ENYA - Frequently Asked Questions
Greetings
Welcome to the Enya FAQ. It attempts to answer the most frequently asked
questions about Enya, her background and recordings, and archive material
available on the Internet.
Too many to people to mention individually have generously contributed
information and ideas, either directly or via Usenet or mailing list
postings. To all of you: many thanks.
Any new material, corrections, comments and suggestions for improving this
FAQ will be most welcome. You can reach me via the Web or by email - click
on my name below for details.
Enjoy
Dave Allum
16 November 1995
1.Background
[1] Is 'Enya' her real name?
[2] When was she born, where does she come from, what's her background?
[3] Was she ever a member of Clannad? Did she record with them?
[4] And after Clannad?
[5] What was her 'big break'?
[6] I keep hearing that 'Enya' is three people. What does this mean?
2.Records, Videos, Songs, Etc.
[1] What records and videos have been released?
[2] Is there a more detailed discography available?
[3] Are there any books of her music?
[4] Some of her songs aren't in English. What other languages does she use?
[5] Where can I get translations?
[6] Have I heard Enya at the movies and on TV?
[7] Apart from Clannad has she appeared on any other artists' records?
[8] Is' Storms In Africa (Part II)' on Watermark or not?
[9] Can you tell which 'Book Of Days' is on a copy of Shepherd Moons?
[10] When is her next album coming out?
[11] Who is Ridley Scott and why is 'Aldebaran' dedicated to him?
[12] Who are Rob Dickins and Ross mentioned in 'Orinoco Flow'?
[13] What do the Irish dedications in the various album liner notes mean?
3.Other Information, Clannad, Etc.
[1] Does she tour?
[2] How many records has she sold?
[3] Have any articles or interviews been transcribed?
[4] Any news of Clannad and the rest of the family?
[5] Are any Enya posters available?
[6] What's her address? Is she on the net?
[7] Are there any fan clubs?
4.Miscellaneous
[1] Is a font of the Watermark artwork script available?
[2] Some say Enya sings in Irish, others say Gaelic. What's the difference?
[3] Are there any Enya sound files available?
[4] What other artists make music similar to Enya's?
5.Finding Out More
[1] Which Usenet newsgroups discuss Enya?
[2] Is there a mailing list?
[3] Where is all this information archived? What else is available?
[4] I don't have access to FTP, WWW, etc. Can I get things by Email?
[5] Which music papers or magazines have the best Enya coverage?
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10 June 1996
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1. Is 'Enya' her real name?
Her real name is Eithne N Bhraonin, an Irish name which translates to
Eithne Brennan in English. 'Eithne' is pronounced 'Enya' and she chose to
use this pseudo-phonetic spelling professionally so that she could be known
by her own name but avoid the inevitable pronunciation problems.
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26 October 1995
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2. When was she born, where does she come from, what's her background?
Eithne was born on May 17th 1961, the fourth youngest of nine children:
Mire (1952), Ciarn, Pl, Deirdre, Leon, Eithne (1961), Bartley, Olive,
and Bridn. She comes from the small village of Dore (Dobhar in Irish) in
the Gweedore (Gaoth Dobhair) region of County Donegal in the northwest of
the Republic of Ireland. She now lives in Killiney, a coastal district on
the southern outskirts of Dublin, and in London.
The family is very musical and her parents played in a family dance band
before settling down. Her father Leo owns a local pub - Leo's Tavern in
Meenalech (Mn na Leice) - and her mother Baba taught music in the local
school.
In 1968 her elder brothers Ciarn & Pl, and uncles Pdraig and Noel
Dgin, formed the band An Clann As Dobhar to perform traditional Irish
music at festivals etc.
Changing their name to Clannad, and recruiting sister Mire in 1973, the
band have gone on to international success performing both their own and
traditional material. They have recorded a number of albums.
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1 April 1996
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3. Was she ever a member of Clannad? Did she record with them?
