Ricko Donovan

Nashville indie-folk singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Ricko Donovan is a man of many tricks. Donovan’s catchy They Might Be Giants-meets-Celtic-meets-folk sound is primarily focused on the hammered dulcimer (how often do you hear one of those?). Donovan also plays guitar, mandolin, mandocello, bass, drums and the voice, which he describes as “the purest instrument of all.” With a veritable arsenal of stringed instruments at his disposal, Donovan’s sixth Southwest tour since 2007 (he tours a lot) brings him to fledgling music venue Little Wing. There, he performs original compositions to accompany 1926 silent film The Temptress—a movie about Paris, female charms and chivalry—which stars Greta Garbo.

“People have been bewildered by the production value of the film and, of course, the understated and unbelievable acting presence of Garbo,” Donovan says. Catch a great musician and a great movie—perfect for folk and film fans alike.


Where: Little Wing
Phone: 505-983-5906
Address: 851 St. Michael's Drive
Website: candymanlittlewing.com - Santa Fe Reporter

Ricko Donovan is a Nashville-based musician and singer who learned his trade by spending several years busking and living in Europe, primarily in Spain and Ireland. He played hammered dulcimer on the streets, in cafes, theaters, and clubs for about eight years before returning to Tennessee. Much of his time was spent outside Doolin in County Clare and along the Cliffs of Moher during the summer months. The Laughing Silver String is his fourth release and features Ricko on solo hammered dulcimer and guitar with occasional assistance from Cindy Wyatt on Celtic harp, Sonja O'Brien on fiddle, Franko Hashiguchi on pennywhistle, Marney McCague on Irish flute, Marcel Botteman on fiddle, Rolf Groesbeck on tabla, frame drum and dumbek, and Neal Lee on bohdran. The tunes are mostly staples of the traditional Irish repertoire and include dance tunes as well as several O'Carolan pieces. All are exceptionally well played and nicely arranged. Ricko's dulcimer is well out in front on every track and the other instruments complement his lead nicely when a change of pace is appropriate. Ricko doesn't sing on this recording but his website has several tracks that indicate he is a multi-talented performer who is at home with both traditional and more contemporary music. This album is traditional and is well worth your attention. - Clare FM Radio

Ricko Donovan “puts all his cards out on the table” with his new album Lucky Sevens. Donovan, who spent the better part of the last five years busking the streets of Amsterdam, Munich, Berlin, Madrid, Brussels, Barcelona, Dublin, London, Birmingham, and Edinburgh, brings to the stage traditional Irish folk music with a twist.

Ricko is a fabulous instrumentalist, including the hammer dulcimer, mandocello, mandolin and violin in his performances, he provides a rich and cultural experience bringing Irish music into the spotlight. He has sold thousands of his previous three CDs worldwide.

Lucky Sevens is an album full of jaunting tunes that transport from the Irish countryside to sitting behind the poker table. As a lyricist, Donovan has a poetic flare for story telling and artistic descriptions of life - in Esperanza he even sings a little in Spanish. The album also features a traditional Irish song, My Darling Asleep, performed with Donovan’s lyrics.

Lucky Sevens is a great album for all those who delve into Irish folk and maybe some that don’t. Ricko Donovan has proven himself as an Americeltic artist to remember.

3.5 out of 5 stars
- Swift Reviews

Artist: Ricko Donovan
Album: Lucky Sevens
Label: slam-colour records
Website: http://www.rickodonovan.com
Genre: AmeriCeltic
Technical Grade: 9/10
Production/Musicianship Grade: 9/10
Overall Talent Level: 9/10
Songwriting Skills: 9/10
CD Review: Irish storyteller and multi-instrumentalist, Ricko Donovan has a new release entitled Lucky Sevens. Wry observations and accessible folky melodies make Donovan a songwriter of unique talent. On Lucky Sevens, he plays a variety of instruments including guitar, hammered dulcimer, mandocello, mandolin, drums, and bass. He's joined by variety of other folks on violin, cello, viola, and upright bass. The combination is an energetic string based sound that suits Donovan's Dylanesque lyrics perfectly.

