SAULT STE. MARIE, MI – Dervish, a Celtic band straight out of Ireland, will express its more than 25 years of musical experience on the stage of Lake Superior State University’s Arts Center at 7:30 p.m. on March 8.
Tickets are $18 for general admission; $15 for seniors and $5 for students. They are available by calling 906-635-2602 or going online at lssu.edu/artscenter
From the Great Wall of China to packed auditoriums in the Holy Land, Dervish has come a long way in more than 25 years of performing.
Formed in 1989 by a group of five musicians who came together to record an album of local music, they developed their informal gathering into a working band.
In 1991, singer Cathy Jordan and all-Ireland champion fiddle player Shane McAleer joined the band, giving them the right balance to produce their first album in 1992.
The impact of the recording was immediate. Its artistry, musicianship and maturity won outstanding praise from the media, placing Dervish to the forefront of the bands working on traditional Irish music.
Dervish soon became one of the most sought-after acts on the live music circuit worldwide and has continued to remain so over the years.
Dervish concerts are a myriad of tones and moods, ranging from high-energy tunes, played with fluidity and intuitiveness, to beautifully measured songs, from charming lyrics of life and love, to inspiring melodies that lift audiences from their seats.
All the elements are drawn together by singer Jordan’s masterful stage-presence.
Her stories and her interaction with the audience draw people into the music in a way very few performers can achieve.
In 1999, Dervish took to the studio with a seven-member line-up, bringing with it a bigger sound with Jordan (vocals, bodhrán, bones), Tom Morrow (fiddle, viola), Shane Mitchell (accordion), Liam Kelly (flute, low whistle), Séamus O’Dowd (guitars, harmonica), Michael Holmes (bouzouki) and Brian McDonagh (mandola, mandolin).
In 2006, Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern invited Dervish to accompany members of the government on a trade mission to China, and the band performed to a gathering from the Chinese government, confirming the band as a national jewel of Ireland.
The band also released an album from its rapidly expanding back catalog that featured slower material recorded over the years.
The band’s colorful career has taken it to every corner of the globe and it has shared center stage with James Brown, the Buena Vista Social Club, Oasis, Sting, REM, Beck, and many more.
Dervish’s appearance is made possible by the Duncan McLaren Family Fund for the Performing Arts and the LSSU Arts Center Performance Fund.
Read more about Dervish at http://dervish.ie