The Your Roots are Showing music conference takes place this month from 14 to 19 January in the Gleneagle Hotel in Killarney. The event, which is now in its third year, focuses on folk, traditional and roots music and will present a programme of talks, panel discussions, workshops, networking events and artist showcases, as well as a music trail. 

The conference strand will feature over 60 industry professionals from organisations such as English Folk Expo, NPR, Music Publishers Association Ireland, Grand Ole Opry, Glastonbury, The Sound House, Cambridge Folk Festival, WOMEX and Milwaukee Irish Festival.

Speakers include singer Liam Ó Maonlaí, music producer and artist manager Brett Bailey, consultant Suzanne Doyle, publicist Fiona Bloom, member of We Banjo 3 Enda Scahill, publicist and artist manager Mags Blackburn, Kíla member Rossa Ó Snodaigh, fiddle player Gerry O’Connor, and renowned Ireland-based American folk musician Rhiannon Giddens, who will give the keynote address. 

​There will also be over 90 showcasing artists and bands performing throughout the event, including Rodney Owl, Lorraine Nash, Patrick Stefan, The Henry Girls, Áine Tyrell, The Good Behaviours, Fiona Kennedy, Mark Lyndon, The 19th Street Band, Good Habits, Al Qahwa, Brídín, ADT, Paddy Dennehy and Billow Wood.

The opening night of the event (14 January) will present Folk in Fusion – a concert with a line-up of traditional, folk and country musicians featured throughout the programme, including Giddens, Liam Ó Maonlaí, bluegrass musician and composer Peter Rowan, banjo player Ron Block, singer-songwriter Thomas Gabiel (grandson of Johnny Cash), country singer Sandy Kelly, emerging Nashville singer-songwriter Kenny Sharp, uilleann piper and Your Roots are Showing founder Brendan McCreanor, and fiddle player Gerry O’Connor. 

‘Folk in Fusion is all about celebrating the depth and diversity of folk music, and we couldn’t ask for a more exciting lineup to kick it off,’ said Charlene Sloan, Co-founder and Director of Your Roots Are Showing. ‘From legends like Peter Rowan, Ron Block and Sandy Kelly to rising stars like Kenny Sharp, this event will set the tone for Your Roots Are Showing. We’re bringing a mix of musical mastery, heritage, and fresh energy to the Gleneagle INEC Arena for a night that will inspire and captivate everyone who joins us.’

For further information and tickets, visit www.showingroots.com.

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