We Banjo 3
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
We Banjo 3 | |
|---|---|
 We Banjo 3 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Galway, Ireland |
| Genres | Celtgrass, Irish traditional, bluegrass |
| Years active | 2011–2023 |
| Label | Sonas Recording |
| Members | Enda Scahill Martin Howley David Howley Fergal Scahill |
| Website | www.webanjo3.com |
We Banjo 3 was a band from Galway, Ireland that played a blend of traditional Irish, old time, and bluegrass music they called Celtgrass. The band was composed of two sets of brothers, Enda Scahill and Fergal Scahill and Martin and David Howley. Earle Hitchner, music writer for The Wall Street Journal, described their playing as a "freshness and finesse bordering on the magical,"[1] and LiveIreland proclaiming them "the hottest group in Irish music."[2] Their debut album Roots of the Banjo Tree was released in 2012 and was named "Traditional Music Album of the Year" by The Irish Times.[3] This was followed by the release of Gather the Good in 2014. Siobhan Long, music critic for the Irish Times, wrote "We Banjo 3 are a musical Betty Ford Clinic, almost singlehandedly rehabilitating the much maligned banjo in 4 short years." In 2016 the band released their fourth album String Theory which debuted at Number One on the Billboard Charts.
The band's line-up is;
- Enda Scahill – Banjo, Mandolin, Tenor Guitar
- Martin Howley – Banjo, Mandolin, Tenor Guitar
- David Howley – Banjo, Vocals, Guitar
- Fergal Scahill – Fiddle, Guitar, Bodhrán
The members of the band have been highly successful in the competitive music field with Martin winning seven All Ireland titles on the banjo and Enda capturing the award four times. Fergal and David have likewise been honoured earning All Ireland titles on the banjo, fiddle, bodhrán and guitar.[4] They are often joined on stage by Martin's wife Kiana June Weber.
In 2016 the band was selected to play for President Barack Obama and Taoiseach Enda Kenny at the annual "Friends of Ireland" luncheon held in Washington, DC around Saint Patrick's Day. President Obama praised the band's show calling it, "Great music. Incredible performance."[5]
In 2017 Fergal embarked on a challenge to record a tune a day for the entire year. His recordings, posted Facebook, instagram (@fergalscahillmusic) and YouTube have become popular worldwide with some videos obtaining over 100,000 views.[6]
