Mozaik who are coming to Ballybofey.
ONE OF the music gigs of the year takes place in Ballybofey next week as traditional super group Mozaik get together for a rare and wonderful concert.
Mozaik consists of Irish music legends Andy Irvine and Dónal Lunny who are joined by Hungarian Nikola Parov, Bruce Molsky from the US and Dutchman Rens van der Zalm – musicians as versatile and eclectic as the music they create.
Each member of the band has recorded extensively during their musical careers – Nikola solo and with numerous Balkan bands in Hungary; Bruce with solo albums and collaborations with Pete Seeger, Martin Hayes, Bill Frisell and many others; Dónal with bands ranging from Planxty and The Bothy Band to Moving Hearts and more than 100 other albums that he has produced and played on for other artists; Andy with Sweeney’s Men, Planxty and Patrick Street, solo and with Paul Brady; Rens has also recorded with Andy, and many Dutch bands like Wolverlei and Fungus.
Between them the band plays over 20 instruments with Nikola covering a bewildering range of East European instruments that many people will never have seen before.
Mozaik is the ultimate global string band, a truly international ensemble, who can not only perform music from a wide array of cultures but interweave their myriad influences into an entirely new sound moving effortlessly from Celtic to old-time to Eastern European music, with intricate string arrangements complementing Andy and Bruce’s vocals.
The end result is a fiery fusion of Irish, Balkan, and American Old Time music performed by a traditional music super group.
It’s increasingly rare that the schedules of these five amazing musicians align to enable them to perform together as Mozaik so seize the rare opportunity to see them next week.
Mozaik play The Balor Arts Centre, Ballybofey, on Thursday, October 9, at 8.30pm. Tickets are available from the Balor Box Office on 0749131840 or online at www.balorartscentre.com