Tony MacMahon
Encyclopedia
Tony MacMahon is an Irish button accordion player and broadcaster. Among his influences were accordionists Joe Cooley and Sonny Brogan
, as well as piper Willie Clancy
, fiddler Bobby Casey, and singer and piper Seamus Ennis
.
He moved to Dublin in 1957, where he took accordion lessons from Sonny Brogan
. Mick Mulcahy has cited him as an influence.
MacMahon, considered by some a purist or a traditionalist, was vocal in his criticism of the River of Sound program, initially on the Late Late Show, and subsequently in his address to the Crossroads Conference. He became embroiled in controversy again in August 2009 after calling the musician Alec Finn
a "second rate accompanist," and claiming that neither he or Johnny 'Ringo' MacDonagh were musicians. Further responses to the program were highly critical of MacMahon's comments http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/22278, drawing attention to his self-appointed status as a guardian of the tradition.
Sonny Brogan
Sonny Brogan was an Irish accordion player from the 1930s to the 1960s, and was one of Ireland's most popular traditional musicians. He was one of the earliest advocates of the two-row B/C button accordion in traditional music, and popularised it the 1950s and 60s...
, as well as piper Willie Clancy
Willie Clancy
Willie Clancy was an Irish uilleann piper.Clancy was born into a musical family at Islandbawn near Miltown Malbay, County Clare. His parents both sang and played concertina, and his father also played the flute...
, fiddler Bobby Casey, and singer and piper Seamus Ennis
Séamus Ennis
Séamus Ennis was an Irish piper, singer and folk-song collector.- Early years :In 1908 James Ennis, Séamus's father, was in a pawn-shop in London. Ennis bought a bag of small pieces of Uilleann pipes. They were made in the early nineteenth century by Coyne of Thomas Street in Dublin. James worked...
.
He moved to Dublin in 1957, where he took accordion lessons from Sonny Brogan
Sonny Brogan
Sonny Brogan was an Irish accordion player from the 1930s to the 1960s, and was one of Ireland's most popular traditional musicians. He was one of the earliest advocates of the two-row B/C button accordion in traditional music, and popularised it the 1950s and 60s...
. Mick Mulcahy has cited him as an influence.
MacMahon, considered by some a purist or a traditionalist, was vocal in his criticism of the River of Sound program, initially on the Late Late Show, and subsequently in his address to the Crossroads Conference. He became embroiled in controversy again in August 2009 after calling the musician Alec Finn
Alec Finn
Alec Finn is an English-born Irish traditional musician who is famous for his unique style of accompaniment on the bouzouki. He is best known for founding De Dannan with Frankie Gavin, Ringo MacDonagh and Charlie Piggott after a series of music sessions at Tigh Hughes, An Spidéal, Co. Galway in...
a "second rate accompanist," and claiming that neither he or Johnny 'Ringo' MacDonagh were musicians. Further responses to the program were highly critical of MacMahon's comments http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/22278, drawing attention to his self-appointed status as a guardian of the tradition.
Discography
- Traditional Irish Accordion. CD re-release 2005.
- I gCnoc na Grai (In Knocknagree) (with Noel Hill, concertina). 1992.
- Aislingí Ceoil (Music Of Dreams) (with Noel Hill, concertina, and Iarla Ó Lionáird, voice).