Tom Dunphy talks to Chris Byrne of Unity Squad. Chris Byrne is an unrepentant Fenian bastard. That's not a smear by this writer, mind you: the Brooklyn-born uillean piper, who recently departed the Irish agit-rock band Black 47 after a decade in that group, will freely tell you that – and rap you that – himself. That's clear on "Fenians," a track from Seanchai … [Read more...] about Who’s Rappin’ Now?
Music Archives
Music: Rockin’ 15
The musicians who made being Irish "cool." The year was 1985. At roughly about the same time that U2's Bono was stage-diving into the massive crowd gathered for Live Aid, the charity concert organized by former Boomtown Rat Bob Geldof to help eradicate world hunger, the first issue of Irish America was being prepped to roll off the presses. It's been a wild 15 years for … [Read more...] about Music: Rockin’ 15
Celtic Fire
By Tom Dunphy
June / July 1999
Her trademark blue fiddle makes her stand out on stage, but it is when Eileen Ivers starts to draw her bow across those strings that she gets her biggest response. Her latest album draws from all her musical experiences, from Riverdance to a distinct South African influence. A huge cheer of recognition goes up from the large crowd gathered to hear Eileen Ivers and her band … [Read more...] about Celtic Fire
Celtic Cowboys, Poets and Musicians
By Don Meade, all photographs by Sue Rossoff
March / April 1998
At first glance, the Irish Brigade in Elko seemed a bit out of place amid the sea of ten-gallon hats, blue jeans, and high-heeled cowboy boots. Elko, after all, is the home of the Cowboy Poetry Gathering, the premier celebration of the folk traditions of the American West. So this Nevada gold-mining, high desert town is used to playing host to buckaroo bards, rappin' ropers, … [Read more...] about Celtic Cowboys, Poets and Musicians
The Great Victor Herbert
By Jack Callahan
The city of New York erected a statue of Victor Herbert in Central Park. In 1939, Hollywood paid homage to him with the aptly titled biographical film "The Great Victor Herbert. On May 13, 1940, the United States government also honored him by issuing a postage stamp bearing his likeness. Still, the most timeless legacy of this remarkable man remains the catalogue of his … [Read more...] about The Great Victor Herbert