After leaving school she joined Clannad in 1980 and, credited under her
real name, provided keyboards and (mostly) backing vocals. She appears,
uncredited, on their 1980 album Crann Ull, and, properly credited, on Fuaim
(1982).
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4. And after Clannad?
In 1982 Clannad split with their long time manager and producer Nicky Ryan.
Eithne, apparently frustrated with being left in the background, left at
the same time and in response to Ryan's belief that she had talent in her
own right, moved to Dublin to live with him and his wife Roma and develop
her own musical career.
The first real fruits of this collaboration came when film producer David
Puttnam heard some demonstration tapes sent to him by Roma Ryan. He
commissioned Eithne to write music for his 1985 film The Frog Prince
(released as The French Lesson in the US). In the end only a couple of her
pieces were used and these were arranged and performed by others. The
titles on The Frog Prince credit music to Enya N Bhraonin and the
transition of Eithne to Enya had begun.
In 1986 BBC-TV began work on a six part documentary series charting the
history and continuing cultural influence of the Celts. Enya was signed to
write and perform music for the series. The Celts was first shown in 1987
and a selection of its music released under the title Enya giving the
artist her first album, largely unnoticed at the time.
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26 October 1995
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5. What was her 'big break'?
This really began in 1987 when she was signed by Rob Dickins, head of
Warner Music UK, after he had heard and been entranced by the Enya album.
Reknowned as one of the most arrogant men in the business, Dickins has a
talent for promoting 'difficult' artists - no matter how long it takes.
WEA's backing made the recording of Watermark possible and the album was
released in 1988. Although no singles were originally planned, it was the
release of 'Orinoco Flow' that brought Enya to public attention and
resulted in an unexpected chart number one in several countries. The rest,
as they say, is history...
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26 October 1995
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6. I keep hearing that 'Enya' is three people. What does this mean?
Although fronted by Enya herself, the music released under her name is the
result of a collaboration between Enya (music/arrangements), Nicky Ryan
(production/arrangements) and Roma Ryan (lyrics). Enya has said in several
interviews that without any one of them 'Enya' could not exist.
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26 October 1995
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1. What records and videos have been released?
Albums
* 1987 - Enya
* 1988 - Watermark
* 1991 - Shepherd Moons
* 1992 - The Celts (Remastered reissue of Enya)
* 1995 - The Memory Of Trees
Some pressings of Watermark, including the current US Reprise issue, have
'Storms In Africa (Part II)' as an extra track.
The original release of Shepherd Moons featured 'Book Of Days' with an
Irish "lyric". Pressings from mid-1992 onwards have replaced this with the
English lyric version used in the film Far And Away.
The Celts is the same as Enya except that 'Portrait' is replaced with an
extended version of itself under the title 'Portrait (Out Of The Blue)'.
Singles/EPs
* 1987 - I Want Tomorrow
* 1988 - Orinoco Flow - Evening Falls...
* 1989 - Storms In Africa - 6 Tracks - Oche Chin
* 1990 - 3 Tracks EP
* 1991 - Exile - Caribbean Blue - How Can I Keep From Singing?
* 1992 - Book Of Days - The Celts
* 1994 - The Christmas EP
* 1995 - Anywhere Is
* 1996 - On My Way Home
The singles dates refer to the first release of the title. Many have been
issued in several track combinations and a number contain tracks that are
not featured on any of the album releases.
Videos
* 1991 - Moonshadows
This compilation features the videos for 'Orinoco Flow', 'Exile', 'Storms
In Africa (Part II)', 'Evening Falls...', and 'Caribbean Blue'.
Promo videos have also been seen for 'Anywhere Is', 'Book Of Days', 'How
Can I Keep From Singing?', 'I Want Tomorrow', 'Marble Halls', and 'The
Celts'.
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10 June 1996
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2. Is there a more detailed discography available?
An indexed hypertext discography is available on the World Wide Web.
