Bua

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A quartet comprised of some of America's most talented young musicians, Bua (pronounced: boo-ah, and which translates from the Irish as "victory" and is used among Irish speakers to wish someone good luck: "Beir bua!" = Be victorious!) plays Irish traditional music with "a precision and intensity that is rarely heard on this side of the Atlantic." Their sound stands out among modern bands in the genre by "keeping the music down the path of tradition" and reminding listeners of such fondly-remembered greats as The Bothy Band and Planxty.

Bua has performed at many of the top Irish festivals in North America including Boston's prestigious Irish Connections Festival, the Milwaukee Irish Festival, the Dublin Irish Festival, Celtic Fest Chicago, the Goderich Celtic Roots Festival and Bethlehem's Celtic Classic. As individuals they have shared the stage with a host of top Irish musicians including Martin Hayes, David Munnelly, Liz Carroll, Len Graham, Paddy Keenan, Aoife Clancy, Larry Nugent, Pat Broaders, Dennis Cahill, John Williams and Frankie Gavin.

Bill Margeson of the Irish American News writes: "Clearly, this group is no locally-based collection of musicians trying to break out of Chicago. This is a group that has established itself [both] individually and as a group in the eyes and ears of the traditional community… As other bands change, disband or simply fade away, the tradition is blessed by what seems to be an inexhaustible pool of talent that comes to the front of the stage. It is Bua's time. Here they come."

Bua isBrían Ó hAirt (vocals, sean-nós dance, concertina), Brian Miller (guitar, bouzouki, backing vocals), Sean Gavin (flute, uilleann pipes, whistle), and Devin Shepherd (fiddle).

An Spealadóir 'The tune sets that predominate on An Spealadóir are a bright and lively collection of jigs and reels that feature an interwoven combination of fiddle, flute, pipes, and concertina as lead instruments, all crisply backed by Miller's steady guitar and Moran's percussion. The songs, mostly in Gaelic, are all traditional. The disc's mellow title song, which translates as "The Harvest," is a touching story of an ailing farmer who gets help from his neighbors, featuring the harmonies of Deirdre Scanlon, while a rapid-fire medley of Scottish mouth music will leave you wondering just how many syllables per second Ó hAirt can sing. There are a few quieter moments on this disc, but on the whole, Bua evokes the good times that Irish traditional music so often celebrates.' — Tom Nelligan, Dirty Linen CD Price: $14.97

Live at Martyrs' Recorded at Martyrs' Restaurant and Pub (on the north side of Chicago). "Highlights the band's strengths, with nary a weakness to be seen, and is as well-develpoed as any studio production could showcase. It is a work without gimmicks, where the musicianship is of the highest quality." - Brian G. Witt, Irish Music CD Price: $14.97

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