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From: [e-mail] (Jean Debord)
Newsgroups: alt.music.enya,alt.answers,news.answers
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Subject: Enya-related artists
Summary: A list of musicians related to the Irish singer/composer Enya
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Date: 17 Apr 2004 11:27:38 GMT
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Last updates:

* Added ELYSIA

* Updated the notices of MAIRE BRENNAN, AOIFE NI FHEARRAIGH and RUA

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This FAQ answers a single question: Are there artists similar to Enya?
It is based mainly on messages posted to alt.music.enya or the Enya
mailing list, with the supplementary information that I have received
by e-mail, or found on web sites. Many thanks to all contributors.
Comments, critics and suggestions are always welcome.

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The FAQ has its own mailing list. Each subscriber will receive the FAQ
by e-mail at the beginning of each month, without having to wait for
its appearance on the newsgroups. In addition, the mailing list provides
a forum for discussing the topics of the FAQ, suggesting new bands, etc.

To subscribe, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/enyalike
and fill in the subscription form.

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This FAQ is part of the Enya Web Ring:
http://www.geocities.com/enyaring

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2002
----

2002 is comprised of Pamela and Randy Copus. They have recorded 6 albums
and a recent compilation, 'The Sacred Well'. Their music, which includes
lyrics in Sanskrit, Spanish, Latin or Japanese, is quite reminiscent of
Enya's, for instance on the track 'Stella Maris'

Official web site:
http://www.2002music.com/index2.htm


ADIEMUS
-------

Adiemus is comprised by Karl Jenkins and vocalist Miriam Stockley.
Their music features a combination of classical compositions
(performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra), added percussions,
and 'ethnic'-type incantations (no lyrics). They have released four
albums: 'Songs of Sanctuary', 'Cantata Mundi', 'Dances of Time', and
the recent 'The Eternal Knot'. The last one has a more 'celtic' style
and was indeed used in a remake of the TV series 'The Celts', for
which Enya composed her first album!

Outside this collaborative work, the various artists have also
released their own recordings, such as Karl Jenkins' 'Imagined Oceans'
(inspired by the names of 'seas' given by ancient astronomers
to the craters of the moon), 'Dewi Sant' (inspired by St David's
last sermons) and 'The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace' (in honor of the
victims of Kosovo). Also, Miriam Stockley has released two solo
albums: 'Miriam' and the recent 'Second Nature'.

"Despite Adiemus' use of invented language with African, Latin, and
Eastern European flavors, the vocal styles of lead singer Miriam
Stockley and backup singer Mary Carewe, combined with the artful
compositions by Karl Jenkins, continues to remind me foremost of Enya.
'Cantata Mundi' is more complex, varied, and innovative than 'Songs of
Sanctuary', with woodwinds, horns, and new percussion added to the
London Philharmonic instrumentation. It consists of 7 long 'Cantus'
pieces and 7 shorter 'Chorales' and runs about 66 minutes." [JB]

"Adiemus III : 'Dances of time' is performed by the Adiemus singers
with Miriam in lead vocals and six Finnish girls Annamari Kahara,
Mervi Hiltunen, Sade Rissanen, Mia Simanainen, Riikka Vayrynen and
Nina Tapio in choruses. It features also Pamela Thorby with different
recorders and London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Karl. The
album contains 13 pieces (different dances or songs related to dance)
and they represent the history of dancing. This album has gone more
ethnic and the only ethereal song in my opinion is Zarabanda track 10.
Anyway the album is a masterpiece. Karl is genious in orchestrating
(watch for French horns!) and the Finnish singers do a very good job."
[VL]

The 'official' sites of Karl Jenkins, Miriam Stockley and Mary Carewe
are:
http://www.karljenkins.com
http://www.miriam.co.uk
http://www.marycarewe.com

The 'unofficial' Adiemus web site is located at:
http://www.adiemus.f2s.com/


AMETHYSTIUM
-----------

Amethystium is a musical project conducted by the Norwegian composer
Oystein Ramfjord. They have released two albums, 'Odonata' and the
recent 'Aphelion'. The official web site is:
http://www.amethystium.com/

The music can also be heard on the MP3 Internet radio:
http://mp3.amethystium.com/


ANAEL
-----

Anael is a Canadian singer who has released four albums: 'Light of
Refinement', 'Unconditional' and 'Language of the Soul' and 'Spiritual
Be

"The compositions of Bradfield manage to provide a medium in which
the vocals of Anael can work their magic; growing, teaching, and
transcending musical plains. Although this cd will sit well in the
collections of lovers of Marcome and perhaps Enya it is a singularly
beautiful and mesmerizing album that occupies a genre all of its own."
[GL]

"A bit more new-age in arrangement than Enya, the music is still quite
good." [JB]

See the web site at:
http://www.anael.net

A very complete interview, with album reviews and links to soundclips
may be found at:
http://www.musicaldiscoveries.com/reviews/anael.htm


ANUNA
-----

This Irish choral group, directed by Michael McGlynn, has released
several albums. The last one, entitled 'Cynara', includes a coverage
of the 19th century standard 'Marble Halls' (from the opera 'The
Bohemian Girl' by the Irish composer William Balfe), which Enya
has interpreted on her CD 'Shepherd Moons'.

As with Enya, their repertoire includes songs in English, Latin, and
Irish Gaelic. Most songs are of traditional and/or religious origin.
The song 'Wind on Sea' (on the album 'Invocation'), based partly on a
poem attributed to the mythic bard Amergin, is an excellent companion
to Enya's 'La Sonadora'.

