Grammy-award winning musician Enya is most likely Ireland’s best-selling solo artist and largest musical export second to U2. Renowned for her distinct sound, the performer typically uses simple arrangements with multitracking vocals, which she executes by herself and later layered to create a virtual choir. Synthesized backgrounds and ethereal reverberations are also common in her songs.
Born Eithne Patricia Ní Bhraonáin on May 17, 1961 in Gweedore, County Donegal, Enya worked with the family band, Clannad, before going solo. She has been collaborating with Nicky and Roma Ryan since the beginning of her career. Nicky acts as the artist’s producer and manager. Roma, meanwhile, is Enya’s primary lyricist.
The musician’s breakthrough year was in 1988, when the album Watermark was released. The recording’s lead single was Orinoco Flow, which topped the charts in several countries, including the UK.
Shepherd Moons was distributed three years later and became another hit. This earned Enya her first Grammy for Best New Age Album. One of the compositions in the album, Marble Halls, was featured in the Martin Scorsese film, The Age of Innocence.
In 1995, the artist released The Memory of Trees. The album was a success in the UK, Germany and the US. Singles from the album include Anywhere Is and On My Way Home. Two years later, the collection won a Grammy for the same category as Shepherd Moons.
Enya released the albums A Day Without Rain, Amarantine and The Very Best of Enya between 2000 and 2009. From A Day Without Rain, Only Time was used as part of the movie Sweet November. Further, her recordings Aniron and May It Be were in the first Lord of the Rings film.
Source by Pollux Parker
