Bua in Concert, April 15

Tickets $15 advance purchase, $18 at the door  Doors 7PM, Show 7:30

Bua — the name means “innate gift” in Irish Gaelic — generates a varied, layered mix through the efforts of multi-instrumentalists Jackie Moran on bodhrán and tenor banjo, Chris Bain on fiddle and bouzouki, Seán Gavin on uilleann pipes and flute, Brian Ó hAirt on concertina and tin whistle, and Brian Miller on guitar and flute.

 

A quintet comprised of some of America's most talented, young musicians, Bua have been described by Irish Music Magazine as "the essence of a superb band."  Tipping their hats to such greats as The Bothy Band and Planxty, their sound is "a throwback to the playing of the 1960s and 1970s, keeping the music down the path of tradition."  Their 2006 release, Live at Martyrs' is "a work without gimmicks, where the musicianship is of the highest quality."  It is no surprise that Bua, taking their name from the Irish Gaelic word for victory, have quickly risen to be one of America's premier traditional Irish music ensembles.

As a band, Bua have performed at numerous festivals including Boston's prestigious Irish Connections Festival, The Milwaukee Irish Festival, Cleveland's Irish Cultural Festival, Celtic Fest Chicago and The Saline Celtic Festival.  As individuals they've shared the stage with a host of top Irish musicians including Martin Hayes, David Munnelly, Liz Carroll, Larry Nugent, Paddy Keenan, Aoife Clancy, Pat Broaders, Dennis Cahill, John Williams and Frankie Gavin. 

 

Bill Margeson of the Irish American News captures their essence concisely:  "Clearly, this group is no locally-based collection of musicians trying to break out of Chicago.  This is a group that has established itself [both] individually and as a group in the eyes and ears of the traditional community…As other bands change, disband or simply fade away, the tradition is blessed by what seems to be an inexhaustible pool of talent that comes to the front of the stage.  It is Bua's time.  Here they come."