Sail Away

The haunting voice behind Enya is actually Eithne Patricia Ni Bhraonain. Enya is how Eithne would sound in her native dialect. Enya is an Irish songwriter and is the country’s best-selling solo artist. She is second only to U2 in terms of sales for Irish artists. Enya has garnered four Grammy Awards and an Academy Award nomination thus far in her storied career. She has also performed in more than 10 different languages during that time.

She was born in 1961 to a very musical family. It was no surprise then that she ended up working with her siblings in the band called Clannad. She left the group in 1982 to open up her own recording studio. During her solo career, Enya produced instrumental songs, performed on Sinead O’Connor’s debut album and produced the song “Boadicea.” This song was the subject of controversy when the Fugees sampled it without seeking permission or crediting her. In 1998, Enya experienced an international breakthrough with the song “Orinoco Flow.” The single topped the charts in the United Kingdom and the album, Watermark, went on to sell eight million copies.

Enya’s music seems to be a fusion of Irish and classical music. She often composes and performs her own music. Nicky Ryan is her album producer of choice and Roma Ryan translates her songs into various languages. While she is commonly classified as New Age, she has not classified herself as such. When asked what kind of music she does, she usually replies with a simple, “Enya.”

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