Hartford, Conn. (February 5, 2019) – Connecticut Public is proud to announce the American television premiere of Irish brothers and witty masters of music, Owen and Moley Ó Súilleabháin, performing on the national public television series, THE KATE. The live concert taping will take place on Monday, February 11th at 7:30 PM at the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center in Old Saybrook, CT.
A boundary-breaking post-modern mix of the sublime to ridiculously virtuosic vocals from Irish traditional and folk to poetry and Irish rap music. Their own original songs are stupendously entertaining. They are troubadour brothers with a wicked sense of humor and a skill for depth. Owen and Moley are the product of the internet age – world class entertainment with no cultural baggage.
Owen and Moley’s show on THE KATE will include the Irish traditional (Red is the Rose and Go Lassy Go) to the unexpected (a Morrissey Medley) to modern Irish composers including a medley of Van Morrison songs. And Moley’s Irish rapping and amazing beat boxing will set them apart from anything heard before.
Owen and Mícheál ‘Moley’ Ó Súilleabháin are two brothers from one of Ireland’s most esteemed musical and artistic families. Singers, storytellers, poets, their beautiful harmonies, stories of life experience, mixed with a wild sense of humor, makes you feel at ease, in awe, and entirely entertained.
The brothers draw from a huge repertoire spanning thousands of years, embodying Ireland in song: Ireland’s oldest tradition, Celtic Sean Nós; Medieval Gregorian Chant from the Monastic Period; Irish folk songs in English and Gaelic; original inspirational pop-songs, and even human beatbox and Irish rap!
Owen and Moley have recorded and performed around the world with their mother, singer and theologian Rev. Nóirín Ní Riain Ph.D., in a trio called AMEN. Their late father, Michael Ó Súilleabháin, renowned musicologist, composer and pianist, brought traditional Irish music and culture to the world stage and founded the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at the University of Limerick, an internationally recognized center of excellence in the arts. The lads proudly continue their parents’ legacy – bringing authentic Irish culture to audiences the world over.
Owen and Moley’s talents have caught the attention of some of the greats in world of performance and the arts. They count luminaries such as Steven Spielberg, Russell Crowe, poet laureate Billy Collins and violinist Nigel Kennedy as their fans, and have shared the stage with The Chieftains, Hugh Jackman, Bobby McFerrin, Sinead O’Connor, Riverdance composer Bill Whelan, and Alan Doyle (Great Big Sea).
“I am a huge fan of Owen & Mícheál. From the unique mastery of their harmonies, to the streetwise intellect of their humours. Unique, unadorned, awesome.” Russell Crowe
“Here are blendings of chant, hymn, and instrumentation, so uplifting and mesmerizing they may bring your mind to a complete stop, which is a good thing if your thoughts are anything like some of mine.” Billy Collins, Poet and U.S. Poet Laureate 2001-2003
For Tickets: thekate.org/owen.moley
About The Kate: https://thekate.tv/
The Kate has garnered a reputation for being more than a music show – it’s a window into the artist’s creativity. This national public television performance series features bold performers with something to say. Paying homage to the series muse and namesake, Katherine Hepburn, artists are selected under a hypothetical litmus test that asks “would Katharine Hepburn have found them audacious enough to invite them for a cocktail?” The result is a unique program of respected artists who take to the stage with personal stories, hilarious moments, honest and creative expressions of art, and of course, impossibly good music.
Produced by Connecticut Public Television, The Kate is filmed in front of a live audience at the exquisite Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, a historic, 250-seat theatre, known as The Kate, in Old Saybrook, Connecticut. Season 4 performers (to date) include Sheila E., Desmond Child, Marc Cohn and the Blind Boys of Alabama, and Gina Chavez; with more outstanding artists to be announced.
About Connecticut Public: https://www.ctpublic.org/
Connecticut Public is the state’s only locally-owned media organization producing television, radio, print, and web content for Connecticut’s wide-ranging and diverse communities. It is home to Connecticut Public Television, Connecticut Public Radio, and Connecticut Public Learning. Connecticut Public Television is an affiliate of PBS and is a locally and nationally recognized producer and presenter of quality public television programming. Connecticut Public Radio on WNPR is an affiliate of National Public Radio, Public Radio International, and American Public Media. Connecticut Public Learning serves high school seniors through a partnership with Hartford Public Schools and the Journalism and Media Academy Magnet School. It is also home to the Institute for Advanced Media, a program that provides veterans and adult learners an opportunity to learn valuable digital media skills.
About The Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center: https://www.thekate.org
The Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center is a non-profit performing arts organization located in an historic theatre/town hall on Main Street in Old Saybrook. Originally opened in 1911, the building is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. After state-of-the art renovations, the center includes a 250-seat theatre that presents work in several genres including music, theater, opera, dance, comedy, film, and a variety of children’s programming. The theater lobby encompasses a small museum honoring Katharine Hepburn, Old Saybrook’s most celebrated resident.