Cillian Vallely, hailing from Co. Armagh, is a talented artist from a distinguished traditional Irish music family. Vallely’s parents, Brian and Eithne Vallely, are the founders of the renowned Armagh Pipers’ Club, an establishment that has played a pivotal role in the revival of traditional music in Northern Ireland for over half a century.
Vallely was raised in a musical household and mentored by his father and local piper Mark Donnelly. Under their tutelage, Vallely learned to play the whistle and Uilleann pipes, and his unique style was later influenced by the rhythmic and flowing style of Paddy Keenan. Vallely began his professional career in the 1990s, touring with groups such as the New York-based Whirligig and the dance show Riverdance.
In 1999, Vallely joined Lúnasa and recorded seven albums with them. The group has performed over 1,500 shows in 20 countries, including major tours throughout North America and Europe, Japan, Hong Kong, New Zealand, and Australia.
Lúnasa is widely considered to be a pioneer of Irish music and has received widespread critical acclaim. They have played at prominent venues such as the Hollywood Bowl, the Royal Concert Hall of Glasgow, Dublin’s National Concert Hall, and the Bercy Arena in Paris. They have also performed at major folk, Celtic and world music festivals, including Glastonbury, WOMAD, the Edmonton Folk Festival, and Lorient Interceltique. Their most recent project, a groundbreaking album with Ireland’s RTÉ Concert Orchestra, was released in 2013. Lúnasa is a leading figure in the world of Celtic and Irish traditional music.
Vallely is a highly sought-after studio session musician, with over 60 recordings to his credit. He has collaborated on traditional music projects such as Callan Bridge with his brother Niall and On Common Ground with Lúnasa bandmate Kevin Crawford. He has also toured and recorded with numerous other artists, including Natalie Merchant, Tim O’Brien, Mary Chapin-Carpenter, Alan Simon (with members of Fairport Convention and the Moody Blues), the Celtic Jazz Collective with David O’Rourke, Lewis Nash, and Peter Washington, the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, Karan Casey, Micheal O’Suilleabhain, and many more.
Vallely’s music has also been featured in the soundtrack for the BBC series Flight of the Earls and Hollywood films such as The Golden Boys.
Among the notable albums that feature Vallely’s contributions are Aine Minogue’s “To Warm the Winter’s Night” (1996), John Whelan’s “Come to Dance” (1999), and Karan Casey’s “Distant Shore” (2003).
Vallely’s contribution to Bruce Springsteen’s “High Hopes” album in 2014, a modern-day classic, further cemented his reputation as a world-class musician.
In 2016, Vallely released his solo debut, “The Raven’s Rock.” The album features a mix of traditional tunes and original compositions played with a contemporary flair and includes a number of all-star players such as his brothers Niall Vallely and Caoimhin Vallely (Buille), Sean Óg Graham (Beoga, Uláid), Paul Meehan (Lúnasa, At First Light), Ryan McGiver, and Jeremy Kittel (Jeremy Kittel Trio).
Discography:
Solo
Raven’s Rock (BallyO Records, 2016)
With Lúnasa
The Merry Sisters of Fate (Green Linnet 1213, 2001)
Redwood (Green Linnet, 2003)
The Kinnitty Sessions (Compass Records, 2004)
Sé (Compass Records, 2006)
Lá Nua (2010)
Lúnasa With The RTÉ Concert Orchestra (Lunasa Records, 2013)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.