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The Chieftains

The Thistle & Shamrock: Kickstarters

Noel Duggan, Ciaran Brennan, Moya Brennan, Padraig Duggan and Paul Brennan of Clannad on November 24, 1982. H. McCarthy/Getty Images hide caption

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H. McCarthy/Getty Images

The Thistle & Shamrock

The Thistle & Shamrock: Kickstarters

Hear vintage sounds from some of the trailblazers of Celtic music, artists who influenced a generation of musicians across the world.

The Thistle & Shamrock: Kickstarters

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The Chieftains In Concert On 'A Celtic Sojourn'

The Chieftains kicked off their North American tour at WGBH's Fraser Studio in Boston. WGBH hide caption

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WGBH

Favorite Sessions

The Chieftains In Concert On 'A Celtic Sojourn'

Fifty years into a storied career, The Chieftains have no intention of slowing down, as evidenced by appearance at WGBH's Fraser Performance Studio in Boston. Folk-rock stars The Low Anthem join.

The Chieftains In Concert On 'A Celtic Sojourn'

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In Performance

The Chieftains, Ambassadors of Celtic Folk

In 1962, Dubliner Paddy Moloney put together a band to play traditional Irish music, and to celebrate his homeland's folk culture. More than 40 years later, The Chieftains are going strong.

The Chieftains, Ambassadors of Celtic Folk

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¡Mami! Four Latin Songs For Mother's Day

Grandma Sara Garcia holds Jasmine's mother, Marta. Courtesy of Jasmine Garsd hide caption

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Courtesy of Jasmine Garsd

Alt.Latino

¡Mami! Four Latin Songs For Mother's Day

NPR Music's Alt.Latino co-hosts, Felix Contreras and Jasmine Garsd, share a musical tribute to the women who raised them.

¡Mami! Four Latin Songs For Mother's Day

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First Listen: The Chieftains Featuring Ry Cooder

Ry Cooder (bottom left) collaborated with the Irish music icons in The Chieftains on San Patricio. Judith Burrows hide caption

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Judith Burrows

First Listen

First Listen: The Chieftains Featuring Ry Cooder

Cooder's latest recording project is a cultural mashup of Mexican and Irish music called San Patricio. The album is performed by the Irish music icons in The Chieftains, along with Cooder himself and a handful of celebrated Mexican musicians. Hear the album in its entirety for the week leading up to its release.

World Cafe

Ry Cooder With The Chieftains On World Cafe

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In creating San Patricio, Paddy Maloney and Ry Cooder were inspired by a group of Irish immigrant soldiers who left the American army to fight for Mexico in the Mexican-American War. The album's seamless combination of Irish and Mexican folk songs makes this World Cafe appearance a distinctive listening experience.

Ry Cooder With The Chieftains On World Cafe

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The Chieftains And Ry Cooder Tell 'San Patricio' History

Ry Cooder (left) and Paddy Maloney of The Chieftains. Judith Burrows hide caption

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Judith Burrows

Music Interviews

The Chieftains And Ry Cooder Tell 'San Patricio' History

With St. Patrick's Day just ahead, an unusual musical mash-up has surfaced. Paddy Moloney and his legendary Irish group The Chieftains have joined forces with Ry Cooder and Latino artists on a new album called San Patricio. The record takes its name from a battalion of the Mexican-American War.

The Chieftains And Ry Cooder Tell 'San Patricio' History

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