gave talks and taught sean-nós singing to students.

As mentioned, Iarla appeared in the 2015 film Brooklyn. He played a character named Frankie Doran, a workingman who sings the traditional song "Casadh an tSúgáin" (Twisting the Rope) during a Christmas dinner scene. He initially wasn't sure about acting but accepted the role after learning that the author of the book, Colm Tóibín, had specifically asked for him.

In May 2015, Iarla hosted a five-part radio show called Vocal Chords. This show explored different types of singing and featured interviews with singers like Sinéad O'Connor and Christy Moore.

Personal Life

Iarla Ó Lionáird earned a Master of Arts degree in ethnomusicology (the study of music from different cultures) from the University of Limerick in 2003. He lives in Inistioge in County Kilkenny, Ireland, with his wife Eimear and their three children.

Discography

Solo Albums

• The Seven Steps To Mercy, September 1997
• I Could Read the Sky (soundtrack), June 2000
• Invisible Fields, August 2005
• Foxlight, September 2011

Albums With The Afro Celt Sound System

• Volume 1: Sound Magic (1996)
• Volume 2: Release (1999)
• Volume 3: Further in Time (2001)
• Seed (2003)
• Pod (Remix album) (2004)
• Volume 5: Anatomic (2005)
• Capture: 1995–2010 (2010) (compilation)

Other Albums

• Tony MacMahon, Iarla Ó Lionáird & Noel Hill – Aislingi Ceoil / Music Of Dreams (Gael Linn, 1994)
• Donnacha Dennehy – Grá Agus Bás (Nonesuch Records, 2011)
• Cork Gamelan Ensemble – The Three Forges (Diatribe Records, 2015)
• Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin – Áilleacht (2005)