Aoife Ní Fhearraigh
Encyclopedia
Aoife is an Irish
singer and composer, born in Gweedore
(Gaoth Dobhair), northwest County Donegal
. She performs Traditional Irish and New Age music
, in the style of other musicians native to the Donegal area like Clannad, Moya Brennan
, Enya
and Altan. Aoife has performed with such musicians as Phil Coulter
, Paul Brady
, and Brian Kennedy
.
and Enya
. After releasing her début album, 'Loinneog Cheoil' in 1991, recorded with Irish band Dervish
, Ní Fhearraigh received an offer to perform an extensive tour of the Netherlands
and since then has toured Japan
, Germany
, France
, England
and Ireland
. She also achieved international fame when her song "The Best Is Yet to Come" and "An cuimhin leat an Grá" (Do you remember the love) were featured in the PlayStation
game Metal Gear Solid
, and again in the PlayStation 3
title Metal Gear Solid 4, using an ingame iPod.
In 1996, she released her second album, Aoife
, produced by Moya Brennan
and Dennis Woods. The album featured local musicians and prominent Irish composers and also featured Belfast's Seoirse Ó Dochartaigh and Donegal's Brídín Brennan
on vocals. Seven years later, Aoife recorded her third album, The Turning of the Tide on the high-profile Celtic Collections label, home to Celtic Woman
, in much of Europe.
Her latest album, If I Told You
, was released in 2006 in Banbridge, County Down with her husband and long-time collaborators. The album's success was average, although she has stated on her website that "she hopes to go full-time in music with her next album".
Aoife married in 2007 and now resides in Banbridge
, County Down
.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
singer and composer, born in Gweedore
Gweedore
Gweedore is an Irish-speaking district located on the Atlantic coast of County Donegal, part of the Province of Ulster in Ireland. Gweedore stretches some 16 miles from Meenaclady in the north to Crolly in the south and around 9 miles from Dunlewey in the east to Magheraclogher in the west, and...
(Gaoth Dobhair), northwest County Donegal
County Donegal
County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...
. She performs Traditional Irish and New Age music
New Age music
New Age music is music of various styles intended to create artistic inspiration, relaxation, and optimism. It is used by listeners for yoga, massage, meditation, and reading as a method of stress management or to create a peaceful atmosphere in their home or other environments, and is often...
, in the style of other musicians native to the Donegal area like Clannad, Moya Brennan
Moya Brennan
Moya Brennan, born Máire Ní Bhraonáin , also known as Máire Brennan , is an Irish folk singer, songwriter, harpist, and philanthropist who began performing professionally in 1970, when her family formed the band Clannad, and is now widely considered as the "First Lady of Celtic Music"...
, Enya
Enya
Enya is an Irish singer, instrumentalist and songwriter. Enya is an approximate transliteration of how Eithne is pronounced in the Donegal dialect of the Irish language, her native tongue.She began her musical career in 1980, when she briefly joined her family band Clannad before leaving to...
and Altan. Aoife has performed with such musicians as Phil Coulter
Phil Coulter
Phil Coulter is an artist with an international reputation as a successful songwriter, pianist, music producer, arranger and director. His success has spanned four decades and he is one of the biggest record sellers in Ireland...
, Paul Brady
Paul Brady
Paul Joseph Brady is an Irish singer-songwriter, whose work straddles folk and pop. He was interested in a wide variety of music from an early age...
, and Brian Kennedy
Brian Kennedy (singer)
Brian Edward Patrick Kennedy is an Irish singer-songwriter and author, known for his ballads, and has represented Ireland at Eurovision 2006. He is the younger brother of musician Bap Kennedy.-Personal life:...
.
Career
Aoife has released four albums. She began singing as a young girl with Cór Mhuire na Doirí Beaga, led by Baba Brennan, the mother of singer Moya BrennanMoya Brennan
Moya Brennan, born Máire Ní Bhraonáin , also known as Máire Brennan , is an Irish folk singer, songwriter, harpist, and philanthropist who began performing professionally in 1970, when her family formed the band Clannad, and is now widely considered as the "First Lady of Celtic Music"...
and Enya
Enya
Enya is an Irish singer, instrumentalist and songwriter. Enya is an approximate transliteration of how Eithne is pronounced in the Donegal dialect of the Irish language, her native tongue.She began her musical career in 1980, when she briefly joined her family band Clannad before leaving to...
. After releasing her début album, 'Loinneog Cheoil' in 1991, recorded with Irish band Dervish
Dervish
A Dervish or Darvesh is someone treading a Sufi Muslim ascetic path or "Tariqah", known for their extreme poverty and austerity, similar to mendicant friars in Christianity or Hindu/Buddhist/Jain sadhus.-Etymology:The Persian word darvīsh is of ancient origin and descends from a Proto-Iranian...
