The Black Family (band)
Encyclopedia
The Black Family are a Celtic music
ensemble, composed of Mary
and Frances Black
and their siblings, Shay, Michael, and Martin. The family has been called "one of the most important musical clans in Ireland".
The five were born into a musical family; their father, who hailed from Rathlin Island
, was a fiddle
player, and their mother was a music hall singer. The siblings performed together as a quintet in Dublin in the 1970s, but in 1977, Mary left the group to play solo and with the groups General Humbert and De Dannan
. Both Mary and Frances went on to become highly successful solo artists, and in the interim the three remaining siblings recorded a self-titled album, released in 1986. In 1989, they recorded their first full-length with all five family members, but both Mary and Frances departed again soon after. They reunited in 1995 for a third album, which also features their mother, Patty, singing on one tune. They continued to do occasional live performances into the late 1990s. The Black Brothers have a web site at http://www.black-brothers.com/
Celtic music
Celtic music is a term utilised by artists, record companies, music stores and music magazines to describe a broad grouping of musical genres that evolved out of the folk musical traditions of the Celtic people of Western Europe...
ensemble, composed of Mary
Mary Black
Mary Black is an Irish singer. She is well known as an interpreter of both folk and contemporary material which has made her a major recording artist in her native Ireland, and in many other parts of the world....
and Frances Black
Frances Black
Frances Black is an award-winning Irish singer. A pure vocal tone and an energetic stage presence has made Black one of Ireland’s most popular singers...
and their siblings, Shay, Michael, and Martin. The family has been called "one of the most important musical clans in Ireland".
The five were born into a musical family; their father, who hailed from Rathlin Island
Rathlin Island
Rathlin Island is an island off the coast of County Antrim, and is the northernmost point of Northern Ireland. Rathlin is the only inhabited offshore island in Northern Ireland, with a rising population of now just over 100 people, and is the most northerly inhabited island off the Irish coast...
, was a fiddle
Fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
player, and their mother was a music hall singer. The siblings performed together as a quintet in Dublin in the 1970s, but in 1977, Mary left the group to play solo and with the groups General Humbert and De Dannan
De Dannan
De Dannan was an Irish folk music group. They were formed by Frankie Gavin , Alec Finn , Johnny "Ringo" McDonagh and Charlie Piggott as a result of sessions in Hughes's Pub in An Spidéal, County Galway, subsequently inviting Dolores Keane to join the band...
. Both Mary and Frances went on to become highly successful solo artists, and in the interim the three remaining siblings recorded a self-titled album, released in 1986. In 1989, they recorded their first full-length with all five family members, but both Mary and Frances departed again soon after. They reunited in 1995 for a third album, which also features their mother, Patty, singing on one tune. They continued to do occasional live performances into the late 1990s. The Black Brothers have a web site at http://www.black-brothers.com/
Discography
- The Black Family (Dara Records, 1986)
- Time for Touching Home (Dara, 1989)
- What a Time (Dara, 1995)
- Our Time Together (Dara, 2004)