CRAOBH RUA (pronounced CRAVE ROO-AH) translates from Irish to RED BRANCH and is a name that is well known in Celtic history from THE RED BRANCH KNIGHTS OF ULSTER. This Belfast based Irish Traditional Music band has given concert and festival performances in the USA, Canada, Australia, Germany, Austria, Italy, Holland, Belgium Switzerland, Poland, Slovenia, Denmark, England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.
Their music has delighted audiences and earned them wide acclaim and recognition and they are now regarded around the world as one of the finest ambassadors of Irish Traditional Music. Craobh Ruas impeccable musicians bring their own individual experience to the group and fuse their talents to bring life to a wide array of instruments such as banjo, mandolin, fiddle, uilleann pipes, flute, tin whistle, guitar and vocals. Craobh Rua takes a refreshing, unpretentious but uncommonly skilled run at some of the greatest music in the world.
On New Years Day 2004 the band performed live from Belfast on BBC Radio 3 in WORLD MUSIC DAY along with a host of artists from around the world. They have appeared on the BBC TV Series THE SHETLAND SESSIONS and also on BBC MUSIC LIVE when they played live in front of millions of viewers. Craobh Rua performed at the MILLENNIUM STAGE LIVE INTERNET BROADCAST concert series from the KENNEDY CENTER, Washington, DC. Also, their performance for the SMITHSONIAN CONCERT SERIES, Washington, DC was recorded and broadcast worldwide on VOICE OF AMERICA. On stage they have performed with De Dannan, Alan Stivell and have taken part in an Ireland meets Mongolia collaboration in Italy with Egschiglen a traditional band from Mongolia.
Craobh Rua has released five albums to date and appeared on a number of compilation albums. Their current offering being aptly entitled "IF IDA BEEN HERE IDA BEEN THERE".
