Folk Bands and Artists
Huartan
Winners of NI Music Prize 2024 Live Act of the Year, Belfast-based ‘tradtronica’ collective Huartan has been breathing new life into ancient words and melodies. This dynamic ensemble consists of three Irish traditional musicians: Catriona Ní Ghribín, Múlú, and Stiofán Ó Luachrain, who also serves as the band’s producer. Their mission is to reintroduce contemporary audiences to the oral singing tradition and native language of Ulster. In a playful re-imagining and rousing reclamation of pagan Ireland, the Huartan live show is immersive and otherworldly, featuring dancers, Mícheal Ó Cóighligh and Anan Poloni, who embody the unsettling presence of the síogaí (fairies/shapeshifters). Their first release is ‘Bean Udaí Thall’ [pronounced: Bahn-addy-hal] (‘The Woman Yonder’) . Revitalising one of the oldest Irish-language murder ballads, it tells the story of two sisters, one of whom drowns the other in a fit of jealousy. Featuring haunting vocals and droning synths in hypnotic repetition, ‘Bean Udaí Thall’ seamlessly blends electronica with traditional singing, winning Huartan the inaugural Amhrán na Laoch competition by
HotPress.
Genre: Electronica,Irish Trad Folk
