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June Tabor

Rising up from the Iberian peninsula, over the span of two millennia the Celts engaged in cycles of conquest and retreat that left pockets of their descendents across Western Europe. The most evident homelands of the Celtic people are Ireland, Scotland, Cornwall and Wales, where they play a dominant cultural role and where their languages (with the exception of Cornish) still are spoken side by side with English. However, Celts still live in large numbers in the Brittany region of France... [+] Read More

Rising up from the Iberian peninsula, over the span of two millennia the Celts engaged in cycles of conquest and retreat that left pockets of their descendents across Western Europe. The most evident homelands of the Celtic people are Ireland, Scotland, Cornwall and Wales, where they play a dominant cultural role and where their languages (with the exception of Cornish) still are spoken side by side with English. However, Celts still live in large numbers in the Brittany region of France and Galicia in Spain and Celtic music has survived in those areas. The Irish diaspora has also brought Celtic culture to the New World, with unique Celtic music styles arising from places like Cape Breton in Canada. In the U.S., large Irish settlements in Chicago and Boston produce musicians who play music that at times sounds more traditional than that produced by their fellow musicians in Ireland.

Traditional Celtic music is song-based, and ranges from melancholy tales of lost love and heroes to largely instrumental jigs and reels used for dancing. Stringed instruments, hand-held drums like the bodhran, and a variety of pipes and flutes are played by musicians who usually play solo or in small groups. Modern Celtic music has made a major impact on the New Age genre; its influence on pop and rock is a two-way street, with some modern Celtic bands absorbing the harder-edged sound of rock, while rock bands like the Pogues and the Saw Doctors incorporate Celtic instruments and rhythms into their music.

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Bowhouse Quintet

Celtic Folk is a blend of British folk and Celtic music. It has the structure of traditional British and Celtic music, but the attitude and aesthetics of modern-day folk and contemporary singer/songwriters.

Celtic Folk is a blend of British folk and Celtic music. It has the structure of traditional British and Celtic music, but the attitude and aesthetics of modern-day folk and contemporary singer/songwriters. [-] Hide

Phil Coulter

Celtic Fusion incorporates elements of traditional Celtic music with new age and pop. The result is something that is reminiscent of Celtic music, particularly in themes and motifs, but the instrumentation is distinctly contemporary, and the overall feel is neither Celtic nor new age -- it falls somewhere between the two styles.

Celtic Fusion incorporates elements of traditional Celtic music with new age and pop. The result is something that is reminiscent of Celtic music, particularly in themes and motifs, but the instrumentation is distinctly contemporary, and the overall feel is neither Celtic nor new age -- it falls somewhere between the two styles. [-] Hide

Celtic Gospel are gospel songs -- both traditional and new compositions -- performed in a Celtic style. Usually, Celtic gospel is performed in a traditional style, but as contemporary Celtic grew in popularity during the '90s, some Celtic gospel in this vein was recorded, as well.

Celtic Gospel are gospel songs -- both traditional and new compositions -- performed in a Celtic style. Usually, Celtic gospel is performed in a traditional style, but as contemporary Celtic grew in popularity during the '90s, some Celtic gospel in this vein was recorded, as well. [-] Hide

Máire Brennan

Celtic New Age is a hybrid of Celtic themes, instrumentation, and songs, plus new age production and sensibilities. Clannad and Enya are the best-known figures of this genre, but they're hardly the only artists that specialize in this fusion. This dreamy, ethereal sound crossed over into the mainstream in the late '80s with Enya's Watermark album, and continued to thrive throughout the '90s.

Celtic New Age is a hybrid of Celtic themes, instrumentation, and songs, plus new age production and sensibilities. Clannad and Enya are the best-known figures of this genre, but they're hardly the only artists that specialize in this fusion. This dreamy, ethereal sound crossed over into the mainstream in the late '80s with Enya's Watermark album, and continued to thrive throughout the '90s. [-] Hide

The Corrs

Celtic Pop usually compares to traditional Celtic music in much the same way American and British folk-pop draws upon its counterparts -- while the melodies (and perhaps instrumentation) are unmistakably influenced by the authentic article, at its core the music follows pop conventions and would rarely be mistaken for the traditional form. The style largely developed in the '80s, following a revival of traditional Irish folk during the '70s which, over time, found performers with strong folk... [+] Read More

