|
Lumiere
Lumiere is Éilís Kennedy and Pauline Scanlon; two exceptional vocalists from Dingle , Co. Kerry.
Éilís Kennedy’s sound has ready access to the soul without need for fanfare or spotlight. A singer renowned for her natural and genuine interpretations of songs, both old and new, sung in her native Gaelic and in English.
Pauline is an award-winning singer and follows in the tradition of Irish female voices from Sinead O’Connor to Enya; all personal interpreters of their physical and spiritual landscape.
Together as Lumiere, they offer a distinctly feminine sound and feel, where voice is the primary instrument and Ireland as motherland is re-imagined. With Lumiere, the song and its delivery are the primary focus, technical concerns give way to feeling, as song and singer effortlessly merge.
For many years Pauline and Éilís have been familiar with each other’s singing but until 2009 Pauline’s extensive touring commitments made a musical collaboration impossible. During that year the pair spent many winter nights looking over old songbooks and comparing music handed down by their respective families and Lumiere was created.
 In these harsh economic times, songs of excess and materialism ring hollow and Lumiere offers something more holistic and true. This is real music by real singers communicating real emotions. Lumiere takes something that is sacred and ancient and re-imagines it simply and beautifully, reclaiming truth and trust for the modern age.
Lumiere though is not about big statements. It is about the intimate act of singing, the emotional core of that act and how that relates to the familiar echoes in our lives. The songs cover themes of love and loss, of places and people. They are mainly drawn from the Irish tradition but also touch on the great American songbook. ‘The Poor Wayfaring Stranger’ sits easily alongside ‘The West’s Awake’ while the Gaelic song ‘Óró mo Bháidín’ compliments ‘Spencer the Rover’.
Lumiere is produced by legendary record producer John Reynolds who has worked with Sinead O'Connor, Andrea Corr, Bono, The Edge and Damien Dempsey.
Video
Live on The Late Late Show
The West's Awake - Music Video
Live on The View with Damien Dempsey
Live at the National Concert Hall, Autumn 2008
Set Up Specification
 Download Specification here
Official Website
www.lumieremusic.net/burn.aspx
|
|
|
|
Band Biogs
Pauline Scanlon
In 2004, Pauline galvanized the Irish music scene with ‘Red Colour Sun’ (Compass). This stunning debut album announced Pauline as an exceptional singer and songwriting talent. Deeply immersed in the tradition yet completely aware of the edgier developments in contemporary alternative music, Scanlon is capable of making the oldest ballads sound immediate and fresh while granting newer material a timeless resonance. In 2004 she was nominated in the Best Folk/Trad category of the Meteor Awards. As featured vocalist with the Sharon Shannon Band for three years, and as a solo artist, Scanlon has entranced audiences the world over with her distinctly delicate intensity.
In 2006 Scanlon released ‘Hush’ (Compass), exquisitely melding folk and bluegrass to create an effortless blend which showcased her unmistakable breathy and intimate vocal style. Pauline is a vocalist with worldly knowledge of different musical styles and who is able and willing to cross traditional boundaries.
In recent times, Pauline has performed with a wide range of artists including John Spillane and Cape Breton Fiddlers Roseanne MacKenzie and Howie MacDonald. In 2009 the self titled debut Lumiere was released with fellow West-Kerry singer Éilis Kennedy... another chapter begins...
"Her voice is a superb mix of china cup fragility and steely resilience" The Irish Times.
Éilís Kennedy
Kerry-born Éilís hails from a musical family and has been playing music and singing - in Gaelic and English - for all of her life.
In 2000 she toured the USA with the Philips–Coulter Ensemble and later toured in Taiwan with the same group including a sell-out performance at the 2,000 seater National Concert Hall in Taipei. In 2003 she was a headliner in the Irish Folk Festival tour of Germany, sharing the billing with Irish Trad legends Paddy Keenan and Tommy O Sullivan. In 2004 Éilís participated in the acclaimed Music Network Series Tour of Ireland sharing the stage with box player/singer Brendann Begley and piper Éoin Duignan.
In 2005, Éilis released her debut solo recording ‘Time to Sail’ and has had her music licensed by Arc Music for the compilations ‘Global Women’ and ‘Gaelic Ireland’.
In 2005 Kennedy participated in the Béal Tuinne musical project comprising 15 new songs with music composed by Internationally-renowned composer Shaun Davey and lyrics from Caoimhin Ó Cinnéide - Éilis’ late father. A live performance of these songs was performed in Dingle and was the subject of a major television documentary. The group of musicians and singers collectively known as Béal Tuinne included Davey, Rita Connolly, Seamus Begley, Jim Murray, Laurence Courtney, Eoin Begley and Éilis. Subsequently the group have performed the song cycle at The National Concert Hall, Dublin; the Cork Folk Festival; the Feakle Traditional Music Festival and at the Centre Culturel Irlandais, Paris in June 2009. The CD ‘Béal Tuinne Live’, recorded at St. James Church, Dingle was released on the Tara Music label to huge critical acclaim.
In 2008, Éilis presented Geantraí on TG4, a television programme dedicated to Irish music and has participated in the traditional Irish singing programme ‘Amhráin is Ansa Liom’. She is a regular contributor to music programmes on RTÉ Raidió Na Gaeltachta. |