Anuna is now preparing new music for the film documentary 'The Work
of Angels', which deals with the history and background of the Book
of Kells, a superbly illuminated Irish manuscript of the middle ages.

They have also participated in the musical show 'Riverdance'.

The first Anuna album (1993) has been re-recorded under the title
'Anuna 2002' with several new pieces including some from 'The Work
of Angels'.

The official Anuna web site is located at:
http://www.anuna.ie

A new CD entitled 'Winter Songs' as been released in November 2002.
More information and soundclips may be found at:
http://www.anuna.ie/recordings/WinterSongs/index.html


BEAL, JEFF & JOAN
-----------------

Jeff Beal is a multi-talented keyboardist, trumpetist, and composer.
He has recorded several albums. Jeff's wife, Joan, is an operatically
trained singer. 'The Gathering' was their first full collaboration.

"Jeff departs from his jazz roots to create a more new age-style
album with vocals by wife Joan." [JB]

Official site (with lots of MP3's available):
http://www.jeffbeal.com/index.html


BEAUTIFUL WORLD
---------------

Beautiful World is produced by Phil Sawyer. They have released two
albums: 'In existence' and 'Forever', which features the participation
of Miriam Stockley and Mary Carewe, the two singers of Adiemus.

Phil Sawyer begun as a guitarist in bands like the Spencer Davis Group
and Shotgun Express, where he met Mick Fleetwood and Peter Green, who
later founded Fleetwood Mac.

"Lots of world music influences. The sequel, 'Beautiful World:
Forever' continues in the same vein (check out Miriam Stockley's
beautiful vocal on the track 'Africa')."[JB]

See the web page at:
http://www.london-sire.com/discovery/artists/beaworld/


BELSHAMA
--------

Listeners of Adiemus, Beautiful World or Dead Can Dance will surely
enjoy this Breton band whose debut album (self-titled) has just been
released on the independent label 'Cire Jaune'. Their music is a blend
of 'Gothic', Celtic, African and Jazz influences, with lyrics sung in
Breton by the lead singer, Bleunwenn Mevel.

The CD can be ordered from:
http://www.fnac.com

Web page (in French):
http://edoll.free.fr/belshama.html


BRENNAN, BRIDIN
---------------

Bridin Brennan is the third of the Brennan sisters to enter a solo career
although she has already contributed vocals to Clannad and Maire's albums.
Her debut single, 'Hang On', has just been released in Ireland and should
be followed by an album this year. It is of a more 'pop' style than Enya
or Maire's music.

The official web site is located at:
http://www.bridinbrennan.com


BRENNAN, MAIRE (MOYA)
---------------------

Maire Brennan is Enya's older sister. In addition to her work with the
family band Clannad, she has released 4 solo albums: 'Maire', 'Misty
Eyed Adventures', 'Perfect Time', and 'Whisper To The Wild Water'.
A new album entitled 'Two Horizons' is scheduled for September.

Maire also appears on albums by artists as different as Aoife Ni
Fhearraigh ('Aoife'), Iona ('Journey into the morn'), Joe Jackson
('Night Music'), Robert Plant ('Fate of Nations'), or Alan Parson
Project's 'The Time Machine'.

Maire Brennan has recently published an autobiography ('The Other
Side Of The Rainbow', Hodder & Stoughton 2000, ISBN 0 340 75612 8)

"Although I liked 'Maire', I have to say that 'Misty Eyed Adventures'
is definitely my favourite. The greatest strength of this album, I
feel, is its variety of styles in the songs. The songs range from
traditional folk (such as 'Eirigh Suas a Stoirin'), to 'pop'
(including a cover of Joni Mitchell's 'Big Yellow Taxi') to almost
country ('Dream On'- though this is my least favourite song of the
album.) Like Enya's music, both English and Gaelic songs are sung. And
as well as on the album 'Maire', this album also features the other
three Brennan daughters- Olive, Dee, and Bridin, as backup singers;
proof enough that Maire and Eithne did not inherit all the musical
talent!"[DS]

"In her third solo album ['Perfect Time'] after guesting on Iona's
'Journey Into The Morn', Maire Brennan turns to Christian themes with
a unique vocal style and an overall sound reminiscent of both
Clannad's most recent albums and her prior two solo albums. Gone is
the pop sound heard on 'Misty Eyed Adventures'; again assisted by
sister Dee, the album has absolutely stunning multi-layered vocals in
spots, progressive use of traditional irish instruments and lyrics
that alternate track to track between Gaelic and English. Slighly more
upbeat than an album of melancholy tunes, the sound is reminiscent of
Enya's in the overall Irish themes, multi-tracked vocals, and the
tremendous similarity of Maire's voice to Enya's when singing this
kind of music. Each song seems to have a texture of its own ranging
from almost-solo ballads to choir-sounding anthems.  The album is
equally strong instrumentally with a couple of instrumentals adding to
the modern interpretation of what might otherwise be considered
traditional Irish/Celtic music." [RE]

Maire's 'official' web site is located at:
http://www.moyabrennan.com


BRIGHTMAN, SARAH
----------------

"Sarah Brightman, best known as the former wife of Andrew Lloyd Webber
and the original 'Christine Daae' in the London production of 'Phantom
of the Opera', has also released a number of albums. Though most of
these have been classical, 1993's 'Dive' was more of a 'pop' album.
'Dive' is for the most part based on the theme of water (sound
familiar?) Actually, the songs range in style from 'jazz' to 'pop',
but a few were quite "ambient" and thus Enya-like, including the main
single, 'Captain Nemo'. Other songs, including 'La Mer', almost sound
like Enigma. Overall, a good album and a good show-case of Brightman's
voice." [DS]

A CD entitled 'Timeless' (1997) was made with the London Symphony
Orchestra and included the hit single 'Time to say goodbye', which
Sarah made together with Andrea Bocelli. Her latest CD, 'La Luna',
has been released recently.

