Plúirín na mBan – Female Rambling Sailor (Whirling Discs, 2023)
Female Rambling Sailor, the debut album by Plúirín na mBan, presents a splendid mix of Irish traditional melodies and ambient, electronic sounds. The trio includes Irish vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Cathy Jordan, Austrian violinist Claudia Schwab, and Irish composer and sound designer Irene Buckley. Together, they beautifully craft an innovative and spellbinding set where they intertwine ancient Celtic songs with modern textures and rhythms. The emotive, seductive, deeply moving vocals and the stellar, stirring and audacious fiddle performances are truly delightful.
This collaboration began at the Cairde Sligo Arts Festival in 2019 through the project “Meascán – Music Across Cultures,” where the artists explored the fusion of traditional and contemporary sounds. A commission from CSAF in 2020 inspired them to delve deeper into creating music that transcends genres, resulting in a unique repertoire incorporating elements of Irish, Indian classical, jazz, and ambient electronic influences. They recorded the album over 2021 and 2022.
Female Rambling Sailor focuses on storytelling from a female perspective, a theme that evolved organically during the group’s collaboration. The album weaves traditional Irish themes with modern electronica in the form of mesmerizing drones. These parallel currents underlie ancient lyrics, while transfixing fiddle delays and loops evoke ghostly tales. At the same time, the haunting pulse of the bodhrán accompanies a sailor’s love story. The trio’s graceful vocal harmonies pay tribute to women in maritime lore, carrying themes of love, caution, and resilience.
Musicians: Cathy Jordan on vocals, guitarlele, bouzouki, bodhrán and guitar; Claudia Schwab on violins, vocals, harmonium, keyboards and thumb harp; and Irene Buckley on electronics, vocals, keyboards.
Produced by: Plúirín na mBan and Brian McDonagh.
Artwork and Design: Craig Carry
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.