| Len Graham | |
|---|---|
Len Graham singing in Armagh for TG4 |
|
| Background information | |
| Born | 1944 County Antrim, Northern Ireland |
| Genres | Irish traditional Folk Celtic music |
| Occupations | Singer Author |
| Years active | 1975–present |
| Labels | Gael Linn Shanachie Various others |
| Associated acts | Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin Joe Holmes |
| Website | Official website |
| Notable instruments | |
| Voice | |
Len Graham is an Irish traditional singer and song collector from County Antrim, Northern Ireland. He is a leading authority on Folk music in Ireland.
Contents |
Len Graham was born in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. His father, a fiddler brought him to sessions in the local area as a young boy. Throughout the 1960s, Len travelled around Ireland to record and preserve folk songs, befriending singers such as Joe Holmes. Graham won the All Ireland Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann traditional singing competion in 1971, an important accolade for Irish traditional musicians around the world.[1]
In 1975, Len released his first album, a collaboration between himself an mentor Joe Holmes. "Chaste Muses, Bards and Sages" on Free Reed Records. In 1976, Len released his first solo album, "Wind and Water" with Topic Records. This was followed by his second collaboration with Holmes in 1978. "After Dawning: Traditional Songs, Ballads and Lilts from the North of Ireland" was released on the Ossian USA label.
Len continued to collaborate with other poets and seanchaithe and storytellers. Since collecting songs from Ulster's older traditional singers, among them Eddie Butcher and Joe Holmes, his association with John Campbell would begin a 20-year collaboration of story and song. During the 1980s–90s, Graham and Campbell would bring their events and work to cross-community groups around Ireland, especially to the north which was at civil war. Graham and Campbell also gave talks on the shared cultural traditions of both the Nationalist and Unionist populations in the north, contributing to the narrowing of the cultural divide.
Songs collected and recorded by Len Graham are now well known in folk repertoire around the world, and have been recorded by Altan, De Dannan, The Chieftains, Cherish the Ladies, Andy Irvine and Karen Casey, among others.
Len's recording career has culminated in over twenty albums of song. In November 2008, he gave a lecture and performance at the Library of Congress entitled "It's Of My Rambles: A Journey in the Song Tradition of Ulster". Graham's book, "Here I Am Amongst You", on the songs, dance music and traditions of Joe Holmes was published by Four Courts Press in 2010.[2]
Len and his wife Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin, who is also a traditional singer, both specialize in the songs of Ulster. Together they recorded an album of children's songs, called "When I was Young." They live in Mullaghbawn, Co. Armagh.