"Other albums 'Fly', 'Trees They Grow So High', & 'Eden', have pop
elements not in her classical albums.  Indeed, 'Eden' in my opinion
has more "Enya-like" tracks than does 'Dive'. [DH]

The official site:
http://www.sarah-brightman.com/

There is also an unofficial web page for Sarah Brightman at:
http://www.xs4all.nl/~josvg/cits/sarahbr.html


CANTAMUS
--------

Listeners of Anuna or Secret Garden should be interested in this
British choral group. Their repertoire is very wide and includes
many songs from Renaissance music to 'pop' with some traditional
Irish or Scottish pieces. They have released four albums. The last
one, entitled 'Aurora' is rather 'new-age' with yet some Celtic
flavor.

Official site:
http://freespace.virgin.net/marek.kuczynski/cantamus/


CLANNAD
-------

Clannad is Enya's family band. Before starting her solo career she has
toured with them and participated in two of their albums, 'Crann Ull'
and 'Fuaim'.

Clannad has released about 20 albums, featuring songs in English or
Irish Gaelic. The last one, 'Landmarks', has been released in 1998.
A complete list of their songs, together with some lyrics and
translations, can be found on John Whatmough's page:
http://www.clannad.net

Paul Brennan, who left the band in 1989, has collaborated with two
Japanese musicians to produce the album 'Trisan', which has been
described as a hybrid between Japanese and Celtic music styles.

See also Harry Sarkas' Unofficial Clannad News Page:
http://www.clannad.org


COCTEAU TWINS
-------------

"If you expect Enya's tranquility you won't find it here, but there is
some common roots in the multi-layered vocals and dreamlike atmosphere
in most songs. It can be described as music Enya would do if she were
on something (and I do not mean a ladder, thank you). I heard their
'Treasure' and 'Victorialand' albums, and them both are very good.
Also I heard the track 'Alice' on 'stealing beauty' soundtrack, which
was also good." [SB]

Cocteau Twins' singer Elizabeth Fraser performed the song 'Lament for
Gandalf' on the soundtrack of the 'Lord of the Rings' movie.

The official web site is located at:
http://www.cocteautwins.com/


CRUISE, JULEE
-------------

Julee Cruise is most famous for being the singer in David Lynch
movies and especially Twin Peaks.

"The similarity of Cruise to Enya is in the voice and the sense-of-
life of their music; Cruise has the same ethereal, airborne quality in
her music on the album 'Floating into the Night' (dated 1989, on the
Warner Brother label in Canada). The track that has received the most
airplay in Toronto is 'Falling' from this same album, and that is the
one that I find most striking." [JM]

See the web page:
http://www.davidlynch.de/jcrel.html


DADAWA
------

"She's Chinese and she performs Tibetan music (with lots of high-tech
injected). She's being compared as the Asian Enya (but that is
debatable!)." [MM]

Dadawa has released two albums: 'Sister Drum' and 'Voices from the Sky'.
For more information, see:
http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/Opera/3983/topdadawa.html


DEAD CAN DANCE
--------------

Dead Can Dance was comprised of Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry. Now
they have parted and each one pursues a solo career.

"It doesn't have the smooth, new-age sound of Enya, but it is similar
in that it has great diversity, and a high proportion of
instrumentals, along with several incantation-sounding tracks." [PS]

Lisa Gerrard has worked with the Breton singer Denez Prigent for his
latest album, 'Irvi'. She has also composed the music of the movie
'Gladiator'. More information can be found at her web site:
http://www.lisagerrard.com


DOUGLAS, BILL
-------------

Bill Douglas is a Canadian composer who was trained in classical music
and jazz and received influences from African, Indian, and Brazilian
music. He has recorded several albums for the Hearts of Space label.
The last three have featured the Ars Nova Singers conducted by
Thomas Morgan. The vocal contribution of these artists brings the
music an Enya-esque quality.

Official web site:
http://www.billdouglas.cc/

Ars Nova Singers:
http://www.arsnovasingers.org


DOVER, CONNIE
-------------

Connie Dover lives near Kansas City, Missouri, and has released four
albums:

Somebody [1991]
The Wishing Well [1994]
If Ever I Return [1997]
The Border of Heaven [2000]

"Connie is similar in character to Enya, in that she only has four
albums out in about the same amount of time that Enya has four
albums.  Another similarity is that she sings in English, Gaelic,
Latin, and French.  She tours in the West/Mid-west of the US, and
when not touring does a lot of research on the songs used in her
albums.  Many of the songs are quite old and little known.  About
one third of the songs are original compositions, including a few
instrumentals.  A few of her songs have lyrics adopted from poetry
(ref. Roma Ryan).  She does some overdubbing, but mainly in the
manner of 3 or 4 part harmony, which is not quite the way Enya does
it.  She mainly sings Scottish and Irish music along with some American
Folk Songs that have Scottish or Irish roots.  One of her very beautiful
songs, Cantus, combines a Latin carol with a new melody and uses
lyrics sung in English, Gaelic, and Latin.  Ubi Caritas is a Gregorian
Chant set to new music in a very beautiful stylized manner.  Not all
of her songs are ballads or laments.  Some are quite lively, which
makes each album very balanced." [BB]

There is an official Connie Dover home page at:
http://www.conniedover.com


ELYSIA
------

The Elysia album 'Spirit Of The Sun' (Edel Records, 2001)
features vocal contributions by Freud's singer Cora O'Donovan.

