Comas
Comas
Traditional Irish music. Before they toured individually in top acts as The Drovers, Orion, Gwazigan, Urbantrad, Denez Prigent, Liz Carroll, ... Coming from diverse musical backgrounds, and residing in different parts of the globe, they
Since march 2003 Comas have been together as a band, before that, they toured individually in top acts as The Drovers, Orion, Gwazigan Urbantrad, Denez Prigent, and the internationally acclaimed Liz Carroll...to name just a few...
Although coming from diverse musical backgrounds, and residing in different parts of the globe, they found eachother in their similiar approach to music, bringing together their many cultural influences to forge a unique blend of Traditional Irish music that literally had them, within months of coming together, playing on Major Festivals in Ireland/ Belgium/France/ England/ Denmark/ Holland. This achivement alone is worthy of note, and as further testimony to their deep rooted talents, being asked back immediately on every Festival they played on..."before we even had time to put our instruments away" as Philip, aptly put it.
By the end of 2003 Comas had built up a sizable repution to be hailed in the press as: "The Revelation Of 2003" (S.Vandenberghe-NVFOLK) and as: "The best traditional band around"(Folkspot).
When you hear Comas you'll know that their choice of name was no mere coincidence. (Translating from Irish/ Gaelic as POWER) And power is exactly what this band is about. Depicting their own driving power coupled with a fine sensitivity for the inner strands of magic that is inherent in Irish music.
Here, their Fiddle player, Aidan Burke comes into his own, delving deep into his Irish roots to pluck out a pure sound that transcends time and place guaranteed to touch any lover of Celtic music. Aidan's dexterity is evenly matched by the awesome talents of Sylvain Barou (flutes, pipes), Philip Masure (Guitar) and Jackie Moran (percussion) "Comas plays enormously fast but with a lot of feelings"(S.feys-folkroddels)
Comas are a band firmly rooted in Irish music, but with enough space to allow in original compositions.Open to new influences, but with a respectful eye on the past is what brings Comas to the fore-front of what traditional music is about today.
(Text by the Irish writer/singer Tom Acton.)
From "The Irish Post", 2005
Comas, one of Europe's most sensational Celtic bands, brings together four of the most exciting musicians of their generation including Aiden Burke, Irish fiddle-player extraordinaire.
Born of Irish parents, Aiden was brought up in the Irish culture of music, dance, and song. Having Kevin Burke (Patrick Street, Bothy Band) as his cousin, he was destined to play the fiddle. Aiden has won over 20 All-Ireland championships on the fiddle. He recently launched his own debut CD Feel The Bow to ecstatic reviews and has found time to appear in the film Leprechauns starring Whoopi Goldberg.
The mastery of Philip Masure from Belgium on guitar is evident. He has become one of the most sought-after guitarists on the Celtic scene and is also in demand as a studio musician.
The awesome Breton genius Sylvain Barou is on flute, whistle, and uilleann pipes. Acclaimed by Dónal Lunny "the greatest flute player of his generation," his playing is based on the 'open' style of uilleann pipes of travelling pipers such as Paddy Keenan.
Playing bodhrán - on which he is considered among the world's best - is Jackie Moran. Born in Thurles, Co. Tipperary, Jackie emigrated to Chicago with his family at the age of 10. Displaying the intense zeal of a natural born musician, he was firmly ensconced in the Chicago Irish music scene by the age of 14. Several prestigious awards later, he has proven his ability in Ireland as well and has toured with Riverdance and recorded and performed with the likes of Kevin Burke, Liz Carroll, Martin Hayes, Denis Cahill, and Paddy Keenan
Aidan Burke : fiddle
Born of Sligo and Tipperary parents Aidan was brought up in the Irish culture of music song and dance, he was playing and dancing at an early age - the drums at 2years, dancing at 5 years.
Having Kevin Burke (Fiddle player in The Bothy Band, Patrick Street and Open House.) as a first cousin he was destined to play the fiddle and started at 8 years.
Aidan has been playing music for 31 years, mainly the Fiddle, Drums and Bodhrán, but he also plays Guitar, Mandolin, Banjo and a whole host of Percussion instruments. He was taught the drums from the age of 10 to 16 by Adrian Macintosh, (Humphrey Littleton's drummer) and the fiddle by Margaret Hayes(age 8-12)and later(14-15) Sean O'Shea.
Aidan has won twenty 1st place titles and as many 2nd and 3rds on his main instruments between The Fleadh Cheoil na Breataine and Fleadh na hEireann.
He has performed and recorded with a wide variety of musicians including Poormouth featuring Jack E McCauley (Van Morrisons Guitarist in Them and Clive Bunker ex drummer with Jethro Tull), The Drovers, The Tide,Tony Hinnigan (James Horner's Top session player and whistle player on the number 1 song from The Titanic C.D.) Roger Dinsdale (Banjo player with The Grid.) Skirm,Paul Murray (Singer with Big Tom and Daniel O'Donnel) and supported bands such as Stockton's Wing, Ron Kavenna, Gwerz, The Chieftains and The Wolfe Tones, he also found time to play the lead fiddle in 'Leprechauns' starring Whoppi Goldberg.
Aidan has held workshops on the fiddle and bodhrán in Ireland, Britain, America and Asia and adjudicated at Fleadhs all over London.
He played in Hong Kong for 4 months bringing the Irish culture to Asia and played live on the radio for over 1,000,000 listeners and in Chicago live on tv with The Drovers for an estimated 2,000,000 viewers.
Sylvain Barou : uilleann pipes, wooden flutes, low whistles
Sylvain started the flute through Irish music, at the age of 13. Fascinated by this music and by the instrument, he meets Jean Michel Veillon who passed the bases of the instrument on to him. He knew how to then forge his style with bigger representatives of the Irish and Breton music.