, Ní Fhearraigh received an offer to perform an extensive tour of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and since then has toured Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. She also achieved international fame when her song "The Best Is Yet to Come" and "An cuimhin leat an Grá" (Do you remember the love) were featured in the PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
game Metal Gear Solid
Metal Gear Solid
is a videogame by Hideo Kojima. The game was developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan and first published by Konami in 1998 for the PlayStation video game console. It is the sequel to Kojimas early MSX2 computer games Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake...
, and again in the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
title Metal Gear Solid 4, using an ingame iPod.
In 1996, she released her second album, Aoife
Aoife (album)
Aoife is the second album released by Irish singer Aoife Ní Fhearraigh. It consists of a wide selection of Traditional Irish songs, and its lyrics are entirely sung in Irish...
, produced by Moya Brennan
Moya Brennan
Moya Brennan, born Máire Ní Bhraonáin , also known as Máire Brennan , is an Irish folk singer, songwriter, harpist, and philanthropist who began performing professionally in 1970, when her family formed the band Clannad, and is now widely considered as the "First Lady of Celtic Music"...
and Dennis Woods. The album featured local musicians and prominent Irish composers and also featured Belfast's Seoirse Ó Dochartaigh and Donegal's Brídín Brennan
Brídín Brennan
Brídín Ní Bhraonáin , professionally known as Brídín Brennan, is an Irish pop singer from Dobhar , Gaoth Dobhair, County Donegal. She is the sister of Moya Brennan and Enya and has also toured with family-band Clannad.-Upbringing:...
on vocals. Seven years later, Aoife recorded her third album, The Turning of the Tide on the high-profile Celtic Collections label, home to Celtic Woman
Celtic Woman
Celtic Woman is an all-female musical ensemble conceived and assembled by Sharon Browne and David Downes, a former musical director of the Irish stage show Riverdance...
, in much of Europe.
Her latest album, If I Told You
If I Told You
If I Told You is the fourth album released by Irish singer Aoife. It consists of Traditional Irish and contemporary songs, and its lyrics are sung in Irish and English.-Track listing:# Love And Freedom# Where Are You Tonight# Lullaby# Crann Úll...
, was released in 2006 in Banbridge, County Down with her husband and long-time collaborators. The album's success was average, although she has stated on her website that "she hopes to go full-time in music with her next album".
Aoife married in 2007 and now resides in Banbridge
Banbridge
Banbridge is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies on the River Bann and the A1 road. It was named after a bridge built over the Bann in 1712. The town grew as a coaching stop on the road from Belfast to Dublin and thrived from Irish linen manufacturing...
, County Down
County Down
-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...
.
Discography
1991-1996, Aoife was credited as Aoife Ní Fhearraigh. She now released albums under her Christian name, Aoife.- Loinneog CheoilLoinneog CheoilLoinneog Cheoil is the début album by Irish singer Aoife Ní Fhearraigh. The albums features mainly traditional material from Donegal and Na Rosann.-Track listing:# Ar A Ghabhail 'n A Chuain Domh# Neansaí Mhíle Grá# Fuígfidh Mise An Baile Seo...
(1991, with DervishDervish (band)Dervish are a traditional Irish music group from County Sligo, Ireland. They were formed in 1989 by Liam Kelly, Shane Mitchell, Martin McGinley, Brian McDonagh and Michael Holmes. The band was originally formed to record an album of local music which was later released as “The Boys of Sligo”. They...
) - AoifeAoife (album)Aoife is the second album released by Irish singer Aoife Ní Fhearraigh. It consists of a wide selection of Traditional Irish songs, and its lyrics are entirely sung in Irish...
(1996) - The Turning Of The TideThe Turning Of The TideThe Turning Of The Tide is an album by Irish singer Aoife.-Track listing:# Caledonia# Both Sides Now# After the Goldrush# Danny Boy# Maggie# Turn Turn Turn# Bonny Portmore# Ready For the Storm# Neidín# If You Love Me# Never Be the Sun...
(2003) - Loinneog CheoilLoinneog CheoilLoinneog Cheoil is the début album by Irish singer Aoife Ní Fhearraigh. The albums features mainly traditional material from Donegal and Na Rosann.-Track listing:# Ar A Ghabhail 'n A Chuain Domh# Neansaí Mhíle Grá# Fuígfidh Mise An Baile Seo...
(2005, re-recorded) - If I Told YouIf I Told YouIf I Told You is the fourth album released by Irish singer Aoife. It consists of Traditional Irish and contemporary songs, and its lyrics are sung in Irish and English.-Track listing:# Love And Freedom# Where Are You Tonight# Lullaby# Crann Úll...
(2006)