Kevin Conneff
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Kevin Conneff (born January 8, 1945) is more familiarly known as the voice and rhythmic heartbeat of the legendary Irish folk group, The Chieftains, through his talents as vocalist and bodhran player. He joined the group in 1976, replacing Peadar Mercier who had been the second bodhran player for the group. The move was unexpected — he'd been asked to contribute to "Bonaparte's Retreat" (Chieftains VI) and didn't know that Peadar Mercier was retiring until Paddy Moloney, over a pint or two of Guinness, asked Kevin to consider making the contribution permanent. Since then, Kevin has become an integral part of the sound of the Chieftains.
Kevin Conneff was born in Donore, a suburb of Dublin, Ireland and raised in the Liberties, the heart of Dublin. Music was an important part of his home life but, as he later related, "I didn't hear traditional music from the womb," as did other members of the Chieftains. It wasn't until he began work as a photographic assistant for a printing machine company, at age 18, that he was introduced to Irish traditional music. A group of his work mates would hire a car every week to drive to one of the many fleadhanna cheoils (traditional Irish music festivals) within reasonable driving distance. Kevin was drawn in and hooked by what he saw, musicians poorly dressed, having incredible talent but only playing the music for leisure, a music with a long long tradition. That image has remained with Kevin ever since. Kevin began going to the fleadhanna cheolis every weekend, picking up the odd song here and there and joining the performers. He was heavily influenced by the sean nós style of singing from the Donegal/Fermanagh region in Ireland, particularly the singing of Paddy Tunney. At just about that time he picked up his first bodhrán for three pounds in Newscastle West, County Limerick. He'd heard the bodhran on the radio, including the playing of Sean O Riada with Ceoltóirí Chualann, and was amazed at the power of the simple goatskin Irish frame drum.
Kevin soon mastered the bodhrán and began playing and singing at fleadhanna cheoils about Ireland, along with playing with Dublin traditional music circles. For many years, he helped run the Tradition Club, a haven for traditional musicians, including future Chieftains colleques Paddy Moloney, Sean Keane and Michael Tubridy. At the time of the worldwide folk music revival in the 1960's, he joined Christy Moore for what became a benchmark album, Prosperous. He maintained his printing job during this time, also looking after his elderly mother. The decision to join the Chieftains as a professional musician was difficult to make, given his prior commitments, but Kevin has poured his heart and spirit into the music, making an important contribution to the music of the Chieftains.
Kevin has three children, Peigí, Ruairí and Ella and lives in Wicklow with his partner, Jean.
