One of the standout West Cork gigs of the immediate post-Covid era was Kenny Dread's show at Connolly's of Leap in May of 2022. With supporting sets from The Bella Coola and Corinna Swara, this event had the effervescent buzz of beautiful reunion as a whole community of local bands and their fans gathered, many for the first time, after the long Covid lockdown.

American-born West Cork based Kenny is delighted to bring his show back to Connolly's for an encore of sorts on Thursday April 18. His grooving electro-acoustic set is graced by the exquisite harmony singing of Deirdre Archbold (Low Mountain) and the spirited trad-style flute and whistle of Fiona Walsh. According to Kenny "I am so blessed to have these super-talented women on board - their singing and playing weaves all around the songs and gives the grooves a beautiful sparkle." Kenny says he will perform his latest single "B4 U Seh Its Thru" which has a music video filmed at Connolly's - another homecoming of sorts. He will also sing his unreleased but timely anthem "Jesus Was A Sailor" which namechecks heroes of peace such as Muhammad Ali, Rumi, and Nelson Mandela.

Corinna Swara pulled the tempo down in a hypnotic blend of Spanish guitar and chillout groove on her recent single “Akasha”. In live performance her evocative singing soars over a mix of world, electronic, and dub sounds.

A great new band on the West Cork scene will open the show: AINM infuses elements of trip hop with experimental rock resulting in a far reaching range of sweet and dark sounds. They were recently featured on RTE DJ Jenny Greene’s “Greene Room”.

Kenny Dread, Corinna Swara, AINM
Connolly’s of Leap
Thursday April 18th at 8 PM
Pass The Hat Free Admission