Enya, aka Eithne Patricia Ní Bhraonáin, comes from a musical family of four brothers and four sisters. In her teens she studied piano and classical music until she was asked to join the family group Clannad, which already included two uncles, two brothers and her sister Máire Ní Bhraonáin. However, after two years she left Clannad because the group wanted to go in a rock direction while Enya
… wanted to go the classic way. She embarked on a solo career and composed the soundtrack for the BBC documentary The Celts, which was released as the album Enya. Her first international success Watermark (1988) followed a year later. The world was ready for its ethereally sung folk melodies combined with classical motifs and synthesizer background. After Watermark, three more albums were released that found millions of dollars, among others with new age enthusiasts. In 2002 Enya composed two songs for the first Lord Of The Rings movie. Amarantine is her first album in five years and again contains atmospheric music that seems to have been made to get through the dark winter months. This special Christmas edition of Amarantine has a bonus CD with four Christmas songs, including We Wish You A Merry Christmas. (CP)more