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 Since
forming in 1990, The Irish Descendants have had a wide impact
on audiences and music lovers all around the world. The bands
exquisitely produced, award-winning recordings, ranging dynamically
from the most sensitive and touching ballads to high-energy
toe tapping reels, along with their heartwarming and humorous
live performances, has led the group to achieve a large and
loyal fan base. The Irish Descendants were formed when members
of two local Newfoundland bands, The Descendants and Irish
Coffee decided to merge their talents after realizing that
there was a bigger future in music than fishing. The Irish
Descendants began playing clubs and pubs across Newfoundland
honing their craft and impressing audiences with their live
shows. In 1991, the band collaborated with local songwriter
Gary O’Driscoll to record their debut album, Misty Morning
Shore, in O’Driscoll’s basement studio.
The record presented an opportunity for the band to be heard
on the radio and to reach a much wider audience. In February
1992, they showcased at the East Coast Music Awards in Halifax
and in March of the same year they played their first show
in Boston at the St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations. On July
1st, they performed on national television for the first time
at “Canada’s Greatest Party” and in October,
they performed as special guests of the Newfoundland Symphony
Orchestra. It was immediately apparent there was a rare power
at work. 1993’s major label debut on Warner Music, Look
to the Sea, was recorded in Toronto with Irish expatriate
Derek Harrington. Delivering a force and fullness that made
it easy to call their versions of songs the definitive ones
combined with the band’s playfulness and each member’s
down-to-earth charm made for an irresistible package. Quickly
it became clear to them, and others, that they could go places,
literally.
In April 1994, the group traveled to Ireland where the Irish
Press dubbed them “the lost Celtic tribe of Newfoundland”
coming from “the land the Irish forgot.” It was
the Gypsies & Lovers album in 1995 that marked the turning
point for the band. After winning the 1996 East Coast Music
Award for “East Coast Music Entertainers Of The Year”,
the band was presented with a Gold Album for Look to The Sea.
A few weeks later, The Irish Descendants ere presented with
the Juno Award for “Best Roots/Traditional Album”
for Gypsies & Lovers. By years end, the group received
their second Gold Album for Gypsies & Lovers and were
touring in support of their fourth album, Livin’ On The
Edge. In 1997, The Irish Descendants were chosen as the official
band for Newfoundland’s 500th Anniversary Celebrations.
A proud moment for the band was performing for the Queen of
England and the President of Italy. By the winter, the group
was back in the studio to begin recording their fifth album,
Rollin’ Home. The Irish Descendants were one of the featured
performers in the theatrical production of Needfire, launched
by the Mirvish Organization at the Princess of Wales Theatre
in Toronto in the summer of 1998. Later that year, the group
traveled to England to perform at the International Festival
of the Sea. In 1999, The Irish Descendants first ever “best
of” collection, So Far So Good, was released and the
band continued to tour and play to sold out crowds. 2000 saw
the band continue to make inroads into the US, working their
magic at such prestigious theatres as The Smithsonian in Washington
and major Celtic festivals including Cleveland, Chicago and
Boston.
2004 brings The Irish Descendants to a new level in their
career. Founding member and lead vocalist Con O’Brien
assembled a cast of old and new faces and returned to the
studio with Derek Harrington to record Blooming Bright Star.
Never have Con’s vocals sounded stronger or the band
played with such feeling. Blooming Bright Star is a wonderful
mix of time-honoured traditional songs and contemporary compositions
by the likes of Luka Bloome and Gerry Rafferty.
Watch a 3:19 mpeg
video
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