Andy Irvine & Davy Spillane - Chetvorno Horo

The EastWind album - Available for download from iTunes, Amazon, etc. - by Andy Irvine & Davy Spillane is a complex interaction of Celtic Musicians and instruments with World Music rhythms was revolutionary at the time of recording. Subsequently, this album has been acknowledged as one of the key building blocks to the current Riverdance sound. EastWind has justifiably been described as the precursor album to Riverdance. However it has to be said that the idea of combining Eastern European music (Bulgarian-Macedonian-Balkan) with Irish and Celtic musicians and instruments has been the idea of Andy Irvine's since he first visited these countries in the late 60's. The music had such impact and influence on Andy that he returned to Ireland with new musical ideas soon to be introduced and played by the ground breaking band Planxty of which he was a founder member. This innovative music had an immediate and positive audience response and thus found its way on to virtually all the Planxty recordings. Although a much-discussed project over many years it was not until the early 90's that the album was finally recorded. Bill Whelan was the Producer and Arranger. The multi-instrumentalist Nikola Parov contributed to the Bulgarian element together with Marta Sebestyen (of Muzsikas fame) giving her wonderful vocal talent to the project. The lead Irish players featured Davy Spillane, Máirtín O'Connor and of course Andy Irvine who had the vision to bring the EastWind project to fruition. The influence of this recording was profound. It was no coincidence that the intricate time signatures and influences of this music were to reappear in Riverdance whose Composer and Producer was again Bill Whelan. Both the Riverdance recording and show featured the EastWind musicians Davy Spillane, Nikola Parov, Máirtín O'Connor, Noel Eccles & Kenneth Edge.

Added 5 Oct 2026