The Chieftains

The Chieftains

The Chieftains are a Grammy-winning Irish musical group founded in 1963, known for performing and popularizing Irish traditional music.

The name Chieftain derives from the English language translation of the Irish Gaelic word Taoiseach, meaning a clan chief or leader. Some historians suggest that in ancient Ireland (whence these terms originate), a taoiseach was a minor king.

The band has recorded many albums of instrumental Irish folk music, as well as multiple collaborations with popular musicians of many genres, including Country music, Galician traditional music, Cape Breton and Newfoundland music, and rock and roll. They have performed with Van Morrison, Moya Brennan, Mick Jagger, Elvis Costello, Roger Daltrey, Nanci Griffith, Tom Jones, Sinéad O'Connor, James Galway, The Corrs, Art Garfunkel, Sting, Rosanne Cash, Jim White, Tom Partington, Ziggy Marley, Lyle Lovett, and numerous Country-western artists. In 1975, the group won praise for their playing of Women of Ireland for Stanley Kubrick's movie Barry Lyndon. In 1994 they appeared in Roger Daltrey's production, album and video of A Celebration: The Music of Pete Townshend and The Who.

The group have won six Grammy Awards and have been nominated eighteen times. They have also won an Oscar, an Emmy and a Genie. In 2002 they were given a Lifetime Achievement Award by the UK's BBC Radio 2. Two of their singles have been minor hits. Have I told You Lately that I Love You (credited to The Chieftains with Van Morrison) reach number 71 in 1995. I Know My Love (credited to The Chieftains featuring The Corrs) reached number 37 in 2002.

The front covers of the first four albums were designed by Edward Delaney.

Band members

Paddy Moloney is the band's leader, and composes or arranges most of the band's music. While the band's members changed numerous times in the band's early history, the membership solidified in 1979 when Matt Molloy replaced Michael Tubridy. From then until 2002, members included:

• Paddy Moloney (uilleann pipes, tin whistle, button accordion, bodhrán)
• Matt Molloy (flute, tin whistle)
• Kevin Conneff (bodhrán, vocals)
• Seán Keane (fiddle, tin whistle)
• Martin Fay (fiddle, bones)
• Derek Bell (Irish harp, keyboard instruments, oboe)

In 2002, Fay retired from active membership and Bell died.

Discography

All albums are available worldwide from www.claddaghrecords.com [1]

• The Chieftains 1 (1963)
• The Chieftains 2 (1969)
• The Chieftains 3 (1971)
• The Chieftains 4 (1973)
• The Chieftains 5 (1975)
• The Chieftains 6: Bonaparte's Retreat (1976)
• The Chieftains 7 (1977)
• The Chieftains Live! (1977)
• The Chieftains 8 (1978)
• The Chieftains 9: Boil the Breakfast Early (1979)
• The Chieftains 10: Cotton-Eyed Joe (1981)
• The Year of the French (1982)
• Concert Orchestra (1982)
• The Chieftains in China (1985)
• Ballad of the Irish Horse (1986)
• Celtic Wedding (1987)
• In Ireland (1987)
• Irish Heartbeat - With Van Morrison (1998)
• The Tailor Of Gloucester (1988)
• A Chieftains Celebration (1989)
• Over the Sea To Skye: The Celtic Connection - With James Galway (1990)
• Bells of Dublin (1991)
• Another Country (1992)
• An Irish Evening (1992)
• The Celtic Harp: A Tribute To Edward Bunting (1993)
• The Long Black Veil (1995)
• Film Cuts (1996)
• Santiago (1996)
• Long Journey Home (1998)
• Fire in the Kitchen (1998)
• Tears of Stone (1999)
• Water From the Well (2000)
• The Wide World Over (2002)
• Down the Old Plank Road: The Nashville Sessions (2002)
• Further Down the Old Plank Road (2003)
• The Long Black Veil (2004 Mobile Fidelity Gold CD reissue)
• Live From Dublin: A Tribute To Derek Bell (2005)
• The Essential Chieftains (2006)

Former members

Other former members include:

• David Fallon (bodhrán)
• Ronnie McShane (percussion)
• Peadar Mercier (bodhrán, bones)
• Seán Potts (tin whistle, bones, bodhrán)
• Michael Tubridy (flute, concertina, and tin whistle)

External links

• Official Website
• Band History
• National Geographic World Music website - The Chieftains