A book has also been published: ENYA - A Beginning Discography by Matt
Hargreaves (apparently a private publication bearing neither publisher's
imprint nor ISBN). It is a 126 page, illustrated softback book detailing
worldwide releases up to early 1991. Shepherd Moons and later material are
not covered.
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26 October 1995
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3. Are there any books of her music?
Watermark (1988)
International Music Publications (ISBN 1-85909-243-8, order number
2873A)
Hal Leonard (order number HL00308160)
Shepherd Moons (1991)
International Music Publications (ISBN 1-85909-286-1, order number
3100A)
Hal Leonard (order number HL00308133).
The Best Of Enya (1996)
EMI Music Publishing / Hal Leonard (ISBN 0-7935-4717-2, order number
HL00306039)
Contains twelve songs in simplified arrangements for the piano: 'Afer
Ventus', 'Book Of Days', 'Caribbean Blue', 'The Celts', 'Fairytale',
'No Holly For Miss Quinn', 'On Your Shore', 'Orinoco Flow', 'Shepherd
Moons', 'Storms In Africa', 'To Go Beyond' and 'Watermark'. Most of
the arrangements are in different keys from the recorded versions.
The Memory Of Trees (1996)
International Music Publications (ISBN 1-85909-338-8, order number
3656A)
EMI Music Publishing / Hal Leonard (ISBN 0-7935-6474-3, order number
HL00306084)
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24 June 1996
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4. Some of her songs aren't in English. What other languages does she use?
Enya's non-English songs are generally sung in Irish, which is her first
language. Of the others, three are sung in Latin (Cursum Perficio, Afer
Ventus, Pax Deorum), one in Welsh (Dan Y Dwr), and one in Spanish (La
Soadora).
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11 December 1995
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5. Where can I get translations?
Daniel Quinlan maintains an excellent set of translations on the web.
These are based in part on a compilation by Lyle Corbin. Copies are
available in plain text and Word for Windows 6 formats.
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18 January 1996
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6. Have I heard Enya at the movies and on TV?
Several of her pieces have been used in films:
1990 Green Card 'River', 'Storms In Africa', 'Watermark'
1991 L.A. Story 'Epona', 'Exile', 'On Your Shore'
1992 Far And Away 'Book Of Days (English Lyric)'
1992 Sleepwalkers 'Boadicea'
1992 Toys 'Ebud'
1993 Age Of Innocence 'Marble Halls'
A number of her tracks have also been used in commercials, and as
incidental music in numerous shows and documentaries.
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26 October 1995
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7. Apart from Clannad has she appeared on any other artists' records?
1983 Mairad N Mhaonaigh & Frankie Kennedy - Ceol Aduaidh
Synthesizer on track 'An Clr Bog Dil'. The duo later formed the
folk band Altan.
1985 Christy Moore - Ordinary Man
Keyboards and backing vocals. Also credited as one of the album's
arrangers.
1987 Sinad O'Connor - The Lion And The Cobra
Spoken passage from the Bible (Psalms 91:11-13), in Irish, on track
'Never Get Old'.
1991 Terry Reid - The Driver
Recorded at London's Sarm West studios at the same time that the
Enya team were there mixing Shepherd Moons. The album features
several uncredited guest artists with Enya providing a typical
multi-tracked backing vocal on 'The Whole Of The Moon'. Any other
contributions from her are not obvious.
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26 October 1995
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8. Is 'Storms In Africa (Part II)' on Watermark or not?
Yes and no. The original issue of Watermark (1988) did not feature the
track which was first released as a single in 1989. The 1989 reissue of the
album added the track but current pressings, with the exception of the US
Reprise issue, have now reverted to the original format.
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26 October 1995
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9. Can you tell which 'Book Of Days' is on a copy of Shepherd Moons?
Unless you get the store to play it for you then, generally, you can't tell
as the numbers and copyright dates on the sleeve are the same in both
cases. However it is unlikely that any of the original pressings are still
on general release.
