www.lunasa.ie
The new CD ‘The Leitrim Equation’ is being launched in The Button Factory in Dublin on Friday 15th May, with a concert featuring Lúnasa and special guest Leitrim musicians. ‘The Leitrim Equation’, is a combination of newly composed tunes by Leitrim musicians (with whom Lúnasa worked closely throughout their Leitrim residency, fine-tuning the compositions and compiling tunes into arrangements, culminating in 5 tracks on the CD); Some of the Leitrim musicians featuring on the double CD include Charlie, Ben and Maurice Lennon, Eleanor Shanley, Michael McNamara, Dave Sheridan, Mary McPartlan and many more.

This unique initiative saw Lúnasa visit the county eight times for sessions three days over 18 months, during which time they were exposed to all that Leitrim has to offer. When asked to sum up their experience flute player Kevin Crawford said: “We heard great stories of the history of Leitrim music in the homes of Ben Lennon and Michael McNamara, and saw at firsthand how this local tradition is being maintained, developed and passed on to future generations in wonderful music classes all across the county. We visited hospitals, community centres and schools where everyone seemed to have a song or story for us and we also played countless sessions in halls, homes and public houses where the interaction between young and old was a real pleasure to witness.”

“Given that we spend most of the year touring abroad, we were initially attracted to the idea of not just performing in Leitrim but interacting with Leitrim’s tradition and with the local community and from the outset, the hospitality and welcome we received made the residency a very special experience,” added Cillian Vallely.