Lucky Sevens, Lucky You…
The Hot Press in Ireland described Ricko Donovan's live performance as “a steamroller of a show, he gracefully rendered Irish songs. His own songs were engaging and captivating...”
Ricko’s live performances include a host of instruments, featuring the hammered dulcimer. The man of many strings leaves audiences spellbound performing his own great songs with a blend of traditional world music from Ireland and beyond. For his 2009 summer tour of the US Southwest, he engaged the services of loop effects. Playing both solo and with the support of outstanding musicians such as cellist Michael Kott, the performances are rooted in great songs which abound in both Lucky Sevens (2009) and The Kilmoon Road (2005).
Devil At My Door won Nashville's Spree Song Contest in the Alt/Country category in 1998. At that time, Nashville was a hotbed for the resurgence of more exciting and innovative country styles. The song exemplifies this and is still a staple of the artist’s performance. Donovan decided to forgo predictability and took off to travel the European continent in 98 with backpack and Dusty Strings hammered dulcimer, playing on streets, in cafes, in theatres, and clubs. He has busked on the streets of Amsterdam, Munich, Berlin. Madrid, Brussels, Barcelona, Dublin, London, Birmingham, Edinbugh and loves Europe. Settling on Madrid Spain and Counties Cork and Clare in Ireland, he remained until 2006. Graduating to a larger model hammer dulcimer built by Ardie’s Dulcimers, he began recording the Irish folk music that surrounded the beautiful Burren landscape where he made his home outside Doolin, a hotbed of Irish traditional music. Two Irish releases received critical acclaim in Spain, Ireland, Belgium and Germany. The Kilmoon Road is a fine folk album of Ricko's songs which featured some great West Clare musicians. It has sold over 1000 copies at shows and in select stores. The Laughing Silver String, a record of traditional Irish music garnered regular airplay on Clare FM in Ireland. It has sold over 1000 copies worldwide. Ricko was the featured musician at Gregan's Castle Hotel in the Burren, County Clare from 2003-2005, delighting audiences regularly with his extensive Irish repertoire.
“He renders ballads with the greatest sensitivity and the rest with the reckless abandon of a steamrolling train with no brakes…”–The Clare Champion
"A skillfull master of a unique and beautiful instrument."-Cormac MacConnell, Clare FM Radio Ireland
A singer/songwriter now returned to Nashville, he continues to craft the art of songwriting and playing a variety of styles and instruments. Ricko Donovan now tours regularly in the continental US and Europe.
Venues performed, include:
British and Appalachian Culture Festival
Rugby, TN
Mountain Town Stages
Park City, UT
St. Pete Times Forum
Tampa, FL
UFO Festival
Roswell, NM
Fuller Lodge/ LM Arts Council
Los Alamos, NM
Ocotillo Performing Arts Center
Artesia, NM
Redditch Folk Festival
Birmingham, UK
Links-
www.rickodonovan.com
www.myspace.com/rickodonovan
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