The Sands Family

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Sands Family
at the Bardentreffen 2014 in Nuremberg
at the Bardentreffen 2014 in Nuremberg
General information
origin County Down , Northern Ireland
Genre (s) Irish folk
founding around 1967
Website www.sandsfamilyfolk.com
Founding members
Tom (my) Sands
Vocals, guitar, tin whistle , mandolin , sitar , viola , piano
Ben (ny) Sands
Vocals, guitar, concertina , fiddle , bodhrán , dulcimer , bouzouki , banjo, double bass , accordion , sitar
 Colum Sands
Singing, bodhrán
 Anne Sands
Mandolin, guitar, vocals, tin whistle, bouzouki
 Eugene Sands († 1975)
Current occupation
Vocals, guitar, banjo
 Tom (my) Sands
Vocals, guitar, tin whistle, mandolin, sitar, viola, piano
 Ben (ny) Sands
Vocals, guitar, concertina, fiddle, bodhrán, dulcimer, bouzouki, banjo, double bass, accordion, sitar
 Colum Sands
Singing, bodhrán
 Anne Keane

The Sands Family is a Northern Irish folk band that was formed around 1967. The three to five band members are siblings. They play traditional Irish folk music and their own songs, often with political content.

history

The seven siblings grew up in Ryan near Mayobridge, which is near the town of Newry in County Down . Her parents, Mick and Bridie Sands, had themselves grown up in families of musicians and inspired their children. Mary (* 1942) and Hugh Sands, the two oldest siblings, were also connected to music. However, Mary married in 1966, while Hugh, who brought the first guitar into the family, emigrated to Canada that same year . Around this time Tom ( Tommy ), Ben ( Benny ), Colum, Eugene ( Dino ) and Anne formed the Sands Family as the youngest sibling (* 1955).

Around 1970 the band won a folk band competition in Dublin . In the spring of 1971 the band was invited to New York to perform there for three weeks. In addition to further tours to North America, the band played mainly in Europe, especially in both parts of Germany. In 1974 they had a hit in the GDR with All the Little Children . In 1973 and 1980 they took part in the Festival of Political Song in East Berlin . In the Federal Republic of Germany some of their albums were released by plan , in the GDR an LP of the band was released in 1981 by the record label Amiga .

The Sands Family plays their own compositions, but also traditional Irish songs. These include numerous political songs . The line-up changed several times. Regular members are Tom (also Tommy), Ben (Benny) and Colum Sands. Anne Sands was called Anne Keane after her marriage and was temporarily absent from the band. Eugene Sands died in November 1975 in a car accident in the Federal Republic of Germany. On the 1988 album At Home , both parents and all seven siblings are represented with older recordings.

Some members often perform solo. Tommy Sands recorded several of his own albums, some of which were also released in both German states. Colum Sands also released numerous albums and founded the record label Spring in 1981 .

  • Tommy Sands

  • Benny Sands

  • Colum Sands

  • Anne Keane

Discography

Albums

  • 1968: Folk From the Mournes (Outlet, re-released in 1972 with a new cover)
  • 1974: The First Day & The Second Day (Autogram)
  • 1974: The Winds Are Singing Freedom (plans)
  • 1975: You'll Be Well Looked After (Metronome / EMI )
  • 1975: As I Roved Out (Arfolk)
  • 1975: Live Folk D'Irlande Du Nord (Arfolk)
  • 1976: After the Morning (EMI)
  • 1976: Live (plans)
  • 1977: The Third Day (Autogram)
  • 1979: Real Irish Folk (Emerald)
  • 1980: High Hills and Valleys (plans)
  • 1981: The Sands Family ( Amiga )
  • 1982: Tell Me What You See (plans)
  • 1986: Now and Then (Spring)
  • 1988: At Home (Autogram)
  • 1998: Collection (Spring)
  • 2001: Hope Is in the Morning (Spring)
  • 2008: Keep On Singing (Spring)

Singles (selection)

  • 1973: The Winds Are Singing Freedom (A-side only, Eterna )

Compilations (selection)

  • 1974: The Winds are Singing Freedom on Rote Lieder - 4th Festival of Political Song (Eterna)

Web links

Commons : The Sands Family  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Information about the album At Home , accessed on February 4, 2016
  2. ^ Biography of the band , accessed February 4, 2016