Len Graham (Special Event)

Len Graham offers traditional songs in English from the North of Ireland, with memories from a lifetime of collecting and singing. Len's extensive repertory of songs covers the gamut of themes and human experience as portrayed in the old ballads, local songs, come-all-ye's, lyric folksongs, music hall pieces; songs on politics, murder, love, emigration and more.From Mullaghbawn, Newry, County Armagh, Northern Ireland, Len Graham wasborn into an Antrim familysteeped in traditional music, song,and dance. He is one of theforemost performers and collectorsof Ulster music. A recipient ofnumerous awards and accolades, heuses traditional songs to pass downUlster's history to contemporaryaudiences. A professional singersince 1982, he has been the sourceof traditional songs for manyof Ireland's leading performers,including Altan, The Chieftains,De Danann, and Dolores Keane.Graham toured many years withthe brilliant storyteller JohnCampbell, who died in 2006. Len Graham last performed in the DC area at the 2007 Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the Mall as part of the Northern Ireland program.We're using a new venue called Contradiction Dance @ Echo Park, a great studio space right next door to the new House of Musical Traditions. It's a walk of 10-minutes or so from the Takoma station on the Red Line.