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Macdara Ó Faoláin is a bouzouki player, fiddler & vocalist from An Rinn, Co Waterford, renowned for his innovative approach to traditional Irish music. He is currently focused on composing solo bouzouki pieces that seamlessly blend his deep knowledge of harmony with his traditional roots, drawing inspiration from a wide array of genres. As a native Irish speaker, he is also writing new songs in Irish, contributing to both the preservation and evolution of the language through his music.
Macdara performs regularly with collaborators such as Victoria Adiiye and Cormac McCarthy, and frequently accompanies various musicians within the traditional music scene, having developed a distinctive approach to the Irish bouzouki. He is also a member of a trio with Páraic Mac Donnchadha and Pádraic Keane. Their debut album, Beo, a compilation of live recordings from performances across the country, was hailed by the Irish Echo as “one of the best albums of the past few years.”
After years of building an impressive discography as an accompanist, Macdara recently released a solo EP titled Do Shamhlaigh Mé Tír Nua… , which serves as a prelude to his debut album set to be released later this year. Both the EP and the forthcoming album are produced by composer and pianist Cormac McCarthy. Nós praised the EP as “A Beautiful Emotive Journey”. Recently named the Young Musician of the Year by TG4, Macdara is solidifying his place as a significant figure in the world of traditional Irish music.
Victoria Adiiye was raised in Uganda in East Africa. She started playing traditional Ugandan music and classical guitar before hearing recordings of Irish music. As a child, she frequently played in the National Concert Hall in Kampala with her sisters and with the Kampala Symphony Orchestra. She later moved to Minnesota to attend University, where she met guitarist Dáithí Sproule, as well as a host of great local musicians such as Norah Rendell & Brian Miller, who she was lucky enough to take lessons with. Her friendship with Dáithí continued to grow and they have since performed together as a guitar and singing duet. Under the tutelage of Brian Miller, she quickly learned to play the banjo at the age of 17.
She now lives in Ireland where she performs most frequently with her partner, Macdara Ó Faoláin. Victoria has performed at festivals in Ireland, Minnesota, Europe & Canada with Daithí Sproule, Macdara Ó Faoláin, Ciarán Ó Gealbháin & Shane Meehan to name but a few. Her musical and cultural background has led to her unique style as a singer, solo guitarist and banjo player
