Enya

ENYA
 
 
Enya  (born Eithne Ní Bhraonáin [Enya Brennan]; 17 May 1961) is an Irish singer, instrumentalist, and songwriter.  Enya began her musical career in 1980, when she briefly joined her family band Clannad before leaving to perform solo.  She gained wider recognition for her music in the 1986 BBC series The Celts.  Shortly afterwards, her 1988 album Watermark propelled her to further international fame, and she became known for her distinctive sound, characterised by voice-layering, folk melodies, synthesised backdrops, and ethereal reverberations.  She has performed in 10 languages.  (More from Wikipedia)
 
 

 

 

On the other side of the Irish SeaEnya has been one of the leading pop music performers from Ireland for many years.  After appearing in her family’s band Clannad for a short time, Enya began releasing personal songs with intricate musical structures in 1984.  Mostly she sings in English, but Enya performs in 10 languages and occasionally drops in passages in what I take to be Irish on her albums. 

 

(April 2013)

 

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One of the hallmarks of the bandmembers in early punk rock bands is picking new names for themselves.  Not everyone did that, and most musicians perform under their own names.  For the record, as best I can tell, Frank ZappaFats DominoMajor LanceKris Kristofferson, and Stonewall Jackson are using their real names (with Fats being a nickname, though Major and Stonewall are not).  Grace Slick is her married name; she was born Grace Wing.  Most though not all of the one-name performers are also using one of their real names, with slight spelling changes and anglicizing here and there:  MadonnaPrinceJewel, CherBjörkEnyaBeckDonovanMorrissey,  LiberaceSadeSealShakiraRihannaAdeleDidoMelanie, Beyoncé, etc. 
 
(March 2017)
 
Last edited: March 22, 2021