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1 April 1996
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10. When is her next album coming out?
1999? 2000? With her latest album, The Memory Of Trees, released in
November 1995, we could be in for a long wait.
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19 November 1995
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11. Who is Ridley Scott and why is 'Aldebaran' dedicated to him?
Ridley Scott is a British film director with Alien, Blade Runner and Thelma
& Louise among his better known works. The dedication is believed to be the
result of Roma Ryan (Enya's lyricist) being a big fan of Blade Runner.
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26 October 1995
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12. Who are Rob Dickins and Ross mentioned in 'Orinoco Flow'?
we can sail, we can sail...
we can steer, we can near with Rob Dickins at the wheel,
we can sigh, say Goodbye Ross and his dependencies
we can sail, we can sail...
Rob Dickins is the chairman of Warner Music UK and was the executive
producer of Watermark. Ross Cullum was the album's engineer, and also its
co-producer with Nicky Ryan and Enya.
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2 May 1996
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13. What do the Irish dedications in the various album liner notes mean?
Watermark
T muid forbhuoch do Rob Dickins ar son an chuidi agus an mhisneach a
thug s dinn.
We are truly grateful to Rob Dickins for the help and courage he gave us.
Shepherd Moons
r mbuochas do Rob Dickins a d'fhan, "ag an stiir".
Our thanks to Rob Dickins who "stayed at the helm".
The Memory Of Trees
Ba dheacair dinne an t-album seo a shamhl gan focla spreagtha sin Rob
Dickins.
It would be difficult for us to imagine this album without those
inspiring/encouraging words of Rob Dickins.
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2 May 1996
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1. Does she tour?
Not yet. She is on record as wanting to put her music on stage but, not
wanting to sit surrounded by tape decks, would have to rearrange it for
live performance.
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26 October 1995
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2. How many records has she sold?
Prior to the release of The Memory Of Trees, Enya had worldwide CD sales in
excess of 20 million. With album sales of 18 million, this places her
second only to U2 among Irish artists.
Earnings from these sales have reportedly put Enya among Ireland's top
hundred richest people.
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19 November 1995
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3. Have any articles or interviews been transcribed?
A number of magazine articles and TV and radio interviews have been
transcribed and posted on Usenet as the Enya Papers. Most of these were
done by Peter Warburton. Copies - 26 papers were posted - are available for
anonymous ftp from ftp.uwp.edu, and in HTML versions, along with a large
collection of other transcriptions, from the Enya home page on World Wide
Web.
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23 January 1996
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4. Any news of Clannad and the rest of the family?
Clannad have continued to perform and record. Their latest album, Lore, was
released in February 1996.
Pl left Clannad in 1989/90 and has since recorded with the trio Trisan,
who have released an eponymous album. A solo album was due for release last
autumn.
Mire has released two solo albums - Mire (1992) and Misty Eyed Adventures
(1994).
Sisters Deirdre (Dee), Olive and Bridn feature on both of Mire's albums,
and Bridn has also toured and recorded with Clannad as a backing vocalist.
Olive married in 1994, now lives in London, and is moving to Australia this
year. Her former job as manager of Leo's Tavern has been taken over by her
brothers Leon and Bartley.
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3 March 1996
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5. Are any Enya posters available?
The only posters seen so far are those used in record promotions. It's
worth checking out the advertisements in music and record collecting
magazines. In the UK a small selection is usually available from:
Push Posters
PO Box 327, Clydebank, Dunbartonshire G81 3HE, U.K.
Tel: +44 (0) 141 951 4460 / Fax: +44 (0) 141 951 4464
A list is available and the company will take international orders.
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26 October 1995
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6. What's her address? Is she on the net?
The best way to write to Enya is via her record company: WEA in most of the
world and Reprise in the USA. The address for Aigle Music previously listed
here is no longer valid.
As far as we know she is not on the net.
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1 April 1996
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7. Are there any fan clubs?
A list of known fan clubs is maintained on the Enya web pages.
