Altan’s Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh finds Arizona exotic.
The renowned Irish fiddler and vocalist enjoys the palm trees, the Mexican food and the warm weather — all a stark contrast to the somber weather of Ireland.
“The Tex-Mex food was a revelation for me when I first went to America,” Ní Mhaonaigh said.
“I just loved it. We didn’t have it in Ireland 30 years ago when Altan first came to the States. Now, we actually make Mexican food.”
When Altan celebrates St. Patrick’s Day early on Saturday, March 16, at the Musical Instrument Museum, Ní Mhaonaigh is hoping to have some time off to explore the area further.
The traditional Irish folk band will celebrate its new album, “Donegal,” at the MIM. The band boasts a new musician, Clare Friel.
“She’s a young, budding musician, a fantastic young girl who I’ve been looking at growing up,” she said. “She came as a very special guest with us on tour three years ago, just after COVID. We were so impressed with her and she seemed to blend in really well. So we decided, ‘Why not?’
“We used to have double fiddles. It’s lovely to have the double fiddle back, as it’s a very distinctive sound. (It’s common in) Donegal music, which is what we play. It’s fun for me as well to have a girl on the road.”
Donegal’s music is distinctive, as it has a Scottish tinge to it due to its proximity to Scotland. The songs, while energetic and raucous, can be more quiet and pensive.
“A lot of Donegal people would have gone there for seasonal laboring and would have brought back tunes and songs,” she said. “There’s a great affiliation between Scotland and Donegal. Our music is different. It’s like when you talk about New Orleans jazz or Chicago blues. It has a distinctive place.”
Released in March, “Donegal” was born during the pandemic lockdown, as Altan’s musicians had “nothing else to concentrate on,” she said.
“We took a long time to get it together,” she added. “Part of the time we were locked down completely. Then they allowed travel. It gave us a little bit more time to think of the arrangements and rearrange the arrangement. We had maybe too much time, because we ended up changing things around too much.
“But it was a luxury that we never had. We’re always rushing to make the album so we can tour. I have to say we’re all so happy with it. It shows a lot of different colors in the band. And it shows our potential, too.”
Altan was founded in 1987, so associating it with “potential” is a little curious. Ní Mhaonaigh said “Donegal” reflects the songwriting talents of Altan’s musicians.
She’s pleased with “Donegal” but tries not to listen to her music. She fears she’ll be overly critical.
“It’s kind of strange,” she said. “I always feel, after I make an album, I could have used more of this, that and the other thing. But every album just opens up another idea for the next album.
“To be honest, the only reason I listened to ‘Donegal’ was to rehearse for the forthcoming tour. Then I won’t listen to it forevermore. I don’t know any of our previous albums at all. Sometimes it catches you when you hear it, say, in a store or something. Then I think, ‘Oh yeah. That’s us.’”