One of Ireland's best-known traditional bands, Altan formed in 1987 and picked up where revivalists like Planxty and The Bothy Band left off. They brought a fine sensibility to everything from Gaelic-language ballads to traditional jigs and reels, with an emphasis on the then lesser-known northern repertoire. Co-founder Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh's remarkable Donegal fiddle style and lilting vocal delivery distinguished the group, and over the years they grew and changed, surviving the death of co-founder Frankie Kennedy and working with a who's who of roots musicians, including Alison Krauss.