TRIONA Ní DHOMHNAILL - THE KEYS WITHIN
The Key’s Within is a new album of self-composed music played on piano and various keyboards by noted Irish musician and singer, Triona Ní Dhomhnaill.
Born in Dublin and raised in Kells, Co. Meath, Triona’s father, Aodh, hailed from the Donegal Gaeltacht of Rann na Feirste and it was Aodh along with Triona’s Sligo-born mother, Brid, who imbued a love and respect for traditional music and song in the young Triona. Theirs was a musical household and her late brother Micheal and sister Maighread were to achieve fame as traditional performers in their own right. Visits back to Donegal brought Triona into contact with her aunt, the noted traditional singer, Neili Ní Dhomhnaill, who was to supply her with so much song material.
While still in school Triona was part of the Irish traditional group, Skara Brae whose one eponymous recording for Gael Linn is recognised as a classic of Irish music. Following the break-up of Skara Brae Triona was to become a founding member of The Bothy Band one of the most influential and highly regarded of the great wave of traditional bands formed in the 1970’s.
A sojourn in United States followed for Triona after the Bothies split in 1979, where she performed and recorded with the band Touchstone before joining up again with her brother Micheal and friends Johnny and Phil Cunningham to form Relativity. Two successful albums and ceaseless live work followed. ln 1987, Triona recorded the list of six albums she was to make with the successful new-age Celtic tinged band Nightnoise.
The Keys Within marks a new departure for one of the more understated yet respected musicians to emerge from the great traditional music revival of recent times. The CD features original compositions by Triona that are inspired by her life in music and the friends and relations who have sustained and inspired her along that journey. With the release of The Key’s Within Triona recognises and celebrates those friendships and the compositions are about those people with, in Trlona’s own words “love and thanks”.
