To the great Irish exports Guinness and Bailey’s, Waterford and Belleek, add Dervish. This internationally known group is one of the most creative interpreters of Irish folk music today. For the last three decades, they have gently reinvented the traditional songs of their native land, and in the process, as NPR said, “Breath(ed) new life” into the beloved music of that homeland. The line-up includes some of Ireland’s finest musicians, fronted by famed Irish singer Cathy Jordan.
Dervish’s founding members were childhood friends in County Sligo, the same area that brought forth a group of legendary fiddle players who emigrated to the United States in the 1920s and recorded the first known Irish music album. As young musicians, the Dervish band members were commissioned to record an album in the rich Sligo tradition. Despite tremendous response around the world, Dervish turned down record deal offers and launched a new label. The band has released some 14 albums of their own and in recent years, with Rounder Records and the Concord Music Group in Nashville.
Throughout the years, Dervish has appeared at some of the world’s biggest festivals, from Glastonbury in the United Kingdom to Paleo in Switzerland to Rock in Rio, performing with the “great and good” of the entertainment industry while making a name as some of the foremost exponents of Irish folk music of their generation. They accompanied the Irish president on state visits to Latvia and Lithuania and the Prime Minister of Ireland on a trade mission to China, serving as cultural ambassadors, and taking time to play an impromptu session on the Great Wall.
In 2019, Dervish released an album, The Great Irish Songbook that was widely praised and featured Vince Gill, David Gray, Rhiannon Giddens, and Steve Earle. They were recently awarded a BBC Lifetime Achievement Award and announced a 2024 tour in support of their album, The Great Irish Songbook, Chapter 2.
The Guardian newspaper called Dervish, “simply brilliant,” and said that “they carry Irish history with them.” Their live performances match dazzling sets of tunes with stunning interpretations of traditional music for an evening that will, quite simply, leave you reeling.
That’s Irish reeling to you.
