Sharon Shannon
Irish President Michael D Higgins called her ‘A National Treasure’ and after 20 of her own albums, countless DVDs, filmed concerts, musical collaborations and a career that has spanned 40 years, Sharon Shannon is still breaking new musical ground.
Her career has seen her tour the world through America, Europe, Africa, Australia, New Zealand even to Saudi Arabia and China, headlining some of the biggest global venues from The Kennedy Centre in Washington to London’s Wembley Arena. She has toured extensively across Japan, gathering inspiration for her album, The Reckoning; an amalgamation of cultures and musical influences to create one of Sharon’s most unique and original albums to date.
Sharon continues to redefine and reimagine the boundaries of Irish traditional music, elevating the genre through her experimental collaborations with reggae, rap and classical musicians. Her list of collaborators is as extensive as her musical repertoire. She has recorded and toured with Bono, Willie Nelson, La Bottine Souriante, Shane Mc Gowan, Nigel Kennedy, Steve Earle, Justin Adams, Johnny Depp, Linton Kwesi Johnston, The Waterboys and Dessie O’Halloran, and the RTÉ Symphony Orchestra to mention just a few. She has entertained US Presidents, Clinton at the White House and Obama in Dublin, and Irish Presidents Robinson and MacAleese on presidential visits to Poland and Australia respectively.
The genre-defying star has achieved multi-platinum album sales and has had several chart topping albums, singles and DVDs in her home country. Her album Galway Girl went four times platinum in Ireland with the title track winning her the Meteor award two years running for the most downloaded song. She also celebrates being the youngest ever recipient of the Meteor Lifetime Achievement Award.
Sharon is the recipient of an honorary doctorate of music from the University of Galway, and inspires the students through masterclasses and tutorials both online and in-person.
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