Anuna Everywhere, Except and Including Kansas City
Anúna are about to be everywhere in the US.
By everywhere I mean in that way that Riverdance was, and Celtic Woman more recently.
I first talked about Anúna here on Irish KC last year when I wrote about Irish Choral Music and Celtic Underpants.
If you’re not familiar with them just think 1,000 years of Irish singing, be it folk or pop or classical, but choral, top class vocals, and yet unable to resist all the trappings of Celtic kitsch that almost overwhelmed them when they landed in the popular consciousness of a nation by singing the introductory piece to the original Riverdance in that Eurovision intermission.
Eimear Quinn left Anúna and promptly won the Eurovision herself with The Voice (Video on YouTube). Also, Celtic Woman women, if you know what I mean, Orla Fallon, Deirdre Gilsenan, and Méav Ní Mhaolchatha were former Anúna soloists.
Other notable past Anúna members include original Riverdance lead singers Katie McMahon and Sara Clancy. And a whole slew of people who have been involved with Riverdance, Lord of The Dance, and Irish entertainment in general.
And if that list isn’t long enough for you, Anúna have collaborated with more people than you can shake a stick at (before repetitive strain injury sets in, that is). For example here’s a small sample of names: Elvis Costello • The Chieftains • Jimmy McCarthy • Sinéad Ó Connor • Máire Brennan • Liam Ó Maonla • Iarla Ó Lionaird • Barry Manilow • Máiréad Ní Mhaonaigh • Liam O Flynn • Sting.
Right now Anúna are touring Borders stores in the US. And they’re going everywhere in the US. Everywhere but Kansas City as far as I can tell.
And when the Borders US tour finishes at the end of August 2007, then Anúna tour North America, which of course means the United States and Toronto. That concert tour starts on October 3 and finishes on December 5, 2007. Maybe I’m wrong - let me know - but out of the more than 40 cities in the U.S. and Canada I haven’t spotted KC listed.
However Anúna still will be everywhere. Because of Celtic Origins. Making its TV debut this week is Celtic Origins by Anúna, a Public Television pledge drive special on more than 220 Public TV stations nationwide.
As part of the Pledge Drive, a limited edition Anúna Deluxe Concert DVD will be available exclusively through the nation’s Public Television stations. This special pledge item will be complemented by a companion CD, because DVDs get lonely, as well as concert tickets in select cities as part of Anúna’s North American tour.
This companion CD is currently available at retail exclusively at Borders and is in fact currently Borders’ #1 top selling CD nationwide for the week.
You can catch a couple of videos I stuck up on my earlier Anúna post, but I suspect the videos themselves will be catching you soon enough.
ONLINE
• Anúna: Website
• Anúna: MySpace
• Celtic Origins: Website
See More on Irish Showbusiness:
• Lord of the Dance Insults Eileen Ivers
• Irish Show Folk & Weird Celtic Fox
• Irishness to Oirishness: The Flatley Dance
• Flatley Troubles Troubles
• Flatley The Re-inventor
• Scottish-based Irish Dancer Faster than God
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