After playing together on and off for a few years previously, Rob Garcia and Paul McNamara came together to form the Na-Mara duo in 2006. Described as "elegant and skilled musicians", they have broadcast on BBC Radio, and have performed at clubs and festivals across the UK, France and Spain.
They perform traditional songs and music from the British Isles alongside their own songs and tunes, together with traditional songs from France and Quebec which they translate into English, and a wide variety of tunes from all corners of the Celtic diaspora, in particular Asturias, Galicia, Brittany and northern France.
Although born in London, Rob is of Spanish descent; his parents arrived in the UK as child refugees from the Spanish Civil War in 1937, an event that informs much of their music. As close friends of the International Brigade Memorial Trust, they have performed their own songs about the Spanish Civil War at numerous events commemorating the commitment of the many Britons who went to fight fascism in Spain in the 1930s.
And where does the name come from you may ask? Not an ego trip on the part of Paul, as may be imagined, ?Na-Mara? is actually Gaelic for ?The Sea? ? an ever-changing landscape, always moving and rolling, suffused with great power and yet replete with gentle rhythm. A perfect description of the music of Na-Mara.
Sadly, for a variety of personal and professional reasons, Na-Mara have decided to retire from live performance in autumn 2024 and concentrate on writing and studio work so this will be your last chance to see them in live performance. Don?t miss it!!
"One of life's certainties, thus far, is that any music produced by Na-Mara, be it live or recorded, will be of the highest quality and guaranteed to involve subjects and themes of compelling interest." - David Pratt, FATEA, April 2019
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