Celtic Pop usually compares to traditional Celtic music in much the same way American and British folk-pop draws upon its counterparts -- while the melodies (and perhaps instrumentation) are unmistakably influenced by the authentic article, at its core the music follows pop conventions and would rarely be mistaken for the traditional form. The style largely developed in the '80s, following a revival of traditional Irish folk during the '70s which, over time, found performers with strong folk roots gradually beginning to mix elements of rock and pop into their original compositions (although predominantly rock artists like the Pogues don't fit the description). As new age music fans began to discover the ethereal, haunting properties of certain strains of Celtic music, some Celtic pop grew to encompass those tendencies as well, incorporating synthesizers in addition to standard acoustic-based instrumentation (but not quite to the same degree as Celtic fusion artists). Capercaillie and Clannad were two of the most important bands performing in the style. [-] Hide

The Waterboys

From the punk and pipes sound of bands like the Pogues to the New York/Celtic hybrid of Black 47 to the only slightly Irish-inflected sound of the Cranberries, Celtic rock artists combine traditional Irish instruments with rock rhythms to produce music that is equal parts mania and passion, melancholy and romance. Celtic rock often shows the definitive stamp of Irish pub music, but it also draws equally from pop music sounds that range from R&B to alternative rock.

From the punk and pipes sound of bands like the Pogues to the New York/Celtic hybrid of Black 47 to the only slightly Irish-inflected sound of the Cranberries, Celtic rock artists combine traditional Irish instruments with rock rhythms to produce music that is equal parts mania and passion, melancholy and romance. Celtic rock often shows the definitive stamp of Irish pub music, but it also draws equally from pop music sounds that range from R&B to alternative rock. [-] Hide

Enya

During the '80s and '90s, there were several artists that expanded the boundaries of Celtic music by adding elements of pop, rock, folk, jazz, and new age music. These artists, such as Clannad, hailed the beginning of Contemporary Celtic.

During the '80s and '90s, there were several artists that expanded the boundaries of Celtic music by adding elements of pop, rock, folk, jazz, and new age music. These artists, such as Clannad, hailed the beginning of Contemporary Celtic. [-] Hide

Seamus Ennis

Irish Folk refers to folk songs and folk singers from Ireland, who often incorporate traditional Irish and Celtic music into their own style. The style encompasses both traditional Irish folk and contemporary Irish folk, which blends the traditional with contemporary rock and folk influences.

Irish Folk refers to folk songs and folk singers from Ireland, who often incorporate traditional Irish and Celtic music into their own style. The style encompasses both traditional Irish folk and contemporary Irish folk, which blends the traditional with contemporary rock and folk influences. [-] Hide

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A.L. Lloyd

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The Boys of the Lough

The term Traditional Celtic applies not to the Celtic music that was popularized in the '90s. Rather, it is both the earliest recordings of this folk style, plus recordings that keep the music pure, without any of the new age or pop influences that distinguish contemporary Celtic music.

The term Traditional Celtic applies not to the Celtic music that was popularized in the '90s. Rather, it is both the earliest recordings of this folk style, plus recordings that keep the music pure, without any of the new age or pop influences that distinguish contemporary Celtic music. [-] Hide

Dolores Keane

Traditional Irish Folk is Irish folk music performed in a strictly traditional style. Usually, this means that the songs themselves are traditional songs that have been performed for generations, but the term also applies to music that is in the spirit and style of those tunes -- songs that are newly written but use the same acoustic instrumentation.

Traditional Irish Folk is Irish folk music performed in a strictly traditional style. Usually, this means that the songs themselves are traditional songs that have been performed for generations, but the term also applies to music that is in the spirit and style of those tunes -- songs that are newly written but use the same acoustic instrumentation. [-] Hide

Traditional Scottish Folk refers to folk songs and folk singers from Scotland, who often incorporate traditional Scottish and Celtic music into their own style. The style encompasses both traditional Scottish folk and contemporary Irish folk, which blends the traditional with contemporary rock and folk influences.

Traditional Scottish Folk refers to folk songs and folk singers from Scotland, who often incorporate traditional Scottish and Celtic music into their own style. The style encompasses both traditional Scottish folk and contemporary Irish folk, which blends the traditional with contemporary rock and folk influences. [-] Hide