Luka Bloom facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Luka Bloom
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Bloom performing in 2008
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Kevin Barry Moore |
| Born | 23 May 1955 Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland |
| Genres | Folk |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | 1969–present |
| Labels |
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Luka Bloom (born Kevin Barry Moore; 23 May 1955) is an Irish folk singer and songwriter. He is known for his unique guitar style and thoughtful songs. Luka is the younger brother of another famous folk singer, Christy Moore.
Contents
Early Life and Music Beginnings
Kevin Barry Moore was born in Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland, on May 23, 1955. He was the youngest of six children. Kevin went to primary school and then to Newbridge College. While in college, he formed a band called Aes Triplex with his brother Andy and a friend. He later started college in Limerick but left after a couple of years to focus on his music career.
Starting as Barry Moore
In 1969, when he was just 14, Kevin, using the name Barry Moore, began touring with his older brother, Christy. They played in folk clubs across England. Barry spent all his free time practicing guitar and writing songs. In 1976, his brother Christy even recorded one of Barry's songs called "Wave up to the Shore."
In 1977, Barry toured Germany and England with a group called Inchiquin. He released his first album, Treaty Stone, in 1978. The next year, he had to change his guitar playing style because of a hand injury called tendinitis. This made him learn to play with a pick instead of his fingers, which changed his sound.
Barry then moved to Groningen in the Netherlands in 1979. He recorded his second album, In Groningen, there in 1980. In 1982, he released his third album, No Heroes, which featured only his own songs. From 1983 to 1986, Barry was the lead singer for a band in Dublin called Red Square. His son, Robbie, was born in 1984.
Becoming Luka Bloom
In 1987, Barry Moore moved to the United States. This is when he started performing under his new stage name, "Luka Bloom." He chose "Luka" from the title of a song by Suzanne Vega and "Bloom" from a character in a famous book by James Joyce. He first lived and performed in Washington D.C., but later moved to New York City. In 1988, he released his first album as Luka Bloom.
Albums and Musical Style
In 1990, Luka Bloom released his album Riverside. This album included the song "The Man Is Alive" and reflected his experiences living in New York. In 1991, he returned to Dublin to record The Acoustic Motorbike. This album featured a surprising cover version of a rap song, "I Need Love" by LL Cool J. Rolling Stone magazine even wrote about it, saying that trying different music styles keeps traditions fresh.
Luka went back to Ireland in 1993 to record the album Turf. He wanted this album to sound like a live show, so it was recorded in front of a very quiet audience. In 1998, he released Salty Heaven, an album inspired by his return to Ireland.
Luka Bloom's early albums showed off his energetic guitar playing. He also enjoyed covering songs by other artists. Besides "I Need Love", he covered Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling in Love" on The Acoustic Motorbike.
In 2000, Luka released Keeper of the Flame, an album full of cover songs. It included popular tunes like ABBA's "Dancing Queen", Bob Marley's "Natural Mystic", and "Throw Your Arms Around Me" by Hunters and Collectors.
In 2004, Luka released a short acoustic album called Before Sleep Comes. He recorded this album while recovering from tendinitis again. He said the album was meant to help people relax and fall asleep.
His 2005 album, Innocence, showed a new interest in music from Eastern Europe and other parts of the world. On this album, Luka played classical guitar, which has a different sound than the steel-string guitars he usually used.
In 2007, Luka Bloom worked with musician Simon O'Reilly on an album called Tribe. Simon created the music, and Luka added the lyrics and singing.
In February 2008, Luka released a DVD called The Man is Alive. It included videos filmed in Dublin and at his home, a question and answer session with fans, and a documentary. In September 2008, he released the album Eleven Songs, which featured more instruments than his previous works.
Discography
Albums
- Treaty Stone (1978, as Barry Moore)
- In Groningen (1980, as Barry Moore)
- No Heroes (1982, as Barry Moore)
- Riverside (1990)
- The Acoustic Motorbike (1992)
- Turf (1994)
- Salty Heaven (1998)
- Keeper of the Flame (2000)
- Between the Mountain and the Moon (2001)
- Amsterdam (2003, live)
- Before Sleep Comes (2004)
- Innocence (2005)
- Tribe (2007)
- Eleven Songs (2008)
- Dreams in America (2010)
- This New Morning (2012)
- Head & Heart (2014)
- Frugalisto (2016)
- Refuge (2017)
- Breathe (2018)
- Sometimes I Fly - Live in Bremen 2001 (2018)
- Live at De Roma (2020)
- Bittersweet Crimson (2020)
- Out of the Blue (2021, instrumental)
- Wave Up To The Shore (2022)
