Malinky

Few new bands of recent times have made such an impact as Malinky. From winning the inaugral "Danny Award" for their open-stage performance at the 1999 Celtic Connections festival, to the rave reviews garnered by their second album "3 Ravens" (CDTRAX233), this Scots/Irish five-piece band has emerged as one of the hottest properties on the international Celtic scene. The Band's song-centred reportoire combines a deep appreciation of tradition with a vibrant freshness of approach, taking in both classical ballads and outstanding and original songwriting, alongside sparkling instumental sets.

Malinky's current line-up features members Steve Byrne (cocals, bousouki, guitar) and Mark Dunlop (whistles, bodhran, vocals), together with later arrival Jon Bews (fiddle, vocals), and new members for 2005, rising star Fiona Hunter (vocals, cello), along with multi-instrumentalist Ewan MacPherson (mandolin, guitar, mandola, tenor banjo, vocals). With three of the five sharing lead vocal duties, and the entire group contributing backing vocals, the richness and breadth of their song palette is second to none, leaving listeners spoilt for choice between Fiona's cool lyrical clarity, Steve's Angus-scented resonance and Mark's soulful, Ulster-style delivery.

All five, too, are noted as sympathetic and imaginative accompanists, responding fluently to the intrinsic mood and shape of a song, while weaving in colours and rythms borrowed from a wide swathe of traditional and contempoary sources. Steve has also been hailed as one of Scotland's talented young songwriters, while Mark, Jon and Ewan contribute strong original tunes into the mix.