Danú Brings Its Own “Sound of Ireland” to Boulder for the Fifth Time

The music of Danú represents a fusion of different musical traditions, arrangements and styles.

Most of the members of the Irish music ensemble formed in 1994 are from the same country (with the exception of Billy Sutton, who hails from Newfoundland), but that doesn’t mean their traditional musical backgrounds are uniform. When Danú returns to Boulder to play for the fifth time at Macky Auditorium on March 11, they’ll all bring unique perspectives forged from distinct musical traditions across the relatively small country of Ireland.

“Our members come from Waterford, Dublin, Cork, Donegal–and even County Newfoundland! Naturally, each of us grew up steeped in the music of our own home places and those regional influences shape how we play,” says founding member Benny McCarthy. “When we come together to arrange our songs and sets of tunes, we bring all those backgrounds to the Danú table. The result is what we feel is our own ‘sound of Ireland,’ a sound we’ve maintained and grown for 31 years now.”

That approach has earned Danú a hallowed place in the roster of contemporary Irish trad bands that are keeping the music alive, even as they’re finding ways to innovate and evolve. The band’s music draws from all the age-old musical traditions. Jigs, reels, airs and ballads are all on the menu for the band and their catalogue includes unique spins on tunes that would be familiar to anyone who’s attended a good Irish session.

But even with this strong sense of tradition firmly in place, Danú has spent the past three decades bringing new dimensions to familiar music. Thanks to the across-the-board virtuosity of the current lineup–as well as the band’s skill for combining new, original music with beloved standards–Danú has set itself apart. According to McCarthy, the band plans to stay on that trajectory in 2026. Following up on the release of their latest record, “The Pearl Album,” Danú will start the year with appearances at the TradFest Dublin and Celtic Connections Glasgow festivals in January before they head to Boulder in March.

Their journey to Boulder will serve as a perfect complement to those high-profile festival gigs. The band has played at CU Boulder in 2010, 2013, 2017 and 2022 and the campus has become a go-to destination for Danú to visit in the United States.

“Colorado has always offered us a warm welcome and Boulder in particular has a vibrant, open-hearted arts community,” McCarthy says. “There’s also something about the landscape–the mountains, the space, the sense of freedom–that feels familiar to us as Irish musicians. Every time we return, it feels a bit like coming home.”

He adds that playing in Boulder echoes the broader appeal of playing Irish music abroad to audiences who aren’t as familiar with the distinctions between regional styles and idioms.

“Abroad, especially in the U.S., we meet audiences who are incredibly curious, attentive and enthusiastic. They love hearing the background of the tunes, the history and the humor behind the songs,” he says. “It reaches people of Irish heritage and people with no Irish background whatsoever. Bringing the music to international audiences keeps it alive, evolving and relevant.”

Danú performs on the Artist Series at Macky Auditorium on March 11, 2026.