Chieftains to give master class in Irish music

Traditional folk legends the Chieftains are to give lessons in Irish music for four nights in New York next summer.

Paddy Moloney copyright Dean+Barb cc2
Paddy Moloney

The band will team up with Californian Ry Cooder whose long and successful career in folk and blues music began in the 1960s. The event is called the Celtic Sessions and will include master classes, Q&A sessions and performances.

The Cheiftains’ founder, Paddy Moloney will give classes in Irish folk music which will include teaching about the various traditional instruments. There will also be song writing sessions and even traditional Irish dance classes.

The students will get the opportunity to jam with Moloney and Cooder, who was named the eighth best guitarist of all time by Rolling Stone magazine in 2003.

Cooder has won six Grammy Awards and has also received doctorates in music from two universities; the California Institute of the Arts and Queen’s University in Canada.

The Chieftains are one of the world’s most prolific bands. They have released 58 albums so far during their 53 year career. They have worked with the Rolling Stones, Madonna, Van Morrison, Sinead O’Connor and Luciano Pavarotti.

They have also won six Grammy awards and were given a lifetime achievement award by BBC Radio 2 in 2002. They have performed for Pope John Paul II in 1979, Queen Elizabeth II in 2011 and in 1983 they were the first Western group to perform at the Great Wall of China.

Cooder said: “Paddy fits in everywhere he goes, and I do my level best to fit in with him when I get the opportunity, we’re the old-timers now, the ringmaster and the sad clown. We know a thing or two.”

The Celtic Sessions will take place across four days and nights from 7th to 11th July next year at the Gideon Putnam Resort in Saratoga Springs, New York.


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By Michael Kehoe

Michael Kehoe is a writer for Irish Music Daily and Ireland Calling. His favourite Irish Music bands are Flogging Molly and the Dropkick Murphys.