 Ben
Sands is a traditional singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist
(guitar, mandolin, bouzouki, tenor banjo, fiddle, keyboard) from
County Down on the east coast of Ireland. The Sands clan has a
long history of music, singing and storytelling, and the family home in
the townland of Ryan became the focus for singers and musicians for
miles around. Ben Sand’s songs, music and stories paint pictures
of an ongoing legacy inherited from those early, influential years on a
small farm in rural Ireland and have been enriched by his colorful,
musical, adventuresome journey through life. He’s been a
cornerstone of the highly acclaimed Sands Family band, touring
professionally for more than 20 years and appearing at venues such
as Carnegie Hall, East Berlin’s Friedrich Palast, and the Frankfurt
Opera House. The Sands Family appeared alongside such noted
artists as Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie, Harry Belafonte, and
Mikis Theodorakis, and were featured numerous times on European
television.
While the Sands Family continue to tour and record, Ben has lately followed brothers Colum and Tommy as a successful solo performer and recording artist. Since the release of his first CD “Take Your Time” he has toured in various European countries, both solo and in combination with other Irish singers/musicians. Along with his brother Tommy, he collaborated on the project “Sarajevo to Belfast” linking peace movements in the former Yugoslavia and Northern Ireland. Recently he has begun presenting a weekly 3 hour folk/traditional radio program on Clanrye Radio in Newry, and is currently working on songs and tunes for a new album which is to be released in Autumn, 2002. To his acknowledged accomplishments as a song-writer, instrumentalist, harmony vocalist and arranger, Ben brings a solid reputation as a “great singer of great songs” from a diversity of sources. These days his own compositions are well featured in his concerts as well as in the performances and recordings of a growing number of notable artists.Ben has his own web site at www.bensands.co.uk The Sands Family Band: http://users.d-n-a.net/tsands/family.htm
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