CELTIC SUPERGROUP IMAR RETURN WITH FIRST ALBUM IN FIVE YEARS
Almost exactly five years ago Celtic supergroup Ímar had the night of their lives.
At the 2018 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in Belfast the awesome Scottish/Irish/Manx alliance scooped the Horizon Award for Best Emerging Act while their irrepressible concertina ace, Mohsen Amini, landed the coveted Musician of the Year title.
Anglo-Iranian Scot Amini and bandmates Tomas Callister (fiddle) Adam Rhodes (bouzouki), Ryan Murphy (uillean pipes, flute and whistle) and Adam Brown (bodhran, guitar) had pulled off one of the most rapid rises in the Celtic folk world. The Glasgow-based band ticked all the boxes pooling a melting pot of Irish, Scottish and Manx-influenced tunes with verve, vibrancy and razor-sharp precision.
Since then they have continued their upward spiral, tearing up stages all over the world with their instrumental punch and panache, leaving audiences reeling. A band with an intense energy and alchemy – and proven global appeal.
On April 21 they finally released their long-awaited third studio album Awakening and if anyone is slumbering they certainly won’t be when they hear this!
In the 10-track release they have upped the number of original tunes since their last album but still with a few ‘Trad Arrs’ in the mix.
The striking album cover depicts the Norse Gael king Ímar, from whom the band takes its name. A 9th century leader in Ireland and Scotland, his descendants went on to rule the Irish Sea region for centuries.
Photo Credits:
(1)-(2) Ímar
(unknown/website).
