Traditional Irish Music and Song Singer from Santa Fe, NM

Born in Castlebar, County Mayo, in western Ireland, Gerry Carthy has been a fixture on Santa Fe's music scene for more than two decades. His shows are mainly based in the traditional Irish music repertoire delivered in a contemporary style. Whether he's playing the tenor banjo, mandolin, fiddle, tin whistles, saxophone, flute or guitar, Carthy also has a knack for delivering heartfelt Northern New Mexico folk music and Americana. In his early days in Santa Fe he played the banjo in the Red Hot Chiles Dixieland Jazz band for 10 years. He is on the faculty of the Music Dept. at Santa Fe University of Art and Design teaching private students and a Celtic Ensemble every year and he is an Artist in Residence with New Mexico Folk Arts under which banner he offers apprenticeships in Irish music on a regular basis. In Galway City in Ireland during the 70s and early 80s he was a mainstay of the Irish Folk Music Revival scene and has played with musicians famous and infamous too numerous to mention. These days his music presentations are a mix of Celtic music, Spanish pieces, a few standard jazz tunes and the odd selection from the classical repertoire. His sound is now based around a nylon strung 4 string Tenor guitar and low pitched flutes known as low whistles. If the occasion demands he can be persuaded to sing the odd song from the vast store of Irish and Scottish folk ballads. Since 1986 he has lived in Santa Fe playing and teaching.