SHAMROCK BAND
Concert of irish music.
With this concert, the Meeting affirms its passion for Ireland. And it will be thanks to the ShamRock Band (but really folk) that the notes of Ireland will resound, with that unmistakable tonality that, as Irish journalist John Waters wrote, seems to come “from the soul in a continual whirlwind, as if seeking some perfect formula to explain something otherwise incomprehensible.”
The band proposes traditional Irish music, both sung and instrumental, in a version that is strictly folk.
Each member of the band has a profound tie to Ireland that goes beyond mere musical tastes, owing to travels, encounters, and stories that have brought the hearts of the musicians nearer to a country with an extraordinary history, encompassing glory, poverty, struggles for freedom, and deep religiosity. The band’s name hearkens back to one of the most important symbols of the island, the shamrock, which was used by St. Patrick to explain the mystery of the Holy Trinity.
“People often ask us why we play music from the Irish tradition,” say the band members. They wonder, “Isn’t it strange to embrace a tradition that is apparently so distant from your own?”
“For us, playing music represents the only true response to these questions. You can try to explain the beauty of certain songs, the allure of certain landscapes, or the explosive humanity of a proud people and a turbulent history. But listening directly to these stories in music is something completely different: from the darkest sadness in defeat to the most unbridled joy at a festival, from the nostalgia of a farewell to the enjoyment of a good story at a pub… There is no aspect of humanity that is not present in Irish folk music.
“We were blown away by the beauty of a world that is far-off, it’s true, but very close to our hearts. Each one of us carefully cherished this passion, until, one after another, we all met to share it.”
Since 2009, the band has played more than 70 concerts, evoking the spirit of Ireland in town squares, fairs, churches, and theaters, and drawing together the most disparate of audiences in music and dance.
The band’s first CD was recently released. Entitled The Welcome Glass, it is a collection of songs and music that presents the exhilarating and passionate style of ShamRock Band’s live performances and features various collaborators: journalist John Waters, young Dublin singer Sara Sorensen, and musicians Daniele Bogni and Ermens Angelon.
Band Members
Gabriele Zottarelli – Accordion, Backup Vocals
Pierluca Mancuso – Fiddle
Giorgio Natale – Vocals, Guitar
Eleanor de Veras – Vocals
Andrea Natale – Mandolin, Guitar, Tin Whistle, Backup Vocals
Stefano Rizza – Vocals, Banjo, Guitar
Sergio Fornasieri – Uilleann Pipes, Flute, Bodhrán