"The track Elysium is a very Enya-ish track and much like the tracks
on Time Passengers". [AB]

The album may be ordered from the German branch of amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.de/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004RINH


F.R.E.U.D.
----------

"In their debut album 'Time Passengers', the Irish/German
collaboration of Cora Donovan (vocals), Ingo Hauss (composition and
keyboards) and Hayo Panarinfo (lyrics and percussion) create new age,
vocally-laced melodies, reminiscent of Enya's sound. The album
contains eleven intricate tracks ranging from the highly melodic and
accessible 'Worlds Of Wonder', 'Fairyland' and choral 'Sleep' to the
instrumentally strong 'Rain Temple' and 'Minuit'. Cora Donovan's
vocals are equally superb when singing solo, multi-tracked or when
supported by the guest artist choir. Released on the American
Earthtone label, the more accessible and melodic tracks are most
Enya-like, while the instrumentals show the group's diversity to
create dance, trance, industrial and relaxation textures. This
is a wonderful album that Enya-related artist readers will surely
enjoy." [RE]

For a full review, see:
http://www.musicaldiscoveries.com/reviews/freud.htm

Earthtone web site:
http://www.earthtone.com


GREAN, LORIN
------------

"Grean's compositions mix Celtic themes with recorder, African
percussion and Native American flutes in a enjoyable blend that hints
at a world-chamber music sound. The compositions are entirely original
creations by Grean, except for the haunting 'Sailing the Skies', which
she wrote with Kenny Loggins, 'Sage People' and 'In Pursuit' are also
co-written. Other tracks that particularly stand out for me include
'Starlight Journey', a 12 minute piece that actually has four distinct
songs woven through it, seamlessly joined in a tapestry of angelic
harp and voice, sensuous percussion and most of the instruments listed
above; the title track, a 14 minute piece with four more songs inside;
and 'The Bengal's Secret', which offers a taste of India" [GL]

Official site:
http://www.silcom.com/~lgrean


HARDIMAN, RONAN
---------------

The Irish composer Ronan Hardiman has released two albums, 'Celtic
Classics' I and II, under the pseudonym of Shanon, and a third one,
'Solas', under his real name. He has also composed the soundtrack of
the musical show 'Lord of the Dance'.

'Celtic Classics' "is a collection of haunting tunes that are catchy,
melodic and highly emotive. The sound is reminiscent of a subtler side
of Enigma with a Celtic tinge minus the Gregorian chants. The subtitle
is called 'An Enchanted Journey' and the word 'enchanting' describes
this music perfectly. Shanon is the performance name of Ronan
Hardiman, an Ireland composer. He combines state-of-the-art
instrumentation with traditional compositions and arrangements to
produce a rich Celtic sound (ala Enya and Clannad). This is the ideal
music to relax to, and 'provides the images and magic of an ageless
music, which comes to us through the mists of time'." [RS]

"This outstanding full-length 11-track CD ['Solas'] builds naturally
upon Hardiman's innovative compositions in 'Lord Of The Dance' in one
dimension and his two 'Celtic Classics' albums recorded under the pen
name Shanon in another. 'Solas' has the dreamy soundscapes, Irish
dance orientation, rhythms and modern influences of 'Lord Of The
Dance' but it has combined these with the vocals similar to the two
Shanon releases. The music is highly accessible and easy to listen to;
some might even consider it a pop / rock-oriented folk release.
'Solas' couples upbeat, progressive -- at times dance-oriented --
tempos with multilayered vocals provided primarily by Irish vocalist
Leslie Dowdall. Additional vocals are provided by Emmy and Edward
Lator. The album departs from Enya's traditional melancholy sound in a
positive way with stunning upbeat and melodic vocals, Celtic
familiarities and outstanding keyboard-led instrumentals. Clearly this
is an album for people that go for progressive Celtic music with
stunning female vocals and upbeat tempos. The vocals are extremely
well done and most reminiscent of Enya's sound in the track 'Take Me
With You.'" [RE]

The official web site is located at:
http://www.ronanhardiman.com/


HASLAM, ANNIE
-------------

Annie Haslam was the lead singer of a mythic band of the 70's named
Renaissance. Their music featured an elaborate combination of rock,
jazz, and classical styles, and they often played with a classical
orchestra. Although apparently devoid of celtic influences, some of
their songs are very Enya-like, particularly on the album
'Scheherazade and other stories' (1975), which may be considered as
their best album.

A new Renaissance CD entitled 'Tuscany' has been released in Japan
in October 2000. Apart from this, Annie Haslam continues her career
with other musicians. She has recorded several solo albums. The last
one, entitled 'The Dawn of Ananda', has just been released.

Annie Haslam's web page is located at:
http://www.annie-haslam.com

See also the unofficial Renaissance web page at:
http://www.nlightsweb.com/

A musical entitled "Scheherazade", partly based on the 1975 album,
has been staged in London.


