Biography

BIOGRAPHY


She is one of nine siblings. She spent her childhood in Gweedore in Northern Ireland. Like her 4 sisters and 3 brothers, she performed from an early age in family folk bands, which gained considerable fame in the circles of lovers of Irish folk music. 19-year-old Enya joined the family band Clannad. Three of her siblings and two relatives also played in it. From the beginning of her school education, Enya learned to play the piano and explored the secrets of classical music. No wonder that in the band she not only sang, but also played the piano. She recorded two albums with the band - "Crann Ull" and "Fuaim" - she also went on concert tours. After two years, however, she parted ways with the band.

Clannad conquered the world with previously unknown sounds - in the songs one could hear not only the Irish language, but also Celtic, the traditional instrumentation was enriched by old instruments, with the Celtic harp at the forefront. After parting ways with Clannad, Enya moved to Artane, Dublin, where she rented a house with a married couple. Nicky and Roma Ryan (earlier associated with the group Clannad) are co-authors of many of its songs to this day. Encouraged by Clannad's manager, Enya started composing and playing film music. She sent her first demo tape to renowned producer David Puttnam. This resulted in a commission for the music for the feature film "The Frog Prince". Then there was the BBC documentary series "The Celts". Recording the music took almost 10 months - Enya played almost all the instrumental parts and sang by herself, sometimes turning her voice into a chorus of several dozen. Enya's effort paid off. The music was so successful that it was released on an album entitled "Enya". The soundtrack hit the top of the Irish charts.

Soon after "Celtach" Enya signed a contract with the international label WEA. The album "Watermark" recorded for her with the hit song "Orinoco Flow" sold 10 million copies, won the title of Platinum Record in 14 countries. Even more successful was the next album, released in 1991, and entitled "Shepherd Moons". Sold in 11 million copies, it was on the American Billboard charts for over half a year, and was also awarded the Grammy Award as the best New Age album. In 1992, Enya re-released music from the TV series "The Celts", this time under the same title. Recording and composing everything herself, Enya does not release her albums on the market too often. For almost four years, her fans all over the world have been waiting for the next album. It was called "The Memory of Trees" and brought the author another Grammy Award.

Enya received another Grammy with the album "A Day Without Rain" released in 2000. The song from this album "Only Time" was featured on the soundtrack of the film "Sweet November". In addition to the Grammy Award, Enya has received awards such as: Echo 2002 for Best Pop-Rock Single (Only Time), two 2001 World Music Awards: Best Selling Irish and New Age Artist, and three 2002 World Music Awards: Best Selling Artist, Best best-selling New Age artist and Ireland's best-selling artist. Her Irish friends Roma and Nick Ryan help with all Enya's albums. So it was with two pieces commissioned by the director of "The Lord of the Rings" Peter Jackson. One of them, the song "May It Be", won an Oscar nomination.

Composer and vocalist Eithne Ní Bhraonáin (English: Enya Brennan) comes from the Gaelic part of Ireland (exactly around Gaoth Dobhair, County Donegal). She grew up in a large Catholic family, for generations associated with Irish music. So, the natural step in her life was to study classical music - in college and with a private tutor. When Eithne graduated from college, Clannad's then-manager, Nicky Ryan, approached her to join the group.

After less than two years supporting Clannad with vocals and keyboards, Eithne left the band. The reason was poor relations with much older siblings, but above all the desire to return to classical music. Nicky Ryan, fascinated by the vocal and instrumental talent of the 20-year-old Irishwoman, offered her cooperation, also leaving Clannad. Eithne Ní Bhraonáin moved to Dublin to live with Nick and his wife Roma - and develop her own music career. This was the beginning of the path that was to lead the artist to world fame.

Eithne's first commission was the soundtrack to David Puttnam's The Frog Prince. However, her music was written for orchestra, so until she collaborated with the BBC on the documentary series "The Celts", the artist could not introduce the musical arrangements she wanted. The soundtrack from the series about the Celts was released as a separate album, entitled "Enya" (and reissued in 1992 as "The Celts"). The original sounds of songs such as "I Want Tomorrow", "The Celts" or the atmospheric vocals about the legendary Boadicea won the warm appreciation of Rob Dickins, head of Warner Music UK, who signed a contract with Enya.

A year later, in 1988, Enya conquered the ears and hearts of music lovers around the world with her solo album "Watermark". The famous single "Orinoco Flow" has become a real hallmark of the artist. The album gained unexpectedly great popularity (10 million copies sold), received the title of Platinum Record in many countries and brought Enya her first prestigious IRMA award - Best Irish Artist. Subtle, full of unconventional solutions, the music combines elements of classical, Irish folk and New Age music; initiated the fashion for the latter genre. "Watermark", as well as all subsequent albums, is the result of the cooperation of three visionaries and perfectionists: Enya, who composes and performs all the songs, Nick Ryan - producer and sound engineer, and Roma Ryan - the author of the lyrics of the lyrical songs.

In November 1991, Enya released Shepherd Moons. The album with the singles "Caribbean Blue" and "Book Of Days" brought another success: over 2 million records sold in the first year, another IRMA (Best Irish Artist) accolade, number one in the US and UK charts and - first GRAMMY for Best New Age Album. "Shepherd Moons" is a continuation of the "Watermark" style, but it has been enriched with new, sweeter and softer sounds. The next year saw the aforementioned reissue of the album "Enya", with minor changes published as "The Celts". The next album, "The Memory Of Trees" was released in 1995. It was certified Platinum in more than eight countries, took ninth place in the US charts and earned Enya a second GRAMMY Award as Best New Age Album. The album is distinguished by more serious, philosophical music, with references to the culture of the Far East. Two years later, compilations summarizing the artist's achievements to date were released: "The Best Of Enya: Paint The Sky With Stars" and "A Box Of Dreams". Many critics began to proclaim the exhaustion of Enya's styles.

Five years later, in the new studio (Enya and the Ryans moved to the Ayesha estate in Dublin), an album entitled "A Day Without Rain" was created, containing the famous song "Only Time". Innovative and proving the talent of the Irishwoman, the compilation received many awards, including already the third GRAMMY Best New Age Album, and three World Music Awards for best-selling album and artist. The album reached a record number of 12 million records sold (20,000 copies in Poland and the title of the Golden Record).

In 2001, Enya was asked to write two songs for the first part of Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings. The artist, a long-time fan of J.R.R. Tolkien's novels Tolkien agreed. She composed and sang the songs "Aníron" and "May It Be", which appeared in the soundtrack to "The Fellowship of the Ring". The song "May It Be", hailed as a "mild hit", brought Enya immense popularity, received an Oscar nomination and the BFCA award for Best Song.

In the autumn of 2005, the solemn premiere of the album "Amarantine" took place in Paris. The album is a continuation of the previous style, although in a different, nostalgic mood, with Enya's mezzo-soprano more prominent. He won her a fourth GRAMMY and World Music Awards for best-selling female artist. After three years, Enya released her seventh studio album, entitled "And Winter Came". It contains songs in the mood of winter reflections and performances of traditional Christmas carols. The bonus song "Miraculum" (meaning "Miracle") honors the 20th anniversary of the album "Watermark" - Enya's first milestone in music.