Click to download hi-res printable image

A group of siblings from the town of Sydney Mines, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada is Barra MacNeils, a band specializing in traditional Celtic music of their island. While their father was musical, the greater influence on them was their mother, a piano player and stepdancer who still teaches stepdancing on the island. Along with all the extracurricular activities of any normal family, the MacNeil kids learned step dancing from their mother, sang in church choirs, and took lessons from local masters of Cape Breton music. The two oldest boys first started publicly performing at local square dances and, before long, the family was performing at events throughout the island. Today, Barra MacNeils (the “Barra” name is from the island in Scotland that was the MacNeil Clan seat) performs all over North America with Kyle (vocals, backing vocals, guitar, fiddle, mandolin), Lucy (vocals, bodhran, Celtic harp, step dance); Sheumas (vocals, keyboard), Stewart (vocals, accordion, wooden flute, tin whistle, guitar), friend Jamie Gatti (bass), and, sometimes with younger MacNeil brothers Ryan and Boyd.

In 1986, while attending Mount Allison University as music majors, the MacNeils recorded their first album and have since issued several others, including ones on Polygram label. One of their albums was nominated for Canada’s prestigious Juno music award for best traditional roots music. The group has sometimes incorporated a folk-rock influence into their music; however, for the Barra MacNeils, being "au courant" is not as important as being true to the tradition they hold close to their souls.

http://www.barramacneils.com