HOPKIN, MARY
------------

"Welsh singer Mary Hopkin (best known for 'Those Were the Days')
recorded one song in her native language on 'Postcard', her debut with
Apple Records. Y Blodyn Gwyn ('Dainty Snowdrop') was written in the
1930's. Even though Mary recorded it in the late '60s, the technology
of the day still did not allow for the sort of elaborate overdubbing
that Enya is known for; but her sweet voice and the simple two-part
harmony were quite touching, in this writer's opinion." [KM]

Visit the Mary Hopkin International Site:
http://www.hopkin.is.nl


IONA
----

As with Anuna, the repertoire of this band includes many religious
songs, often of medieval inspiration ('Iona' is indeed the name of one
of the Hebrides islands, where St. Columba founded his monastery in
the sixth century). Their music, however, is quite different, being a
surprising (but very successful) combination of many styles (Jazz,
Rock, New Age, Folk...).

Iona has released 5 albums and several compilations. The last album,
'Open Sky', has just been released. The previous album, 'Journey into
the Morn', featured Maire Brennan as guest musician. The lyrics are
mainly English, with some Irish Gaelic. Unlike Enya and Anuna, they
have no Latin songs.

Most band members have also released solo albums, such as the recent
'Looking Into Light' by the lead singer, Joanne Hogg.

Iona's official web page is located at:
http://www.iona.uk.com/

There is also an unofficial web page at:
http://www.gospel.it/iona/

See also the Celtic Christian Music Index:
http://www.celticchristiantunes.com/
for links to sites related to Iona's themes.


JOHN-KROL, LOUISA
-----------------

This Australian singer and songwriter has released three albums:
'Argo', 'Alexandria' and the recent 'Ariel'.

Several songs are adapted from poems by Blake, Walter de la Mare,
Kipling... 'Argo' also features a tribute to Marsilio Ficino,
the neo-platonist philosopher from the Italian Renaissance.
'Ariel' alludes to Shakespeare's play The Tempest.

She says: "The title of my CD, Argo, refers to the legendary ship of
the Argonauts [...] These are the timeless realms of myth, keys to
hidden treasure stores, our House of Legend."

Soundclips and more information are available on her web page:
http://www.louisajohnkrol.com


KYRKJEBO, SISSEL
----------------

"Sissel was born on 24 June 1969 in Bergen, Norway. Although she's so
young, she has been one of Scandinavia's absolutely best singers since
her professional debut in the early 80's. It's worth mentioning that
she has sung a duet with Placido Domingo and Charles Aznavour - A
Christmas in Vienna (since she is also a very capable opera singer).
She now lives in Copenhagen with her husband, a Danish singer/comedian
(Eddie Skoller, born in St. Louis, USA) and their daughter.

Sissel was the Olympic Anthem performer at the 1994 Winter Olympics in
Lillehammer, Norway, and a few tracks from this event is available on
one of her albums. In 1997 she was asked by James Horner to perform
his music for TITANIC. It is incorrect that Celine Dion sung most of
the album; in fact she performed only the end title melody, the rest
of the vocals are Sissel's. Her last name is pronounced (approximately)
'shear-shuh-buh'." [PP]

Discography:

1986 - Sissel
1987 - Glade Jul (Christmas Album)
1989 - Soria Moria
1992 - Gift of Love
1994 - Innerst I Sjelen (Deep Within My Soul)
2000 - All Good Things

She has also appeared in some Chieftains compilations such as 'Tears
of Stone' or the recent 'Christmas in Rome'. She has released a new
album, 'All Good Things', in November.

Quotes:

'I'm not really influenced by Enya, because I've always been singing
the way I do long before I ever heard her.'

'Of course Enya's and my own music seem alike - the Vikings were
everywhere! That's why Celtic music and Scandinavian music have a lot
in common. But my own albums are not that ambient. It's not so
mysterious. I have more melodies. My last album was with songs from
all over Scandinavia and the Faeroe Islands, and some of the songs
were 5,000 years old.'

A web site about Sissel has been set up at:
http://www.sissel.cc


LAMOND, MARY JANE
-----------------

Mary Jane Lamond is a singer from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Her latest CD 'Gaelic Songs of Cape Breton' was released recently.

"The entire album ['Suas e', her second album] is sung in Scottish
Gaelic; all 11 songs are traditional arrangements (there are no
original compositions, for example). The liner notes give a little
description about the origins or thoughts behind each song (similar
to the notes in Clannad's 'Fuaim' album.) Besides Mary Jane, and her
backing musicians, there are a few other singers as well. One song
is sung by an older woman named Margaret (Mairead in Gaelic), who,
as far as I could gather, was one of Mary Jane's teachers. The final
song includes a very large chorus group, both men and women, and was
recorded all in one sitting, so it has a very live and traditional
feel to it.

Though not exactly like Enya, a few songs make use of a bit of vocal
over-dubbing for harmonising, or else harmonising with a back-up
singer, and it produces a very interesting sound. (I would say that
such over-dubbings are done maybe 5 to 10 times at most, instead of
the hundreds of layers that Enya uses.) The second song on the album,
'Seinn O', is easily my favourite and uses the 'harmonising' effect
quite well.

