Sharon Shannon Big Band & Liam Ó Maonlaí headline Belfast TradFest with an Ulster Hall spectacle on Friday 29 July 2022.
After two years of false starts and uncertainty Belfast TradFest are pleased to welcome Sharon Shannon to the Ulster Hall for what will surely be one of those ‘I was there’ evenings. Opening the show will be Hothouse Flower’s frontman Liam Ó Maonlaí performing a rare solo set with Grand Piano, Bodhrán & Tin Whistle followed by Sharon Shannon’s eclectic 6 piece band.
Sharon Shannon has been a musical icon for over 20 years. Traditional Irish music is her background but she has been fearless in her musical exploration having defied genres and woven her unique style through country, French-Canadian reggae, hip-hop, dance and classical. Sharon has recorded and toured with a who’s who of the Irish and Global Music Industry, including The Waterboys, John Prine, Steve Earle, Jackson Browne, The RTÉ Concert Orchestra, The Chieftains, Shane McGowan, Willie Nelson, Nigel Kennedy, Kirsty MacColl, Bono, Adam Clayton, Sinéad O’Connor, Imelda May and more - a list that is testament to Sharon’s versatility as well as talent.
Liam Ó Maonlaí is one of the most talented, charismatic and soulful performers of Irish traditional music today. But his musical prowess goes beyond his own cultural roots as he blends an eclectic mix of folk, blues, gospel, soul, rock, and more with his amazing vocals and an array of instrumental mastery from piano to flute, harmonica to bodhran. Since first bursting onto the scene in the 1980's with his band Hothouse Flowers, Liam has captured the attention of audiences, critics and musicians alike. According to "Rolling Stone Magazine" Bono noted the ensemble were the "best unsigned band on the planet." It is no wonder that Liam remains a "musician's musician" and no surprise he has performed alongside the best of them. As a solo performer as well as frontman of Hothouse Flowers, Liam continues to wow audiences worldwide reinventing himself with each performance.
