The
Irish are known for their love for music and dance. The traditional
music of Ireland still has a strong foothold in the music scene despite
the various influences from abroad. There are many bands that still
play traditional music. The most famous amongst these musicians was
Turlough Carolan who composed over 200 musical pieces. Celtic music is
also considered to be a part of their culture. Towards the later period
of the 20th century, Ireland also saw a lot of music groups gaining
popularity on the international map. Sean-nós had a major role to play
in Irish music. Amongst the most honored in classical Irish music, Sir
James Galway has always been considered to be an excellent flutist.
Classical music has seen its revival only in the past few years; this
is primarily because of the divide of the island (North and South). The
area of the Northern Ireland falls under UK and the Southern falls
under the Republic of Ireland.
The
beauty of the Irish dance is such that it can mesmerize even those who
have no particular interest in dance. My personal favorites are
Riverdance (a show performed in 1994), which showcased quite a few
varieties of Irish dance. Step dancing remains the most popular variant
till date. Sean-nós dancing, old step dancing, and the modern versions
of step dancing are popular all over the world.
