R

ecent winners of the BBC Introducing NI Artist of the Year (2025) and the NI Music Prize Live Act of the Year (2024), West Belfast collective Huartan have been breathing new life into ancient words and melodies. Through bold reinterpretations of at-risk Irish language songs, Huartan’s mission is to connect contemporary audiences with the oral singing tradition and native language of Ulster. At the core of the ensemble are three Irish traditional musicians — Catriona Ní Ghribín, Múlú, and Stiofán Ó Luachráin. In a playful re-imagining of a mythical pre-Christian Ireland, Huartan’s otherwordly live shows are rooted in decolonial and anti-capitalist ideals, featuring masked performers that embody the unsettling presence of the síogaí (fairies/shapeshifters)…