FROM East Clare Martin Hayes learned to play the fiddle from his father P.J. Hayes, leader of The Tulla Ceilí Band. He forged a musical partnership with guitarist Dennis Cahill in the Eighties that has developed into a universally recognized powerful force in the music world. They tour constantly throughout the U.S. Ireland, Europe, Japan and bi-annually to Australia. They have performed in concert halls and performing arts centres in China, Tokyo and Mexico bringing traditional Irish music to the world. But it’s not all about music from the past, as Martin Hayes explained to Limerick Post this week.
On an NPR webcast show in the US recently, Martin and Dennis were in particularly fine form performing for a small group on the public radio network. They played some of the old, ‘P. Joe’s Reel’ which Martin learned from his father, mixed with a newer tune from Peadar Ó Riada called ‘The Barack Obama Reel’.
Martin says, “I’ve been working with Peadar quite a bit, he has composed an incredible amount of tunes. I have all of those, I’m always looking out for new music and new ideas. This music is not slavishly looking towards the past, people are all the time coming up with new ideas and melodies.”
Martin and Dennis have a musical partnership extending back to the ‘80s. They formed the band Midnight Court in Chicago to experiment with the various forms of music that interested them. Eventually, Martin chose to return to the roots of Irish music and Dennis joined him thereafter to explore the music as a duet. Together they have garnered renown for taking traditional music to the very edge of the genre with their slow-building, fiery performances. The New York Times calls them “a Celtic complement to Steve Reich’s quartets or Miles Davis’ ‘Sketches of Spain.”
“Over time you just develop understanding, and then you begin to develop a musical thing that is very connected to the way he plays and very connected to the way I play. I couldn’t just hop down the road and find a musician to replace Dennis, it’s a unique musical relationship. We are great friends over a long time. We have spent loads of time over the years talking about music and experimenting with it and getting to know each others strengths and weaknesses.”
Martin is part of trad/improvisational supergroup The Gloaming who recorded a debut album in Grouse Lodge late last year. There is no release date for the album yet but the group comprising of Thomas Bartlett, Iarla Ó Lionaird, Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh as well as Martin and Dennis Cahill will begin touring this year.
“It feels like a very expanded version of what Dennis and myself do. I am enjoying working with The Gloaming, I do all these projects but I always come back to these gigs with Dennis, such as the upcoming show in Lime Tree Theatre. It still my favourite. It’s the bedrock of what I do musically.”
In 2010 he realised a personal ambition to perform and meet US President Obama. He has been appointed to the board of University of Limerick and has performed on a few occasions for President Michael D. Higgins.
With international success and constant demand for his music worldwide, does Martin feel that Traditional Irish music does not always get the respect it deserves at home? That it gets taken for granted as a session in the corner of a pub treated as background music?
“I know there has been some talk about that lately. If I play in a session, an informal thing, I expect people to be chatting, but then a concert is a concert and that usually works in a very respectful way so far as I can see. It has all got to do with the situation we create.. I see no difference between playing here or playing in New York or in Tokyo.
“I feel a deeper connection here, I wouldn’t change my setlist for example when whether I’m playing in Tokyo or Limerick. I find Irish audiences to be great, my experiences are good and people are open to the music.”
“Every concert is about one thing, to create a real experience, for myself and Dennis and for everyone there.
“Every concert is nothing more than an attempt to create that experience and bring people into it and hopefully make it a joyful experience.”
Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill perform at Lime Tree this Friday May 31 at 8pm.
