Art Forms:
Music and Traditional Arts
Areas of Interest:
Hosting traditional family-friendly concerts, adult & youth workshops and projects, Sean nós singing and dance and open air events.
Creator or performer of your groups own work,developing group skills in essential roles like marketing or event management. The NYAH aims to immerse people of every age, from schoolchildren upwards (through the school programme and master-classes) in partnership with NYAH Comhaltas.
NYAH Band play Dark Loanin, Trevor's Rooster, Si Beag Si Mor on BBC TV
Bio:
NYAH is one of those wonderful expressions (pronounced neeyah) used to describe music from the heart that is neither forced nor phony .The word NYAH refers to the very expression of the tradition; to the soul and feeling that makes it so unique, it’s about the lift the music can give to the hardest heart.
NYAH cross-border, cross-community group . A Sharing of Tradition Performance.
The bringing together of Irish, Ulster-Scots, and Scots-Gaelic traditions.
Willie Drennan and his band will perform their spirited brand of Ulster-Scots trad on fiddles, flutes, accordion, big drums and bagpipes. This can include master musician John Trotter who might even bring out his green ‘Irish’ trombone for a New-Age fusion rendition of the Lambeg Rant Rap. Their performance has been described as “pure unadulterated raw Ulster Scotch”.
From the heart of the County Cavan Martin Donohoe and his merry band of talented musicians will complete the sharing of traditions. Virtuoso accordionist and raconteur Martin will deliver the pure Cavan version of pure Irish trad while blasting you with pure Cavan wit and wisdom. Martin doesn’t really have a band as such but has rather, a whole movement of excellent Cavan musicians behind him known as NYAH.
Exploring music that bridges the Roman Catholic and Protestant cultures with Ulster Scots Musicians and Master Irish Traditionalists sharing traditions in music and song, and featuring the best of the best as well on stage, it also remains a celebration of all things Cavan, celebrating the music, song, dance and culture of a county that has its very own musical style within the Ulster tradition.
Willie and Martin first shared a stage at a cross-border event in the Kilmore Hotel, Cavan in February 2010. Since then they have regularly performed together at events north and south of the border. Their shared stage performances have included the All Ireland Fleadh, Ballymena Arts Festival, Ranfurly Arts Centre, Castle Saunderson, St Patrick’s Day Festivals, Mullaghaboy Orange Hall, Dalriada Festival, Taste of Cavan, and on board a River Bann cruise boat.
Their collaboration performance includes commemoration of the effects of World War One on both sides of the border. Willie and his Ulster Scots band have also collaborated with NYAH on their latest album entitled NYAH Culture Sharing: The Cavan Way Vol 1. A native of Cavan Town, Martin is a gifted traditional musician in his own right but spends a lot of his time promoting and producing other people’s work, having a particular passion for all things Cavan-related – its music, its culture, its people. There is nothing more satisfying and fulfilling for students than to be able to express themselves openly in their playing and learning styles, the ability to be creative, to create something from with in and out side the tradition. Martin’s workshops can significantly enhance the development of this creativity and students get lots of time to experience and explore expressive performance. Playing helps develop each student unique perspective and develop and understand individual style of creative expression.
The NYAH Arts Festival March Programme is subsidised by the Arts Council Ireland, Cavan County Council Arts Office, Comhaltas, Farnham Arms Hotel and Shannonside Northern Sound Radio.
Listen for NYAH events & gigging updates on the ‘The Wind That Blows’ every Saturday, 6pm–8pm on Shannonside Northern Sound radio
www.northernsound.ie
Willie Drennan, accompanied by Kavan & Savannah Donohoe, gives a short performance, demonstrating the incredible power of the Lambeg Drum. Willie was invited to perform this piece at the launch of Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Cavan on June 21st 2012 at the Imperial Hotel in Cavan. The show was streamed on www.fleadhcheoil.ie and www.LiveTrad.com
Contact information and further details:
NYAH Profile on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/NYAH/352027671476757?fref=ts
NYAH Email: cavanmusiclive@gmail.com
Tel: +353 (0) 86 2342270 | Martin Donohoe