Tradfluencer – The Sharon Shannon Story is a new RTÉ documentary that gives an access all areas look at the life and career of renowned Irish accordion virtuoso, Sharon Shannon - watch Tradfluencer now, via RTÉ Player.
Below, producer Jenny Buckley of Tamber Media outlines how she and director Carol Gunner brought Sharon's story to life.
The idea came about in a very natural way. I had developed a friendship with Sharon over the years through my sister-in-law, who is a very close friend of Sharon's. One evening, when the three of us were together, the idea of making a documentary was suggested to Sharon to which she immediately replied, "Sure why not?!"
For Carol and I, it felt like the perfect project. Sharon was an icon of Irish music, a household name and had a remarkable story to tell. She was also now at a stage where she had become more reflective and comfortable standing in her own light and confidence.
Watch Sharon Shannon and Friends perform Blackbird on The Late Late Show
Sharon’s down-to-earth nature and authenticity really resonated with us, and it was essential that her story was told with honesty, respect and truth. Despite her success, Sharon still finds interviews and being on camera a bit nerve wrecking, a subject to which she speaks to in the documentary. With this in mind, our filming approach was an immersive one, following Sharon over a period of 18 months to build trust and familiarity with both us and the cameras. This resulted in intimate access to Sharon’s home, her life, her gigs and of course her wicked sense of humour!
It was a privilege and an honour to be granted such intimate access to the life of one of Ireland's most successful musicians
The documentary tells the story of a trailblazer in Irish traditional music who was never afraid to experiment with different genres and in doing so brought the sound of Irish traditional music to new audiences around the globe. With a career spanning almost 40 years, there was certainly no shortage of story to tell. From her time with The Waterboys to her record-breaking self-titled debut album and her part on A Woman’s Heart, Sharon has captivated audiences in a way that few other instrumentalists ever have.
Watch: Sharon Shannon, Mundy & Friends perform Galway Girl on The Ray D'Arcy Show
Sharon continues to sell out venues both at home and abroad and travelling to Japan with her was a particularly memorable experience, where we witnessed first-hand the huge affection audiences have for her worldwide. What was most surprising was the deep appreciation for Irish traditional music shared by the Japanese people. This was particularly evident when hundreds of people showed up to play in a session with Sharon after one of her gigs.
A major highlight for us was hearing from Sharon's close friends and collaborators, all of whom were keen to share their stories. Adam Clayton and Mike Scott both invited us to their homes to talk about Sharon and their admiration for her. Steve Earle recounted the story of how Galway Girl came about and Imelda May, Paul Brady and many others helped to bring Sharon’s story to life. What became very clear was Sharon’s magnetism - people genuinely want to be around her both as a person and as a musician.
For us, it was a privilege and an honour to be granted such intimate access to the life of one of Ireland’s most successful musicians, and to help celebrate Sharon’s legacy at this stage of her career. Above all, we hope audiences feel as inspired as we were by Sharon's talent, resilience and authenticity.
Tradfluencer: The Sharon Shannon Story airs on Monday 18th May at 9.35pm on RTÉ One - catch up afterwards via RTÉ Player
