NORIANA KENNEDY

Half Irish and half Filipino, Noriana possesses a captivating voice lauded by the Irish Times as "a knockout: translucent and tenacious in equal measure." Her debut album "Ebb n Flow," released in 2011, featuring Sharon Shannon and Trevor Hutchinson was celebrated for it's "exquisite phrasing and a songbook as wide as a southern porch." 

Embracing a wide range of old-time songs, folk ballads, and originals, she imbued each piece with her unique taste, crafting a sound that is distinctly her own. Since then, her career has soared, touring extensively in the US with the renowned traditional group Solas and sharing the stage with respected artists like Pauline Scanlon, Eilis Kennedy, Muireann Nic Amhlaibh, and John Spillane in supergroup 'Stór mo Chroí.' 

In 2013, Noriana combined with singers and songwriters Nicola Joyce and Noelie McDonnell to form the captivating songwriting trio The Whileaways. The Whileaways boast a remarkable musical journey marked by stunning vocal prowess and originality. Together with her bandmates, she has contributed to four albums, earning several RTE Folk Award nominations along the way. Their enchanting harmonies, accompanied by guitar, banjo, and ukulele, weave a mesmerizing tapestry of beautifully crafted original songs.  Their song 'I am a Hill' was performed and broadcast live from Vicar Street as part of the RTE Folk Awards for which The Whileaways were nominated for 'Best Album' and 'Best Group'. More recently together they have performed live on RTE’s ‘Seisiun’ ‘Geantrai’ and The Late Late Show. 

Their most recent album “In All Honesty” released in 2022 and their undeniably captivating performances have brought them to festivals around Ireland including Doolin Folk Festival, and the Galway Folk Festival, and a sell-out Irish album launch tour.  They also recently performed two songs with the RTE Concert Orchestra Presents ‘Folk Season’. 

Noriana's solo performances have graced prestigious stages worldwide, from Tonder Fest in Denmark to Portfairy Folk Festival in Australia. More recently she toured successfully with Ireland through Music Network  with Donagh Hennessey, Oisin MacDiarmuda and Mirella Murray where “Kennedy’s vocals … full of layered textures that promise to lodge deep within an audience’s subconscious for later savouring” (Irish Times).  With her latest solo offering Noriana  is poised to step into a new phase in her artistic journey. Building on her stellar body of work, she offers up a new take on ‘May Morning Dew’, a song that has come from the heart of the Irish Traditional Music canon, learned from the great Dolores Keane.  

Through her unmistakable renditions of old-time songs, folk ballads, and standout original compositions, she has carved a well worn and confident seat in Ireland's vibrant folk music scene.