Kilfenora: More than just a great céilí band

KEVIN Crawford, of traditional music group, Lunasa, is one of the main men behind the recent musical evolution of the legendary Kilfenora Céilí Band. Crawford, a flute player and producer, was born in Birmingham, UK, lived in Clare for a period, but now bases himself in New York.

“Everything to do with the Kilfenora excites me,” says Crawford. “The recent gear change has been happening since I came on board, as producer for their last CD, Chapter 8. The seed was sown back then and the band have nurtured the idea and watched it grow, resulting in a very new, yet distinctly Kilfenora sound”.

For Crawford to say the band are an incredible group of musicians is praise indeed. “They have the vision and talent to draw on influences slightly alien to the céilí-band format and incorporate them into their repertoire. The Kilfenora are now far more than a céilí band; they remain true to the roots of what the band stands for, but are better-known now, perhaps, as a stellar concert band. They’ve added so much more,” he says. “They are continuing the journey set out by founding members, over 100 years ago, in a way that’s current, fresh and very much alive.”