Tiffany Yeats Interview

MUSICIAN Q&A

He’s a handsome, charming Irishman who now lives in the American Deep South; a right-handed musician who plays his guitar leftie; and a modern folk singer who incorporates the traditional Irish percussive instrument the bodhran into his sets.

Harry O’Donoghue teems with contradictions, but it’s part of what makes his live show so entertaining. Familiar to Marco Islanders from his recurring stints at Cathy O’Clarke’s, O’Donoghue entertains with not only the expected traditional Irish tunes (“Danny Boy,” “The Unicorn Song,” “Too-ra-loo-ra”), but a wealth of songs that fall under the banner of the Green Isle and range from seldom-heard ancient ballads to the most current of Irish rock and pop.

Donoghue also brings his array of knowledge and his love of the music of his homeland to his weekly PBS radio show, The Green Island, in which he exposes American audiences to a vast library of tunes that fall under the broad heading “Irish music.” And at least once a year, the busy Celt leads a musical bus tour of his native land, with expert insider info and plenty of music jams along the route.

Q: Why a left-handed guitar?

A: I bought my first guitar when I was twenty, which by all accounts is rather late. I learned from watching and playing with people and practiced all the time. For whatever reason holding the guitar left-handed seemed natural. I write with my right hand and my rhythm hand on the bodhran (skin drum) is also my right hand. Go figure…anyway with the exception of limited choices in guitar stores it has not been a problem. I don’t consider myself a good guitarist, so I still practice…always hoping to be better.

Q: You are a musical encyclopedia of all things Irish. Tell me about your quest to bring the music of your home country to audiences.

A: I think my knowledge of Ireland comes from the love I have for the island. I’m a student of history and even now I occasionally reread Irish history. It intertwines with the music on a very basic level.

Old folk songs tell us about the people and how they lived. Great occasions are remembered in songs and poems, and so the culture lives on in the oral tradition.

What I strive to bring to an audience is the flavor of Ireland. The music, the stories behind the music, original songs that demonstrate how an Irish folk artist is working within a living tradition as it weaves and grows and adepts to modern influences, but mostly I want to bring the Irish attitude to an audience. It is at times irreverent, witty, silly, clever, acerbic, reflective, somber, thoughtful and sarcastic. But it’s great fun, and we could all use a laugh every now and then.

Irish music continues to grow. Within the general term there are many different types. Traditional music is generally considered to consist of jigs, reels, marches, waltzes, slip-jigs, instrumental music if you will. Different playing styles reflect what part of the country a player comes from and can only be detected by aficionados of the genre. Within this music there are old songs included, mostly in the Irish language, although at a traditional session the instrumentals outnumber the songs by a large margin.

Another form of Irish music is the folk song and ballad telling the history of the country, and of course pub songs…mainly uptempo audience participation songs to sing and clap along to.

There’s also an old form of singing called Sean Nos (pronounced shan noce), or the old way. This is generally unaccompanied and the style varies again depending on the region of Ireland the singer comes from. 

With respect to pop music, artists like Van Morrison, U2, Sinead O’Connor, the Cranberries and Enya all have traditional influences within their music. And believe it or not country music is huge in Ireland. So I suppose it’s safe to say that Irish music fits well under the heading World Music.

Q: Tell me about your original music--I know you have a lot of CDs out. Who are your influences? Do you find audiences are receptive to your originals, or are they just waiting for the next chorus of “The Unicorn Song”?
A: My own influences…hmm…well, the Beatles for a start. Also James Taylor, Paul Simon, Van Morrison, Chris Rea, Kris Kristofferson, and from across the pond Jimmy MacCarthy and Kieran Goss would be two of my favorites. During a show I sometimes don’t mention the fact that a song is one I’ve written…the song should be able to fly on its own. At a singer/songwriter night it’s a little different...the story behind the song becomes relevant in that circumstance. People like to hear and sing along with familiar tunes. Give them what they want and they will be more receptive to new and original music. It all has to do with pacing the performance.

Q: Can you talk a bit about your Ireland bus tours--how they came about, how often you do them, what your guests can expect?

A: I’ve been taking tour groups to Ireland for over ten years. The first ones were “brochure” tours…straight from the tour company. I decided there was too much time spent on the coach, so I started to customize my own and offer it out to several tour companies for bids. It worked well, and at this point in time I only work with one or two companies. We have a great relationship. They know what I want, which is good value, an easy itinerary, and well-appointed hotels. We cover different areas of the island, and I bring my guitar along for informal sessions. As one tour member said, “We bring our own party.” The normal tour consists of nine nights, and the price includes everything except lunches and beverages. We have a full sightseeing itinerary, and I handpick most of the hotels. You can check out some photos on the tour page of my Web site. Next year I plan to leave in early June and hope to incorporate two nights in Wales as well as seven in Ireland.

O’Donoghue appears in southwest Florida next on November 14 through 19 at Cathy O’Clarke’s. His CDs are available on his Web site, www.harryodonoghue.com, where you can also learn more about the artist, his radio show, and his tours of Ireland. The Green Island Radio Show is covered on all Georgia Public Broadcast member stations and streams live on Saturdays at 9.00 P.M. at www.gpb.org.