At the end of 2019 Dervish received a prestigious lifetime achievement award from the BBC, a fitting tribute to the band after over 30 years of recording and performing all over the world. Described by the BBC as “an icon of Irish music”, the band has played at festivals from Rio to Glastonbury. They accompanied the Irish President on state visits to Latvia and Lithuania and Prime Minister of Ireland on a trade mission to China as Cultural Ambassadors taking time out to play an impromptu session on the Great Wall of China. Dervish has a line-up which includes some of Ireland’s finest traditional musicians, fronted by one of the country’s best-known singers, Cathy Jordan.

 

The Guardian newspaper commented:

“Dervish are simply brilliant…they carry Irish

history with them.” Dervish is long-established

as one of the biggest names in Irish music

internationally. They’re renowned for live

performances, which match dazzling sets of

tunes with stunning interpretations of

traditional songs.  Their studio and live

albums – 13 to date – make up one of the

outstanding catalogues in Irish music.

 

All six members of Dervish are steeped in the musical traditions of counties Sligo and Leitrim in north-west Ireland. It’s an area which matches the Atlantic coastline with storied mountains and rural landscapes. It has inspired a host of musicians, artists and writers, including the Nobel Prize-winning poet W. B. Yeats.

 

In 2004 Dervish was given their home town’s highest honor when they were given the freedom of Sligo City in a civic reception, an accolade they share with Yeats himself, Michael Flatley and Countess Markievicz.

 

Dervish was formed in 1989 when four of the founding members met while playing informal sessions in the pubs of Sligo – Shane Mitchell (accordion), Liam Kelly (flute/whistle), Brian McDonagh (mandola/mandolin) and Michael Holmes (bouzouki). They were soon joined by Roscommon- born singer and bodhran (drum) player Cathy Jordan, and later by all-Ireland Fiddle Champion Tom Morrow in 1998. It’s a remarkable and at times electric combination – “capable of playing with note-perfect accuracy and perfect control at nearly supersonic levels” (Irish Voice, New York).

But Dervish marries technical brilliance with a rare sensibility, born of an understanding of the music and many years of playing together. The Irish Times said their “integrity makes the group a formidable heir to the throne abandoned by The Bothy Band, if not a serious contender for The Chieftains’ international space.” The News Journal (Delaware) described Dervish as: “The most compelling, most soulful Irish traditional folk band playing today. If you ever find yourself in the beautiful town of Sligo on the wild Atlantic way, check out the music sessions that take place in many establishments. The members of Dervish enjoy playing tunes back where it all began.