No-one has done more to make Irish traditional music sound exciting and contemporary than Kila. With the band currently between albums, however, frontman Ronan O'Snodaigh has taken the opportunity to step forward with his defiantly experimental new solo record. Tonnta Ro is a collection of 12 songs based around the steady beat of the bodhran, featuring a series of passionate vocal chants that sound African but turn out, on closer inspection, to be guaranteed Irish. Many listeners will struggle to know what any of these haunting compositions actually mean, but there's no denying their primitive beauty or strange, hypnotic quality. This is powerful, primal stuff that has absolutely nothing to do with fashion and everything to do with the rich musical heritage of Ireland's past. A heady Celtic experience, and one of the most memorable albums of the year so far.
