Paddy Moloney & The Chieftains have been highly recognized for reinventing traditional Irish music on a contemporary and international scale for more than five decades. “55 years, wow, where have they gone as we’re still going strong,” says Moloney, leader of the six-time Grammy Award-winning band.
On Wednesday, February 22, 2017, 7:30 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center, Cal Poly Arts presents the Central Coast’s favorite Celtic group in an encore CHIEFTAINS engagement. Local vocal ensemble CANZONA joins them as special guests.
According to Moloney, “This tour will have all the musical force of what we’ve accumulated and achieved over the last 55 years, with a few extra gems thrown in for good measure.”
The Chieftains were formed in Ireland in 1962 by Moloney; their ability to transcend musical boundaries to blend traditional with modern music has notably hailed them as one of the most renowned and revered musical groups to this day. After more than 55 years of making some of the most beautiful music in the world, The Chieftains’ music remains as fresh and relevant as when they first began.
Although their early following was purely a folk audience, the range and variation of their music and accompanying musicians quickly captured a much broader audience, elevating their status to the likeness of fellow Irish band, U2. Never afraid to shock purists and push genre boundaries, the trappings of fame have not altered The Chieftains’ love of – and loyalty to – their roots: they’re as comfortable playing spontaneous Irish sessions as they are headlining a concert at Carnegie Hall.
As cultural ambassadors, their performances have been linked with seminal historic events, such as being the first Western musicians to perform on the Great Wall of China, participating in Roger Water’s “The Wall” performance in Berlin in 1990, and being the first ensemble to perform a concert in the Capitol Building in Washington DC.
In 2010, their experimental collaborations extended to out of this world when Moloney’s whistle and band member Matt Molloy’s flute travelled with NASA astronaut, Cady Coleman, to the international space station.
Tickets for the performance range from $38.40 – $88 and may be purchased in advance at the Cal Poly Ticket Office, Monday – Saturday, noon to 6 p.m., located on Grand Avenue on the Cal Poly campus; by phone at 805/756-4849; online at www.calpolyarts.org.
Sponsored by Ron Bell
For more information on all Cal Poly Arts events, including audio and video samples, please visit www.calpolyarts.org.