NORIANA KENNEDY

Half Irish and half Filipino, Noriana possesses a captivating voice lauded by the Irish Times as “a knockout: translucent and tenacious in equal measure.  Embracing a wide range of old-time songs, folk ballads, and originals, she imbues each song with her unique taste, crafting a sound that is distinctly her own.  Her debut album "Ebb n Flow," was released in 2011, and featured a stellar cast including Sharon Shannon and Trevor Hutchinson. Since then, her career has soared, touring extensively in the US with the renowned traditional group Solas and sharing the stage with respected artists like Pauline Scanlon, Eilis Kennedy, Muireann Nic Amhlaibh, and John Spillane with 'Stor mo Chroi'.

In 2013, Noriana combined with singers and songwriters Nicola Joyce and Noelie McDonnell to form the captivating songwriting trio The Whileaways. The Whileaways boast a remarkable musical journey marked by stunning vocal prowess and originality. Together with her bandmates, she has contributed to four albums, earning several RTE Folk Award nominations along the way. Their enchanting harmonies, accompanied by guitar, banjo, and ukulele, weave a mesmerizing tapestry of beautifully crafted original songs.  

Noriana has graced prestigious stages worldwide, from Tonder Fest in Denmark to Portfairy Folk Festival in Australia. More recently she toured through Music Network  with Donagh Hennessey, Oisin MacDiarmuda and Mirella Murray where “Kennedy’s vocals … full of layered textures that promise to lodge deep within an audience’s subconscious for later savouring” (Irish Times).  

With her latest solo offering Noriana is poised to step into a new phase in her artistic journey. Building on her stellar body of work, she offers up a new take on ‘May Morning Dew’, a song that has come from the heart of the Irish Traditional Music canon, learned from the great Dolores Keane.  

Through her unmistakable renditions of old-time songs, folk ballads, and standout original compositions, she has carved a well worn and confident seat in Ireland's vibrant folk music scene.