Brendan Power (harmonica player)
| Brendan Power | |
|---|---|
| Born | Mombasa, Kenya |
| Genres | Blues, folk, traditional Irish, traditional Chinese, Bulgarian, original and experimental |
| Instruments | Chromatic harmonica, diatonic harmonica, custom harmonica, vocals |
| Years active | 1976-present |
| Website | brendan-power |
Brendan Power is a New Zealand harmonica player, composer and inventor, living in Britain.
Born in Kenya, Power's family moved to New Zealand in 1965 where he later attended Canterbury University at Christchurch, gaining a Bachelor of Arts in English & Religious Studies, and a Master of Arts in Religious Studies. Power wrote his thesis on the Taoist philosopher Chuang Tzu.
Power discovered the harmonica at university after hearing Sonny Terry play at a concert by the blues duo Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee. Power subsequently taught himself to play harmonica by ear and music soon took over from academia as his main passion.
Power moved to London in 1992 where he worked for three years as a soloist in the Riverdance Show. He was later employed by Suzuki Musical Instrument Corporation of Japan as their International Harmonica Specialist in 2008, a position he held for five years.
In April 2013, along with his business partner Zombor Kovacs, Power started X-reed Harmonicas, a project devoted to making custom harmonicas.
Power is well known for his extraordinary technical playing ability on the harmonica. Jools Holland introduced him as "a wonder on the harmonica" when Power played live with Tim Edey and Lucy Randall, on Later with Jools Holland in 2004, while Allmusic describes him as "a master of the chromatic harmonica and blues harp".
Power has recorded more than 20 albums beginning with Country Harmonica (1984) and the latest being New Chinese Harmonica (2012), and has recorded with many well-known Irish artists including Donal Lunny, Altan, Paul Brady, Arcady, Arty McGlynn and Mary Black.
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