I would say that this album fits much more under the straight Celtic
Folk label, rather than the somewhat more 'country' style of the
Rankins. Overall, I think it is a really good album. If you're
interested in traditional Celtic Folk music, then I would say it is
something to look into. If you're looking for something exactly like
Enya, though, I'd be a bit hesitant." [DS]

Mary Jane Lamond also has a web-site:
http://www.maryjanelamond.com/


LAVELLE, CAROLINE
-----------------

"Caroline indeed has a really sensual alto voice. As far as I know she
also sang in Vangelis' 1995 album 'Voices'. She participated, as a
celloist, in the Afro-Celt Sound System project, in Loreena McKennit's
Christmas EP 'A Winter's Garden' and also in the latest Loreena
McKennit full-length album 'Book of Secrets'." [FP]

"I have Caroline Lavelle's 'Spirit' for almost a year now. I really
like it very much. She has a very soft voice and a lot of talent. The
similarities to Enya's music are not coincidence. If you read
carefully the package, you'll see that Rob Dickins is the executive
producer. I don't know how much it affects the music itself, but for
me is enough to link both singers." [GM]

Caroline Lavelle has just released a new album, 'Brilliant Midnight'.
An interview of the artist is available at the Musical Discoveries
website:
http://www.musicaldiscoveries.com/reviews/clavelle.htm


MAC KENNITT, LOREENA
--------------------

Loreena McKennitt is a harpist and songwriter born in Manitoba,
Canada, but her family is of Irish origin. Although she appears to be
one of the artists most often cited in reference to Enya, her music is
more traditional and is often inspired by poets such as Shakespeare or
Tennyson. She has also incorporated Spanish, Middle Eastern, and North
African musical influences into her compositions.

Loreena has released 6 albums, the most famous being 'The Visit', 'The
Mask and Mirror', and 'The book of secrets'. A compilation entitled
'Live in Paris and Toronto' has just been released. She has also
provided music for several films, theatre productions and TV programs.

"I find this album ['The book of secrets'] very pleasant. The
inspiration is similar to her previous albums though the atmosphere is
a little more serene than in 'the mask and mirror'. Once again, the
inside notes are a kind of journey diary in which she summarizes her
reflections about the origins of her inspiration and culture. These
notes are written in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish."
[CB]

A biography of L. McKennitt has been published: 'Loreena McKennitt:
Celtic Quest' by Geoff Hancock (ISBN: 1550822543).

The official Loreena McKennitt web site is located at:
http://www.quinlanroad.com


MAC KEOWN, SUSAN
----------------

"For those of you who are interested in the more trad. side of
Clannad's music, I caught an Irish singer, Susan McKeown, live in
concert recently in town. She sings many Irish trad. songs as well as
many original contemporary folk songs. Her style is very reminiscent
of Maire Brennan. In fact, she professed to be a big fan of Clannad,
the 'pre-Fuaim days' as she put it. She performed 'A Mhaire
Bhruinneall' in her set which appears in her album 'Bushes & Briars',
but was inspired from Clannad's recording of the song" [HS]

The most recent albums are 'Prophecy' (described as 'acoustic
rock songs'), 'Lowlands' (songs from Ireland and Scotland)
and 'A Winter Talisman'.

There is a web site at:
http://house-of-music.com/susan/


MADREDEUS
---------

"A Portuguese ensemble with heavenly vocals by the female lead-singer.
Especially their release 'O' Espirito da Paz' has some timeless music
on it. I love tracks like 'Amargura' and 'Os Senhores da Guerra'. Pure
beauty." [DA]

The latest album of Madredeus, entitled 'Movimento', has been released
recently.

There is a web page for Madredeus at:
http://madredeus.mind.pt/ingles/default.htm


MARCOME
-------

The debut album of this Canadian singer and composer is entitled
'Seven Seas'. It uses a combination of English lyrics and wordless
language 'onomatopoeia'.

"'Seven Seas' contains the gentle, soothing vocal styles that are very
reminiscent of Enya's. She has already been labelled the 'Canadian
Enya', and I think the label is aptly deserved." [JB]

Some audio samples are available on her web page:
http://sonicimages.com/marcome


MEAV
----

Originating from Dublin, Meav Ni Mhaolchatha worked with Anuna before
releasing two solo albums: 'Meav' and the recent 'Silver Sea'. Each
album offers a wide variety of songs, ranging from traditional Irish
to the more modern Kurt Weill's 'Youkali Tango' with his french lyrics.

The CD 'Meav' features a version of 'Marble Halls' which is quite
reminiscent of Enya's.

More information and soundclips may be found at her website:
http://www.meav.com


MINOGUE, AINE
-------------

Aine Minogue is a harpist and singer from County Tipperary, Ireland,
now living in the United States. She has released three albums. The
last one, 'Between the worlds', has been released recently. It has 12
tracks: 6 instrumentals, 5 English songs (including 'Across the
universe' by Lennon and McCartney), and a Gaelic song. The booklet
gives the complete lyrics (the Gaelic lyrics are given with their
English translation) and some explanations which place each piece in
the context of the celtic culture. The music evokes a combination of
traditional, classical and 'new-age' influences. The harp parts are
quite (perhaps too much) reminiscent of the Breton musician Alan
Stivell. The singer's voice is quite ethereal. It is not clear if it
is her natural voice or if she uses some kind of electronic treatment
as Enya does.

"Aine Minogue is a reknown Irish harpist who also happens to have a
very sweet and pure soprano, much in the same vein as Enya and Aoife.
Her songs also have that soothing 'Enyaesque' quality." [JB]

A web page is available at:
http://www.minogue.com/


NI FHEARRAIGH, AOIFE
--------------------

Aoife Ni Fhearraigh is an Irish singer from Gaoth Dobhair (Gweedore),
the region of County Donegal from which Enya hails. She has studied
music with Maire Ui Bhraonain (Enya's mother). Her first recording,
entitled 'Loinneog Cheoil', was released as a cassette only and is
available only from the singer (see her website for details). It
featured 10 tracks, two of them being re-issued on her first CD 'Aoife'
which was co-produced by Maire Brennan. These two works were mainly
traditional songs in Irish Gaelic, but with more modern Clannad-like
arrangements. However, her second CD, 'The turning of the Tide', which
was issued recently, offers a covering of many popular English tunes,
while still keeping two tracks in Irish. The background vocals on some
tracks are quite Enya-like.

