ReAwakening Comes to Phoenix

1-27-13 Atlantic Steps performs at the Berkley Performence Center, Boston Ma. Kevin Littlefield Photographer
Hailed for their “fierce familiarity with the old ways” (Irish Music Magazine) the young band Téada has always had a deep respect for tradition. Now Téada (tay-dah) fiddler Oisin Mac Diarmada leads a spectacular cast in “reAwakening,” a new show celebrating 100 years of Irish freedom and culture.
The national tour comes to Phoenix just before St Patrick’s Day on Thursday March 10th and Friday March 11th, at the Musical Instrument Museum. Showtime both nights is 7:00 p.m.  Tickets are $38.50–$43.50, available through 480.478.6000 or online.
“reAwakening” commemorates the historic 1916 Easter Rising rebellion, which led towards Irish independence, with powerful music, song, and dance. Archival video footage and rare still images dating back to 1916 further enhance the performance.
“The show was inspired by the remarkable artistic flourishing of the Irish at home and abroad in the last 100 years,” says Mac Diarmada, noting Ireland’s development from an agrarian society to a global technology leader in the last few decades. Like it’s literary legacy, Ireland’s traditional music is second to none with a vibrant, feisty instrumental tradition and storytelling songs that echo in country and pop hits of today.
Based in County Sligo, Mac Diarmada is called “one of the most gifted and creative traditional fiddlers playing today” (Irish Echo). He’s also a talented producer, bringing the sold-out “Irish Christmas in America” to Phoenix each year as well as the dazzling dance show “Atlantic Steps.”
Brian Cunningham is the one of the most exciting dancers to emerge from Ireland in recent years. The Boston Globe calls him “a charismatic star known for his style, skill, and athleticism.” From rural Connemara, County Galway,Brian carries on the sean-nós (“old style”) steps he learned from his grandparents. The energetic style gave root to American dance forms such as soft shoe, clogging, and tap.
Samantha Harvey is an award-winning step dancer and pianist from California (Ventura), now living in County Sligo. She has performed throughout the world with acts such as Téada, “Irish Christmas in America,” and “Atlantic Steps.”
Legendary West Kerry singer Séamus Begley (2013 TG4 Traditional Singer of the Year) is the elder statesman of the group. Raised in a famous musical family, he’s known for his fiery accordion playing and witty stories as well as his moving songs, sung in English and Irish. Piper and flutist Sean Gavin was born in Detroit to a famous Irish piping father. Just last week Sean became the first American to win the gold medal in Ireland’s Cuireadh Chun Ceoil flute competition. Patrick Doocey is one of Ireland’s finest young guitarists and frequently plays with supergroup Lunasa.
The Irish Rising refers to the organized rebellion aimed at ending British rule which began on Easter Monday, April 24, 1916, and lasted for six days. The rebellion was put down, but started in motion events that would lead to an independent Ireland. The Irish Rising holds strong historical significance for the Irish people and is commemorated annually.
The members of Téada (tay-dah) are uniquely positioned to mark this historic anniversary. The youthful group has always been driven by the timeless, expressive force of music inherited from previous generations. Irish Music Magazine described them “at the cutting edge of the next generation of Irish musicians…with a fierce familiarity with the old ways.” Téada (meaning “strings” in Irish) has done projects on WB Yeats, older Irish musicians, and brought traditional music to festivals and concert halls around the world. Even many of their album titles hark back: “Inne Amarach (Yesterday Tomorrow)”, “Ceol & Cuimhne (Music & Memory).”
“We try to capture some of the rawness and individuality of the solo artist tradition, within the dynamic of a full band,” says Mac Diarmada.
“reAwakening” is supported in part by Culture Ireland, a branch of the Irish government promoting Irish arts worldwide, as part of the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme. The tour travels to San Francisco, San Diego, Portland, Phoenix, Cleveland, and Michigan.