Lasairfhíona ní Chonaola
Encyclopedia
Lasairfhíona also known as Lasairfhíona Ní Chonaola, is an Irish
singer/songwriter. She is deeply rooted in the sean-nós
singing style of her home on Inis Oírr, one of the Aran Islands
. She is a graduate of Celtic Studies from Trinity College Dublin.
in Lorient
, Brittany
. It was selected by Hot Press music magazine as one of the best folk albums of 2002. It was described by fRoots magazine as "one of the most sumptous traditional albums to have emerged for some time."
Lasairfhíona was the subject of a special documentary
on the RTÉ
Léargas television series (directed by Moira Sweeney) in 2002. In 2003, Lasairfhíona sang on Sinéad O'Connor's
DVD, Goodnight, on the track Thank You, You’ve Been A Lovely Audience.
Lasairfhíona performed during this time in venues around Ireland, including the National Concert Hall in Dublin, Town Hall Theatre in Galway
and at the Montreux Jazz Festival
in Switzerland
. Lasairfhíona also took part in many television and radio programmes. Her song "Dragonfly", set to music by Lasairfhíona and Hector Zazou was on the soundtrack for the DVD Play Magazine. This showcased the fashion collection for Fall/Winter 2004/2005 of the designers Prada
, Issey Miyake
, Manolo Blahnik
and Jimmy Chou.
In 2004 Lasairfhíona’s singing featured on a compilation album of the best emerging Irish music that was produced by the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism in Ireland and The Music Board of Ireland to mark the Irish presidency of the European Union
.
Lasairfhíona's second album was released early in 2006. It is called Flame of Wine, a literal translation of Lasairfhíona's own name. It included newly composed songs in Irish
and in English
. The album is co-produced by Máire Breatnach
. The latter also provides some musical accompaniment along with musicians Mary Bergin, Johnny McDonagh, Bill Shanley and Lasairfhíona's brother, MacDara.
Also in 2006, Lasairfhíona was nominated for a Meteor Irish Music award
.
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/songwriter. She is deeply rooted in the sean-nós
Sean-nós song
Sean-nós is a highly ornamented style of unaccompanied traditional Irish singing. It is a sean-nós activity, which also includes sean-nós dancing...
singing style of her home on Inis Oírr, one of the Aran Islands
Aran Islands
The Aran Islands or The Arans are a group of three islands located at the mouth of Galway Bay, on the west coast of Ireland. They constitute the barony of Aran in County Galway, Ireland...
. She is a graduate of Celtic Studies from Trinity College Dublin.
Biography
Her début album An Raicín Álainn , was launched in 2002 at the Festival InterceltiqueFestival Interceltique de Lorient
The Festival Interceltique de Lorient or Gouelioù Etrekeltiek An Oriant was founded in Lorient, Brittany in 1971 by Polig Montjarret...
in Lorient
Lorient
Lorient, or L'Orient, is a commune and a seaport in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France.-History:At the beginning of the 17th century, merchants who were trading with India had established warehouses in Port-Louis...
, Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
. It was selected by Hot Press music magazine as one of the best folk albums of 2002. It was described by fRoots magazine as "one of the most sumptous traditional albums to have emerged for some time."
Lasairfhíona was the subject of a special documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
on the RTÉ
RTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
Léargas television series (directed by Moira Sweeney) in 2002. In 2003, Lasairfhíona sang on Sinéad O'Connor's
Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor is an Irish singer-songwriter. She rose to fame in the late 1980s with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra and achieved worldwide success in 1990 with a cover of the song "Nothing Compares 2 U"....
DVD, Goodnight, on the track Thank You, You’ve Been A Lovely Audience.
Lasairfhíona performed during this time in venues around Ireland, including the National Concert Hall in Dublin, Town Hall Theatre in Galway
Galway
Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...
and at the Montreux Jazz Festival
Montreux Jazz Festival
The Montreux Jazz Festival is the best-known music festival in Switzerland and one of the most prestigious in Europe; it is held annually in early July in Montreux on the shores of Lake Geneva...
in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. Lasairfhíona also took part in many television and radio programmes. Her song "Dragonfly", set to music by Lasairfhíona and Hector Zazou was on the soundtrack for the DVD Play Magazine. This showcased the fashion collection for Fall/Winter 2004/2005 of the designers Prada
Prada
Prada S.p.A. is an Italian fashion label specializing in luxury goods for men and women , founded by Mario Prada.-Foundations:...
, Issey Miyake
Issey Miyake
is a Japanese fashion designer. He is known for his technology-driven clothing designs, exhibitions and fragrances.-Life and career:Miyake was born 22 April 1938 in Hiroshima, Japan. As a seven year-old, he witnessed and survived the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. He studied...
, Manolo Blahnik
Manolo Blahnik
Manuel "Manolo" Blahnik Rodríguez CBE, , is a Spanish fashion designer and founder of the self-named, high-end shoe brand.-Biography:Born to a Czech father and a Spanish mother and born and raised in the Canary Islands , Blahnik graduated from the University of Geneva in 1965 and studied art in Paris...
and Jimmy Chou.
In 2004 Lasairfhíona’s singing featured on a compilation album of the best emerging Irish music that was produced by the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism in Ireland and The Music Board of Ireland to mark the Irish presidency of the European Union
Presidency of the Council of the European Union
The Presidency of the Council of the European Union is the responsibility for the functioning of the Council of the European Union that rotates between the member states of the European Union every six months. The presidency is not a single president but rather the task is undertaken by a national...
.
Lasairfhíona's second album was released early in 2006. It is called Flame of Wine, a literal translation of Lasairfhíona's own name. It included newly composed songs in Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
and in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. The album is co-produced by Máire Breatnach
Máire Breatnach
Máire Breatnach is one of the most prominent fiddle players in Ireland. She also sings in Irish on some of her albums. Since the early 1990s, she has had five solo albums, participated in many other albums , with substantive contributions in some cases, and contributed to many music CDs, as well as...
. The latter also provides some musical accompaniment along with musicians Mary Bergin, Johnny McDonagh, Bill Shanley and Lasairfhíona's brother, MacDara.
Also in 2006, Lasairfhíona was nominated for a Meteor Irish Music award
Meteor Music Awards
The Meteor Ireland Music Awards are a group of music awards in Ireland...
.
Appearances/Collaborations
- 1998 - Lights In The Dark (Hector Zazou & Lasairfhíona)
- 2003 - Femmes Celtes (Various artists)
- 2003 - Gaelic Ireland (Various artists)
- 2004 - Rough Guide To Irish Music (Various artists)
- 2006 - The Aran Lifeboat Collection (Various artists)
- 2008 - Celtic Dreamland (Various artists)
- 2008 - Experience Ireland (Various artists)
DVD Appearances
- 2002 - Goodnight, Thank You. You’ve Been A Lovely Audience (Sinéad O'Connor)
- 2003 - Aran Islands - A Journey Through Changing Times (Various artists)