Aoife also performed the vocal parts on Phil Coulter's album
'Highland Cathedral'. A review of this album is available at:
http://www.musicaldiscoveries.com/digest/indigest.htm#PCHC

"A beautiful combination of traditional and modern Celtic songs by
another Donegal county singer whose voice and style are quite
similar." [JB]

"The main difference between both recordings is that the first sounds
far more traditional than the second and would be more of the taste of
the purists of Irish music. The second album looks far more
professional and the production of Maire Brennan gives the work an
Enya-esque sound which some people would label as new age stuff
inappropriate for traditional music but I am sure it will be very much
of the taste of Enya fans." [CN]

Aoife's official web site is located at:
http://www.aoife.ie/


O'LEARY, CAITRIONA
------------------

Caitriona O'Leary is another Donegal singer who specialises in Irish
and Early music and has collaborated with bands such that Sequentia or
The Harp Consort. In 1998 she has created the band Dulra ('The Elements')
with which she has recently released a CD entitled 'Duil - Irish Songs of
Love and Nature'.

Official web site:
http://www.caitrionaoleary.com/


RANKIN FAMILY
-------------

This group, originating from Nova Scotia, sings in English and
Scottish Gaelic. A compilation entitled 'Collection' has been released
recently (Grapevine, GRACD 218). It is an enhanced CD which contains a
video presentation of the group.

"Some of their music sounds a bit country, but a lot of their music
has Celtic flavor and they have a love of harmony. Check out their
album 'North Country' and in particular, their song 'Rise Again' off
that album. Also, their album 'Fare Thee Well, Love' is worth checking
out."[JW]

There's a web site for the Rankin Family at:
http://www.islandviewcreations.com/rankins


RHOADS, ELIZABETH
-----------------

'Unspoken Touch' is the debut album of this singer from Sedona,
Arizona.

"Elizabeth's beautiful piano compositions and soft vocals are very
Enya-like. Ladyslipper Music has this CD. I recommend it highly." [JB]


RILEY, PHILIP
-------------

"Philip Riley is a New Zealand composer. The CD 'Visions and Voices'
contains female chants and vocals that are reminiscent of Adiemus,
Elizabeth Rhoads, and Enya." [JB]

"The current release [of Philip Riley and the singer Jayne Elleson],
'The Blessing Tree', is a mellifluous blend of Philip Riley's
beautiful melodies and Jayne Elleson's exquisite vocals, the subtle
folk influences of Irish pipes and whistles and Celtic style that
conjures a timeless place of legend and beauty. An album that sings
out from the heart." [GL]


ROBERTSON, KIM
--------------

Kim Robertson is a harpist from Wisconsin. Her repertoire includes
Celtic melodies, classical, Renaissance and medieval works, and
original compositions. Her work now encompasses 23 album projects
including the recently released 'The Spiral Gate'.

More information is available on the homepage:
http://www.eldalamberon.com/friends/kimrobertson.html

A discography with many soundclips is available at:
http://www.zendo.com/garden/harp3.html


RUA
---

Rua is comprised of two Irish artists: Liz Madden (vocals) and
Gloria Mulhall (Violin, piano, keyboards and timpani). Their first
album (self-titled) features 14 tracks, from which 4 are traditional
(including as the famous 'She moved through the fair' and 'Fill a
ruin o'). An excellent album whose style is quite reminiscent
of Enya's most nostalgic songs.

A new CD entitled 'Dream Teller' is scheduled for September.

Official website:
http://www.ruaworld.com


RUSSELL, HEATHER
----------------

Heather Russell is a singer, keyboardist and songwriter from North
Carolina. Her first album, entitled 'Just in Time', has been released
last year. It features 5 tracks, including a Shakespearian sonnet. Two
of them are also present as dance remixes. She uses a slight amount of
overdubbing, mainly for harmony. She declares that she would not have
the patience to use as many tracks as Enya.

She says: "I don't sound exactly like Enya, but I have a strong Celtic
influence in my music, and most of my listeners seem to be also big
fans of Enya".

Soundclips and more information are available on her homepage:
http://www.freecloud.com/heather


SECRET GARDEN
-------------

Secret Garden is a Norwegian band comprised of Rolf Lovland and
Fionnuala Sherry. They have released four albums: 'Songs from a
Secret Graden', White Stones', 'Dawn of a New Century' and 'Once
in a Red Moon'. 'Dawn of a New Century' features contributions by
Anuna and Karen Matheson (singer of the Scottish band Capercaillie).

"Secretgarden is best known for winning the Eurovision Song Contest in
1995 with "Nocturne". The combination for Fionnuala Sherry's soft
violin and Rolf Lovland on the piano makes a beautiful dreamlike
music." [HM]

Official web site:
http://www.secretgarden.no/


SHAPPLIN, EMMA
--------------

Emma Shaplin is the pseudonym of the french singer Cristele Jolyton.
She has released two albums: 'Carmine meo' (in collaboration with
Jean-Patrick Capdevielle) and the recent 'Etterna'. Her music is a
mixture of 'pop' and classical themes, with lyrics in Italian.

