Press
“The sizzling dynamics of a live session propel this debut from its opening reels set. Mórga are a newly minted foursome, featuring Danny Diamond on fiddle and Barry Brady on button accordion. Banjo and bodhrán from Jonas Fromseier and Dominic Keogh are the other propulsive forces, which put a dozen sets through their paces, with Fromseier lending the original pot-bellied Greek bouzouki to the mix with superb results. At times the sheer breakneck speed of Mórga’s tune choices might send listeners diving for respite, but fleeting glimpses of restraint on the Seamus Ennis-inspired Return from Fingal and the old-timey whimsy of Biddy Martin’ s reveal musicians in thrall of the electricity that passes between them, but still intimately acquainted with the space between the notes. An impressive debut with limitless spark in its fuse box.”
Siobhan Long, The Irish Times
“New to us, and we believe new to you, too. But this is a mere misfortune for us. But fate has now taken a hand and sent us a fresh new band of high flyers. This drives along nicely allowing you to capture the contributions from each of the players, even in the melee of a fast reel. You should really have a serious listen here. It’s very good indeed.”
allcelticmusic.com
Gosh darn! The self-titled CD by Irish traditional band Morga is blowing me away as I type! Comparisons to De Dannan are fully justified.
Tom Bingham, radio host (WCVF-FM)
“These young musicians’ enthousiasm, interplay and their perfected style already puts them on line with the biggest groups in traditional Irish music. They impressed us with their ability to liven up every kind of venue or audience. The mix of instruments sound in perfect harmony, the tunes are varied and you’ll quickly be astonished by their ability to breathe new life and momentum into their Irish musical heritage.”
Didier Riez, Festival Irlandaise en Artois Gohelle
“Powerful, compelling, and full of life, this debut CD is extremely impressive. Mórga have been compared to early De Danann, and there are many similarities. Both are based on fiddle and box with bodhrán and round-backed bouzouki (and a touch of banjo), producing the same general sound. There’s also a shared interest in the less common dance forms: barndances, marches, hornpipes and polkas all feature on this album. However, the differences are also striking. Firstly, while Mórga don’t yet have the finesse of De Danann, I’d say they already have the edge in raw energy:McDermott’s and Ride a Mile kick up the dust all right, and at times these lads almost outdo themselves in sheer drive and velocity. Secondly, Mórga is purely instrumental (a plus point for me - long may it be so!). No guest singers here, but there’s more than enough variety in their tunes to hold your attention. In amongst the Clare and Donegal influences are the Anglo-Irish jig Wellington’s Advance, the Scottish reel Miss Mac Donald, and a couple of other strays. The closest Mórga come to a song here is the polka version of Mary my Fine Daughter, named for Biddy Martin.
Although three members of Mórga are based in Galway, none of them is from that county. Box-player Barry Brady is a Westmeath man, drummer Dominic Keogh is from Mayo, and the young fella on bouzouki and banjo is Danish export, Jonas Fromseier - probably. The fourth member is fiddler Danny Diamond, son of Dermy and Tara, Dublin reared with Ulster roots. Despite their different back-grounds, these youngsters seem to have a common approach to the music; maybe it’s their generation, exposed to everything from Planxty to Riverdance, which has produced a curious mix of respectful and unorthodox attitudes.
I hear touches of Beoga in Trim the Velvet, of Bellowhead in Return from Fingal, but also the spirit of John Doherty, Seamus Ennis, Mike Flanagan, Charlie Lennon and other masters of the tradition throughout this recording. Don’t miss the masterful versions of ‘The Orphan’ and ‘Mulqueen’s’ before the final sprint for the finishing line.
My hat is off to Mórga for a very fine debut, one which will bear repeated listening and will do them credit for years to come. If you want to know more, try www.morga.ie.
Alex Monaghan, Irish Music Magazine
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