Eileen Ivers photo by Luke Ratray
When asked to think about Ireland, what are your initial thoughts?
Perhaps it’s rolling green fields, potatoes and sheep. Maybe it’s a dirt black pint of Guinness. Or, for poetry fans, maybe it’s a verse by W.B. Yeats.
It wouldn’t take too long before you started to think about music — jigs and reels and other spirited songs. And when it comes to Irish music, perhaps few in America are as recognized for it as Eileen Ivers. A past member of both the “Riverdance” touring company and also Cherish the Ladies, an all-female Irish supergroup, Eileen Ivers has earned accolades throughout her career. As a youth, she won nine All Ireland Fiddle Championships. Stateside, she’s earned a Grammy Award and much praise.
With her backing band, Immigrant Soul, Ivers tours the country, playing both traditional Irish tunes and bluegrass numbers.
She chatted with me recently about her early adoption of the fiddle, the cultural impact of “Riverdance” and much more. Read the story that resulted from the interview in What’s Up!, which was published Friday (Nov. 9) or via our website. You’ll need to be a subscriber to do so.
Ivers and Immigrant Soul perform Thursday (Nov. 15) at the Walton Arts Center. Tickets are $10-$25, and the show begins at 7 p.m. Get tickets by calling 443-5600 or through the venue’s website.
Talking Irish fiddle with a nine-time Irish fiddle champion