His flute-style is based on the 'open' style of uillean pipes, the style of the travelling pipers like Johnny Doran and Paddy Keenan.
Recognized as one of the best of his generation, Sylvain has played with
- Ceol,
- Djal,
- Pat O' May,
- Pigtown,
- Paddy Glackin (workshop concert),
- Glaz,
- Hyaena,
- Celtic Tales with the brothers Boclé,
and plays at present with
- Denez Prigent,
- Gwazigan,
- Dun,
- Land end (creation of Jean Claude Normant with among others Gilles LeBigot, Hilaire Rama, Jacques Moreau, Ludovic Mesnil, Yann Proerer),
- in trio with David Pasquet and Jean Charles Guichen (ex Ar Re Yaouank),
- The group of Irish music Sualtam
- the breton group Karma (www.karmabzh.com)
- recorded with Donal Lunny for a forthcoming Denez Prigent album.
- recently played for Yvan Cassar, for a soundtrack of a famous documentary "l'odyssée de l'espèce" with guests such as Baba Maal, Mairi Boine Persen, Levon Minassian...
Sylvain also plays classical indian music on the bansuri, playing armenian duduk and his main instrument after flute is the breton biniou kozh.
Philip Masure : guitare, vocals
Although Philip plays a number of instruments, he is mostly known as a guitar player. He has specialised in open-tuning (DADGAD) and has played with a number of well-known bands including Orion, Laïs, Carlene Anglim (winner of the BBC2 Young Tradition Award), Mugar, Ambrozijn, The VRT-orcherstra, ...
Currently he is a member of Urban Trad (who came 2nd in the Eurovision in 2003) and performs with Helen Flaherty and the Liverpool based band Garva.
Philip is also in great demand as a guitar teacher and as a studio musician. He has been giving workshops all over Europe (Belgium, Ireland, Holland, France, Denmark,...)
Discography
Piccard & Masure : Webbesnaren -Wild Boar Music - WBM21012
Didier François & Philip Masure : DUO - Map Records - MAPCD 99004
Eamon Coyne : Liverpool Connection - Aimless Productions - ECAPCD1
Urban Trad : Kerua - Universal Music - 9865427
Helen Flaherty: Oft Times I've Been Cheery - Wild Boar Music - WBM21043
�?ishtlinn : �?ist Linn - Kissing Spell Ltd - SCD 925
Daithi Rua : Beter the Devil You Know - Daithi Rua - LRCD 003
Máirtín Tom Sheáinín : Bláth na h�?ige - Cló Iar-Chonnachta - CICD128
Poescafé : Folk met poezelige pit - Poescafé - PC 97001
Didier François & Alicantes : Alicantes - MAP Records - MAP CD 99006
Jowan Mercks : Amorroma - Wild Boar Music - WBM21025
Gunter Bauweraerst : Midwinter - Wendel - W20011
Lunascape - Zomba Distribution
Jos Dom & Didier François : De Drie Muskeviers - Showtime vzw
Finglas : WaterEmotion
Jules Bitter : Druid Dance
Red Hackle Pipe Band : Silver - Kafka - 924
Wooden Flute Obsession - International Traditional Music Society release
Folk in Vlaanderen 2000 - MAP Records - MAPCD 20003
New Folk Wave 2 - Wild Boar Music - WBM 21021
Folk in Vlaanderen 2002 - MAP Records - MAPCD 20022
Jackie Moran : bodhran, various percussion& vocals
A nativeOriginally hailing from Thurles Co. Tipperary, Mr Moran has been firmly rooted in the Chicago Irish music scene since he was 14. A founding member of such popular performance groups as The Drovers, Wilding, The Otters and The Trinity Irish Dance Company, Mr. Moran has also performed live as well as recorded with some of the top Irish musicians in the world, including Liz Carroll, John Williams, John Doyle, Martin Hayes, Paddy Keenan, Dennis Cahill, Kevin Burke and Larry Nugent, among many others. Mr. Moran's percussive stylings have also found their way into a number of major motion pictures, including Backdraft, Blink, Traveller and The Road to Perdition. Since 2001, Mr. Moran and his wife Amy have been running Anam Mor, an Irish dance and music school in the Chicagoland area.
Discography
The Drovers, World of Monsters, Tantrum Records, 1992
The Drovers, Kill Mice Elf, Tantrum Records, 1993
The Lupins, Slob, Tantrum Records, 1993
Kiltartan Road, In the Deep Hearts Core, Classic Digital Records, 1995
Lawrence Nugent, Lawrence Nugent, Shanachie Records, 1996
Lawrence Nugent, Two for Two, Shanachie Records, 1998
Michael Mason, Angels of Fire, Southport Records, 1999
Kim Robertson, The Spiral Gate, Narada Records, 1999
Kathleen Keane, Kathleen Keane, 1999
Liz Carroll, Lost in the Loop, Green Linnet Records, 2000
Irish Music in Chicago (compilation), Big Chicago Records, 2000
Lawrence Nugent, The Windy Gap, Shanachie Records, 2000
Kim Robertson, Dance to Your Shadow, Narada Records, 2001
Anish, Anish, 2001
Robbie Fulks, Couples in Trouble, Boondoggie Records, 2001
Liz Carroll, Lake Effect, Green Linnet Records, 2002
James Conway, Mouth Box, 2002
The Drovers, The Drovers, Tantrum Records, 2002
Helen Flaherty, Oft Times I've Been Cheery, Alea Records, 2003
Kieran O'Hare & John Skelton, Double Barrelled, 2003
Motion Picture Soundtracks
Backdraft, Milan Records, 1991
Blink, Milan Records, 1993
Traveller, Electra/Asylum Records, 1997
The Road to Perdition, Universal Records, 2002
Folk: Pipe Band