Ceol Agus An Electric Guitar – Five Bands Who Have Modernised Trad Music

We are in bang in the middle of Seachtain na Gaeilge which runs from the 4^th to the 17^th of March and what better way to celebrate Irishness than with a bit of ceol. These five acts took the fundamentals of Irish trad music and began to approach it in a different way; they loved a bit of the fiddle but they’re also quite fond of that electric guitar.

1. The Corrs

The Corrs were the first Irish band who gained international success from revolutionising Irish traditional music by introducing modern elements, like the electric guitar. Well, that said, Jim Corr is responsible for the electric guitar, right?

2. Celtic Woman

An all-Irish, all-female ensemble, Celtic Woman was conceived and assembled by Sharon Browne. The group’s line-up has changed over the years, but they have released seven hugely successful albums, while drawing heavily on the influence of Riverdance, Enya and Clannad.

3. Mary Black

Mary Black’s name is basically synonymous with Irish ballads, but the singer began to move away from her folk beginnings in the 1990’s and experiment more with rock and pop. Black is without a shadow of a doubt one of Ireland’s leading vocalists.

4. Sharon Shannon

Best known for her lifelong relationship with her accordion, Shannon has worked with some of Ireland’s most influential musicians including Sinead O’Connor, Belinda Carlisle and perhaps most famously, this collaboration with Mundy over the last 10 years. Who doesn’t know Galway Girl? Anyone? No.

5. The Coronas

Fronted by the son of Mary Black, The Coronas are an Irish band that have a distinctly Irish sound, despite the obvious rock elements. The band are the latest in a long line that have cited U2 as their influence, but there is no denying Mammy’s influence with this track.