NPR : World Cafe

A Sense Of Place: Discover Dublin's Music Scene

November 28, 2011
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Throughout the week, World Cafe travels to Dublin, Ireland — the first stop in a quarterly series called A Sense of Place. We hope to give you an idea of the past and present of the city's local music scene and provide tips from musicians and music lovers for those hoping to visit this culturally rich town.

Today's segment of A Sense of Place explores the history of the contemporary music scene in Dublin, which has been slowly shaped into its current state since the 1970s. Discover what that entails, and hear about how the country's economic rise and fall — and its unique political and cultural history — has affected its music business, producing artists like U2, The Cranberries and Sinead O'Connor, among many others.

Acting as tour guide for this segment is Glen Hansard, the Academy Award-winning songwriter and singer for both The Frames and The Swell Season. Hot Press editor Niall Stokes, who helms the Irish equivalent of Rolling Stone, and musician Conor O'Brien of the band Villagers also provide local insight.

Copyright 2011 WXPN-FM. To see more, visit http://www.xpn.org/.

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