Altan

So let's start with Maraid.

Before there was Altan, before there was recordings and traveling around the world, take us back to your own home.

What did traditional music sound like in your family when you were growing up?

Well, when I was growing up in the early 60s, my father was one of the only musicians in the parish that would play out in the public because there was a reason for that going back to the time of the Land League where the local priest, although he was very good with supporting people's rights, he hated the music and he'd go around and he'd break up instruments.

Frankie Kennedy passed away in 1994 at the age of 38 from Ewing's sarcoma.

He was the co-founder and flute player for the internationally acclaimed Irish traditional folk band Altan.

Chuck Rio passed away in 2006 at the age of 77 from pneumonia and Parkinson's disease.

Real name, Danny Flores.

Joining me now is Máire Ní Mhaonaigh.

She is the lead vocalist and fiddler of the legendary Irish folk band Altan.

She's here to share her memories of working with Dolly Parton, and Altan has an American tour this fall.

They will be performing a song in honor of Dolly Parton.

Máire, I really appreciate your time.

[laughs] But she actually insisted that I would sing in my native language, and I did that t- three times with her.

We recorded three times with Dolly.

Twice on her own albums, uh, Little Sparrow in LA as well in 1999, and then she offered to sing with me on one of Altan, our, my band, o- on Altan's album, and she sang The Pretty Young Girl, which was a song in Gaelic, An Cailín Geal Óg.