Artist Information

Biography
Born in Belfast Ireland, Andriu Mac Gabhann or "Belfast Andi"as he is fondly known in Montréal, Canada, has played traditional and contemporary Irish music for many years.

Andi has played major folk festivals in Ireland,Scotland,England,Canada and many Irish pubs in Munich, Paris, Catalonia and as far as Ios & Paros in the Greek Islands in the Aegean.

now living in Montréal with his wife Diane and their three daughters Saoirse (7) Aoife (5) & baby Aine Mary. As a singer/songwriter & guitarist Andi reels through classic and modern Celtic songs, with the occasional chant accompanied by the tribal rhythm of the Bodhran (Irish goatskin handrum). Belfast Andi has played at the Montreal Celtic Festival, Montreal International Acadian / Celtic Festival, Mémoires Racines, Brockville Celtic Festival, Festi-Biere Chambly, Montreal Beer Festival, Montreal Highland Games, Québec City's FIAT Festival , Québec City Celtic festival and the Ville Marie Feis.

The native Ulsterman's distinctive voice has been heard over the air waves on CBC, Radio Centreville, Mohawk radio Khanesatake and the Irish Show CJAD 900am. His television appearances include, CBC, CTV, Global TV, TQS, Debbie Travis Face Lift, and A Makeover Story on TLC (where they cut off Andi's trademark long locks and viking beard and decked him out in designer clothes. This look lasted a few months and happily Andi has his long hair & beard back and is caught on acting himself again,occasionally seen riding around Montréal on his Hog.

Montréal has found a new son to keep the "Celtic Music Sessions" alive in the local "Irish Pubs". As a host of the jam sessions Andi has organized over 1,500 gatherings in his 11 years in Québec. Some guests at the jams have been Alan Doyle (Great Big Sea) Jeff Martin (The Tea Party), Gerry Holland (Cape Breton fiddler). British movie Director Nicolas Roeg was so impressed by Andi's singing at one downtown watering hole, that he asked Belfast Andi to record a song (Red haired woman)for his supernatural movie "Puffball" shot in Ireland in 2006. The film premiered at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival. Also the movie played at the Transilvainian film fest, Galway film festival & Montréal world film festival, to name a few."Puffball" is currently on general release worldwide.

Belfast Andi was invited to play with many Irish traditional musicians, such as Paddy Keenan (Uillean piper with the Bothy Band), Moya Brennan (Singer with Clannad) Desi Wilkinson (Irish flute player from Crann) & Chris Crilly (Genie winner and singer/fiddler from Barde).

Instrumentation
Belfast Andi (vocals, Acoustic guitar, bodhran), Patrick Hutchinson (Electric guitars), Bob cussen (Backing vocals, mandolin,banjo) Suzanne Ungar (Bass guitar) Andi also plays with Alan Jones (Uillean pipes, Scottish small pipes, war pipes, Spanish bagpipes) Ralph Thompson,(Fiddle) Johanne St-Laurent (Celtic Harp) Christine Fortin (Irish flute)

Discography
Andi has recorded a song with local Montréal fiddler Christophe Comte on his CD "Moira", 3 tracks on "Le Dragon Rouge" a mix of French & Irish music. Belfast Andi's solo album "All that Glitters" is on Montreal Inde Label "Flaming Nora records"

Links
http://www.belfastandi.com

Grosse ile A modern Irish folk ballad about the great Irish potato famine of the 1840s. Grosse ile was a quarantine station for Coffin ships full of Irish refugees fleeing starvation. The artist has designated this song as non-chartable.

Folk/Acoustic Rock/Americana

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