Celtic music runs through Carlos Núñez’s veins. Nicknamed the “Jimi Hendrix of bagpipes” by Billboard in 1997, Núñez has, besides the traditional Galician bagpipe (or gaita), mastered such wind instruments as the ocarina, the Scottish highland pipes, the uilleann (Irish) pipes, the bombarde (a kind of Breton oboe) and pastoral pipes (18th-century precursor of the uilleann pipes), among many others. Alongside constant musical companions Pancho Alvarez (guitar) and brother Xurxo Núñez (percussion) and a large list of musicians from Ireland, Galicia and many other Celtic nations, Carlos has become more than a spokesperson for this music: he is one of its greatest ambassadors.
Born in 1971 and raised in the Galician port of Vigo, Núñez’s big break came when he met the legendary Irish group The Chieftains at Lorient’s Inter-Celtic Festival. In 1994, the band invited Carlos to perform with them at New York City’s Carnegie Hall. It was a highly auspicious U.S. concert debut for him, one that led to several tours and recordings with the Chieftains, including the groundbreaking Grammy-winning album Santiago which helped open the doors worldwide to Galician Celtic music. Not surprisingly, his 1996 solo album debut, A Irmandade das Estrelas (Brotherhood of Stars in English), fulfilled his musical mission of inter-Celtic confraternity in stunning style. Featuring more than 50 guests, the album enjoyed extraordinary sales in Spain, where it became the first Celtic traditional recording to reach the coveted platinum status.
His latest solo project, Celtic Sea, continues that mission. Produced to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the shipping company Brittany Ferries, Núñez uses instruments from different historical periods of this music (including the recently reconstructed prehistoric Atlantic lyres), he also draws inspiration from all kinds of repertoires and compositional techniques of Celtic music. Anchored by Nuñez’s sheer joy and exuberance, and his desire to share this musical history with his public, his concerts are a celebration of those connections that leave audiences on their feet.