"Emma's vocals are -- in a word -- terrific. She easily covers a vast
range of octaves and her vocal power is nothing short of incredible
Although it's a travesty to try to make a comparison, the closest to
her overall sound is Sarah Brightman in her most recent Timeless album.
Although there are elements reminiscent of Sarah Brightman's Fly album
in here, it's the similarity to Timeless that we're most comfortable
making at this time. However, Emma Shapplin is a better and stronger
vocalist than Sarah Brightman. The album style might also be compared
to Annie Haslam and Louis Clark's Still Life which put Bett Thatcher's
poems to well known classical pieces. Emma's album is more operatic,
not in English, and the musical themes are likely less well known to
the average listener." [RE]

Official web site:
http://www.emmashapplin.net/flash.html


STADLER, GARY
-------------

"He's put out two CDs, but his latest, 'Fairy Nightsongs' with Singh
Kaur is eerily reminiscent of Enya and Loreena McKennitt's works.
Singh Kaur (whose real name was Laura Hill) passed away shortly after
release of this CD. Her voice on such tracks as 'Fairy Ring' (a very
Loreena-like piece), 'Fly Away', 'Darkness' (extremely ethereal and
moving), 'Laura's Hill' (a combination of both English and Celtic
lyrics), and 'A Spark in the Night' are testiment to the absolute
clarity and beauty of her voice. This CD was voted among the 10 ten
new age CDs of 1998 by the Star Streams poll. It is incredible." [JB]

Soundclips, albums and More information available at:
http://www.heartmagic.com/index.html


STARK, WENDY
------------

"The CD 'Child of Transference' (New World Music NWCD 467) is an
extended choral type work. A blend of contemporary rhythms and
production. The structure of the songs are influenced by classical
music and thematic qualities.

The blurb on the cover says:

"Wendy's music is impossible to categorise. If you imagine the
ethereal sounds of Enigma, the haunting vocals of Enya, coupled with
superb, almost classical arrangements, then you will have something
close to the complexity of this superb debut album"

Like the text of the Adiemus vocals, the verses have been written
in phonetic manner, so that they have an almost instrumental sound
The idea being to remove the distraction of words and maximise the
feelings and emotions using vocal expression alone." [GL]

The record company has a website:
http://www.newworldmusic.com


TALIESIN ORCHESTRA
------------------

The Taliesin Orchestra is best known for his orchestral renditions
of Enya's music, which spans 3 albums: 'Orinoco Flow: The Music of
Enya', 'Maiden of Mysteries' and the recent 'Thread of Time'.

"[Orinoco Flow] contains eleven tracks with titles from all albums,
they are as follows; Orinoco Flow, Athair ar Neamh, The Memory of
Trees, No Holly for Miss Quinn, Lothlorien, From Where I am, Book of
Days, China Roses, Watermark, Bard Dance, and The Celts (the best
track on the album). I encourage everyone to go buy this CD, it is to
me like a new Enya album with all of our favorites played a little
differently." [CA]

"[Maiden of Mysteries] sounded in many ways, like they were trying to
duplicate Enya's songs using someone elses voice [...] I must say though
that it is a very creative album which explores many ways of presenting
Enya's music, there are some hits and some misses on this album in my
opinion, and in the end after listening to the album a few more times
and letting it "grow on me", I give it a 6.5 out of 10 rating. Their
first Enya crossover "Orinoco Flow: The Music of Enya" was much better
IMHO." [HB]

Official web site:
http://www.taliesinorchestra.com/index.html


WHITE, JENNIFER
---------------

Jennifer White is a harpist and storyteller from Ontario, Canada. Her
first CD, "Clarsach" (The celtic harp), was released in October 98. It
features original compositions, and original arrangements of popular
celtic tunes. Her forthcoming CD, "The Silver Branch" is due for
release in the autumn of 2001.

Soundclips, summaries of stories, and more information are available
on her homepage:
http://www.knockgrafton.com/contents.html


**********************************************************************

OTHER SITES OF INTEREST
-----------------------

Russ Elliot's musical discoveries:
http://www.musicaldiscoveries.com/index.htm

Graham Lubin's celestial voices:
http://www.loobie.com/

See also the archives of the Enya mailing list:
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Palladium/4050/enyalist.html

**********************************************************************

Compiled by Jean Debord
<[e-mail]>

Contributors:

[CA] Chris Atwood <[e-mail]>
[BB] Brian Baranoski <[e-mail]>
[AB] Alden Bates <[e-mail]>
[JB] John Blackburn <[e-mail]>
[SB] Shahaf Borenstain <[e-mail]>
[HB] Shawn Berry <[e-mail]>
[CB] Cyril Buchet <[e-mail]>
[RE] Russell Elliot <[e-mail]>
[VL] Ville Laaksonen <[e-mail]>
[DH] Dave Hardenbrook <[e-mail]>
[GL] Graham Lubin <[e-mail]>
[HM] Henrik Madsen <[e-mail]>
[GM] Gustavo P. Mantovani <[e-mail]>
[KM] Kevin Martin <[e-mail]>
[JM] Jim May <[e-mail]>
[MM] Mark Mulingbayan <[e-mail]>
[CN] Carmen "Nil Fhios Agam" <[e-mail]>
[PP] Peter Pehrson <[e-mail]>
[FP] F. S. L. Poon <[e-mail]>
[RS] Ram Samudrala <[e-mail]>
[HS] Harry Sarkas <[e-mail]>
[DS] David Smith <[e-mail]>
[PS] Philip Strapp <[e-mail]>
[JW] Jim Waters <[e-mail]>

**********************************************************************