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26 October 1995
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1. Is a font of the Watermark artwork script available?
A TrueType font similar to the Watermark script can be obtained via
anonymous FTP from various archive sites. For example:
Apple II ftp.cco.caltech.edu:/pub/apple2/addons/truetype/Enya.shk
Macintosh sumex-aim.stanford.edu:/info-mac/font/tt/enya.hqx
Windows ftp.cica.indiana.edu:/pub/pc/win3/fonts/truetype/enya.zip
Please check (e.g. using archie) for the availability of these files at
more local archives before downloading from those above.
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26 October 1995
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2. Some say Enya sings in Irish, others say Gaelic. What's the difference?
Irish belongs to the Goidelic, or Gaelic, branch of the Celtic family of
languages. This branch consists of Irish, (Scottish) Gaelic and Manx.
Irish speakers refer to their language as 'Gaeilge' (i.e. Gaelic), but the
English word 'Gaelic', unqualified, normally refers only to Scottish
Gaelic. So when using standard English to describe Enya's native tongue it
is correct to say Irish or Irish Gaelic but not simply Gaelic.
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26 October 1995
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3. Are there any Enya sound files available?
Short samples from The Memory Of Trees can be found on Reprise Records'
Enya Page.
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19 November 1995
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4. What other artists make music similar to Enya's?
None! However a number of artists' names come up regularly as worthy of the
attention of Enya fans. Given their familty connections, Clannad and Mire
Brennan are obvious choices although their music is distinctly different.
More in keeping with the Celtic ambient, New Age, style are artists such as
Loreena McKennitt, Sarah McLachlan, and Jane Siberry.
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4 December 1995
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1. What Usenet newsgroups discuss Enya?
The newsgroup alt.music.enya is dedicated to Enya. There was previously a
group called alt.fan.enya but this has now merged with alt.music.enya and
all postings should be made to the latter. Sadly not all sites take the alt
groups. Enya is also discussed occasionally in rec.music.celtic and
rec.music.newage.
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26 October 1995
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2. Is there a mailing list?
Yes there is. It's run by Tim Hunter and you can subscribe by sending the
following message to majordomo@cs.colorado.edu:
subscribe enya Your-Email-Address
Remeber to replace Your-Email-Address with your own Email address. You will
receive an introductory message with information about how to post messages
to the list, other administrative details, and a copy of the FAQ. To remove
yourself from the list send the following message to the same address:
unsubscribe enya Your-Email-Address
A partial archive of the mailing list is also available.
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31 October 1995
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3. Where is all this information archived?
A lot of Enya information is available from the UWP Music Archive run by
Dave Datta. Look in the Enya section for lyrics, pictures, transcripts,
etc.
This archive is a goldmine of material on a wide range of artists and is
well worth exploring. It is always very busy and you may find access to one
of its mirror sites more convenient. There is a Web mirror at World
Internet Technologies, and FTP mirrors at America Online and World Internet
Technologies.
Various Enya related pages are also available on the World Wide Web:
* Enya Unofficial Home Page
* Reprise Records' Enya Page
Another useful archive for those also interested in Celtic music and
artists in general is the Celtic Music Archive run by Gerard Manning.
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18 January 1996
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4. I don't have access to FTP, WWW, etc. Can I get things by Email?
Most Internet services including FTP, WWW, and Usenet can be accessed by
Email via a gateway server. Bob Rankin maintains an excellent FAQ on the
subject including plenty of server addresses. For a copy send an Email
message to mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu with the following as the only text in
the body of the message:
send usenet/news.answers/internet-services/access-via-email
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26 October 1995
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5. Which music papers or magazines have the best Enya coverage?
The best coverage, by far, has been in the Irish fortnightly music paper
Hot Press. A couple of its articles have been transcribed and posted as
part of the Enya Papers series. An online version of the magazine - Hot
Press on the 'net - is available on subscription.
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26 October 1995
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