It is Donovan's songwriting that is the real star here. This Is Not The Night is as strong as anything I've heard. "These are not your friends, this is not your town, and this is not the night" sings Donovan to bouncy folk melody that keeps running around your head long after the song is over. Lucky Sevens, the title cut, brings a harder edge as Donovan goes electric. But instead of an electric guitar break, the hammered dulcimer provides an amazingly perfect instrumental. "But when your 44 doing 55 on 66, then your lucky sevens somewhere down the road." Donovan's voice rings true.

Lucky Sevens is a very good album. Donovan plays a swirl of strings that enchant and delight. His songwriting is literate, observational and very entertaining. He has created a unique sound on Lucky Sevens that he calls AmeriCelt. I call it pretty darn good.


- The Muse's Muse

Ricko Donovan is a Nashville-based musician and singer who learned his trade by spending several years busking and living in Europe, primarily in Spain and Ireland. He played hammered dulcimer on the streets, in cafes, theaters, and clubs for about eight years before returning to Tennessee. Much of his time was spent outside Doolin in County Clare and along the Cliffs of Moher during the summer months. The Laughing Silver String is his fourth release and features Ricko on solo hammered dulcimer and guitar with occasional assistance from Cindy Wyatt on Celtic harp, Sonja O'Brien on fiddle, Franko Hashiguchi on pennywhistle, Marney McCague on Irish flute, Marcel Botteman on fiddle, Rolf Groesbeck on tabla, frame drum and dumbek, and Neal Lee on bohdran. The tunes are mostly staples of the traditional Irish repertoire and include dance tunes as well as several O'Carolan pieces. All are exceptionally well played and nicely arranged. Ricko's dulcimer is well out in front on every track and the other instruments complement his lead nicely when a change of pace is appropriate. Ricko doesn't sing on this recording but his website has several tracks that indicate he is a multi-talented performer who is at home with both traditional and more contemporary music. This album is traditional and is well worth your attention. - Dulcimer Players News

Ricko Donovan is a transplanted Yank who has made his mark in the last few years in the music-rich environs of County Clare as a guitarist for the likes of Christy Barry and Sonja O'Brien. Playing a lively backing in the Irish DADGAD tuning, he infuses American folk with his own songs. He spent much of the winter recording an album of the songs he has penned during his vagabond days as an itinerant busking hammered dulcimer player both here in Ireland and on the continent. The result is The Kilmoon Road, which features some of the traditional musicians he plays with regularly in and around his home in Doolin, Co. Clare. His voice is both gentle and gritty through these tales of travel and unrequited love, tinged with regret, forlornness and beauty-stricken all at once. The sonic landscape here is lush at times, haunting and visceral. The string arrangements are both innovative and the songs have catchy hooks. Donovan is half Irish, but more than half a storyteller. Love Town is a seven and a half minute song that tells a story that leaves you hanging on every word. Emotionally, a rollercoaster ride through twelve tracks. All in all, I'd call the Yank Donovan... a powerful new voice in Irish folk."

-Jackie Hayden - Irish Music Magazine

"Meanwhile in Lehinch... witnessed a lively session in Flanagan's with local Ennistymon fiddler Jackie Askew. Playing and rollicking along on one side of her was Will Cullen, an Aussie flute-player with a lovely touch. On the other side guitarist Ricko Donovan set a lively backing and contributed more songs than we usually here in a session. In a very pure voice he renders Irish ballads with the greatest sensitivity and the rest with the reckless abandon of a steamrolling train with no brakes. Indeed the energy bewteen the three of them was contagious and it's great to see the tradition not just continuing in County Clare, but thriving with the spirit these younger lads and lasses bring to it. I'm told they now have residency at The Claghan in Ennistymon for Friday nights, and McHugh's in Ennistymon for the Thursdays. All three of them play regularly in and around Doolin with their respective lineups, and they simply must be heard!"
Eamonn - The Clare Champion