Daniel Manor comes from a Glaswegian family.
Daniel:
My father, who came to Israel from Glasgow during his twenties, plays the guitar and used to sing British folk songs during my childhood. I never heard any Irish music from him, but I suppose that in some way I may have absorbed the attraction for Folk music. Besides my dad as a folk musician and his father being Glasgow’s cantor, I don’t know if there were any other musicians in the family.
I am Jewish; secular as hell, but technically Jewish.
I actually discovered traditional Irish music at the age of 22, while traveling Australia. I met a Dublin-native tin whistle player. The minute he started playing I was captivated with the music. I used to play rock and blues on the guitar until then, but when I heard Irish jigs and reels, something inside me just connected to this music immediately.
Upon returning to Israel in October 2005, I didn’t continue pursuing Irish music. It was only 18 months later, in April 2007, that I actually discovered the existence of a traditional Irish music scene in Israel, completely by chance. I went out on a first date with a woman, and we chanced to reach the Molly Blooms pub as we strolled in Tel Aviv. It happened to be that at the same time a music session was held there. For a few good minutes I was completely focused on the music instead of my date. After ten minutes, my date demanded we leave. I looked at her, and then looked at the session. I looked at her again and then again at the session… and decided to leave the woman and keep the music. It was probably one of the best decisions I have ever made.
I started attending the session on a weekly basis, playing my guitar there and singing pub songs, and things kind of went on from there. As for my fellow musicians, some of them actually discovered Irish music through Lord of the Dance and Riverdance. When I come to think of it, the internet revolution happened during our teen years. I suppose that it contributed greatly to my generation’s ability to get exposed to Irish music.
My band, The Bloomers, was established in November, 2012 by myself and two other musicians who were regulars at the weekly session at the Molly Blooms pub (hence the group’s name).
In 2015, The Bloomers expanded from a trio to a quintet. Our musical “trademark” is with young, enthusiastic and lively arrangements to well-established (as well as original) Irish tunes and songs.
