Cherish the Ladies is an Irish traditional music sensation, one of the most successful and sought-after Irish-American groups in Celtic music history. The group was named after a well-known Irish traditional jig.
Organized in in 1985 by folklorist and musician Mick Moloney and sponsored by the Ethnic Folk Arts Center and the National Endowment for the Arts, they began as a concert series featuring the brightest lights in Irish traditional music. Though initially the group won recognition as the first and only all-women traditional Irish band, they soon established themselves as musicians and performers without peer and have won many thousands of listeners and fans of their music.
With their remarkable mix of skilled instrumental talents, beautiful vocals, captivating arrangements and dazzling step dancing, Cherish the Ladies combines all the facets of Irish traditional culture and puts it forth in a humorous and entertaining package. The group has traveled throughout North and South America, the United Kingdom and Europe performing in the finest concert halls and international festivals. They have been named Entertainment Group of the Year by the Irish Voice Newspaper and received the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall’s International Group of the Year Award at the Celtic Connections Festival in Scotland.
The original musicians were Joanie Madden (flute, whistles), Mary Coogan (guitar), Maureen Doherty Macken (button accordion, whistle), Winifred Horan (fiddle, dancing feet), Siobhan Egan (bodhran), Eileen Golden (dancing feet).
Discography:
Cherish the Ladies: Irish Women Musicians in America (Shanachie, 1985)
Fathers And Daughters from Cherish the Ladies: Irish Traditional Music in America (1985)
The Back Door (Green Linnet, 1992)
Out and About (Green Linnet, 1993)
New Day Dawning (Green Linnet, 1996)
Live! (1997)
One and All: The Best of Cherish the Ladies (Green Linnet, 1998)
Threads of Time (1998)
At Home (1999)
The Girls Won’t Leave the Boys Alone (2001)
Across the Waves (2004)
On Christmas Night (Rounder, 2004)
Woman of the House (Rounder, 2005)
A Star In The East (2009)
Country Crossroads (2011)
An Irish Homecoming, Live from Bucknell (2013)
Christmas in Ireland (2015)
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.
