As a young teenager Marianne discovered her father’s old Irish vinyl music collection. This was the beginning of a musical journey that started with the release of the EP "By Yonder Town “in 2004 and continues with the debut album “Dear Irish Boy” release in 2010.
“Dear Irish Boy” presents traditional Irish songs from Ulster, particularly from Co. Down. Of the 12 tracks on the album, two are written and composed by Marianne Green herself and one by her collaborator and producer, Martin O'Hare. Apart from the songs in English there are two songs in Gaelic, also from the northern tradition. Co-producing and playing on the album is Andy Irvine, who is an icon in Irish music. He is particularly known to be one of the most innovative forces encapsulating the essence of tradition while adding new time signatures and chords.
Although the music is deeply rooted in Irish traditional music, it is important for Marianne to find songs open to her own interpretation. The songs that are not her own, are carefully researched and rarely recorded before. The album is recorded at Spring Records, Rostrevor, Co. Down, N. Ireland where the beautiful and evocative natural surroundings match the environment in which the songs originate.
It is possible to book Marianne Green for live performance of the songs from “Dear Irish Boy” as well as songs in English and Gaelic from her mainly Irish repertoire. Marianne Green can be booked with an accompanist as a duo or with musicians as a 3 or 4 piece band. At the moment she is working closely with Norwegian guitar player Magnus Wiik and bodhrán player Martin O’Hare.
Band Members – TrioMagnus Wiik has one foot rooted in jazz and improvised music and the other in folk-music from Ireland and America. He has spent the last years doing a bachelor degree in jazz and improvisation at the renowned jazz-conservatory in Trondheim and the rhythmic conservatory in Copenhagen. His musical activities has led him to appearing on stages throughout all of Europe as well as Canada, and he is frequently touring with internationally renowned jazz-musicians such as Alexandra Grimal and Daniel Rorke. Magnus has appeared on several records, both as a guitar, piano, banjo, mandolin and dobro-player, and 2010 sees him featured as a leader and main composer on Aphrodisiacs debut-album Yearning.
Martin O’Hare is considered one of the best players of the Irish hand drum, the bodhrán. The bodhrán is the heartbeat in Irish music, and played skillfully and with understanding for the tradition, it enhances the experience of the tunes and the rhythmic structure of the music.
Martin O’Hare, born in Belfast, has been a member of bands such as Ash Plant, Lá Lúgh, Riverdance, Tim O’Briens “The Crossing” and Mairtín O’Connor’s band Chatterbox.
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