A talented father-daughter musical duo from Buncrana have been honoured with an incredible three awards at an international ceremony in Holland.<\/p>\n
Hugh P and Maria Doherty are well-known faces and voices right across the north-west. Their music and melodies have been a beautiful soundtrack to hundreds of weddings, funerals, dances, concerts and community events for many years.<\/p>\n
With millions of views online, they are known across the world and were big winners at the recent, prestigious Red Carpet Awards in the Netherlands.<\/p>\n
The duo were honoured with accolades for \u2018Extraordinary Voices Duo\u2019, \u2018Gospel Duo\u2019 and \u2018Wedding Songs Duo\u2019 \u2013 and they also performed on the night.<\/p>\n
The awards represent decades of hard work and entertainment, beginning when Hugh P started singing at a young age and through his time performing in groups such as \u2018Roadrunners,\u2019 \u2018The Friends\u2019 showband from Derry, which toured all over Ireland, England and Germany, \u2018The Capri\u2019 in Buncrana, and many more, up until the present day, with his daughter, Maria.<\/p>\n
He explained: \u201cI\u2019ve been playing music all my life, from my first band when I was 17 \u2013 I always had a love for music and wanted to start a band, so I tried to gather up any boys that had instruments. In those days, it didn\u2019t matter if you could play, as long as I could round up enough boys who owned an instrument.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI formed different bands over the years and then Maria and I began singing together 17 years ago. We started playing music together at Mass in our local chapel every Sunday. Maria had one tin-whistle tune when we started!\u201d<\/p>\n
Maria studied music at university, but said that performing with her daddy \u2018has really taught me a million times more than my Masters.\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cI play music for many other things as well, so we\u2019re always on the go \u2013 whether it\u2019s for 1,000 young people at a Catholic Festival in Kildare for Youth2000 or for the Mayor\u2019s Tea Dance for dancers in the Guildhall in Derry. We love to play at weddings and funerals also \u2013 going back to our beginnings starting in the chapel. We just love being a part of these most important and special moments in people\u2019s lives \u2013 it’s really an honour to be a part of them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Maria is also a familiar face on TV and radio, and presented a TV show on \u2018Keep it Country\u2019 for six years called \u2018Maria\u2019s Gospel Hour\u2019.<\/p>\n
Recently, Hugh and Maria began presenting a radio show every Sunday at 4pm on \u2018Radio Maria\u2019, where they play a selection of gospel songs intertwined with chat and requests.<\/p>\n
They are also well-known for helping out charities, performing at events such as Relay for Life in Letterkenny.<\/p>\n
They donated every penny from their first CD \u2018A Living Prayer\u2019 to charity; they have donated to the local hospice and also support an orphanage in Uganda.<\/p>\n
Maria has previously visited the orphanage and told how it was \u2018so beautiful\u2019 to see the work that had been done through their music.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, a big thanks and well done to everyone who purchased our CD.\u201d<\/p>\n
Their CD, \u2018A Couple More Years,\u2019 which was a selection of their favourite songs, was also a big hit.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe began to put some videos on YouTube and got an incredible response,\u201d revealed Hugh.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe couldn\u2019t believe the viewership we received.\u201d<\/p>\n
Incredibly, one of their videos \u2013 \u2018I Heard the Bluebirds Sing\u2019 \u2013 is about to hit the 10-million view mark, and Maria said they have received \u2018the most beautiful comments from all over the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
They even posted a CD to Honolulu recently.<\/p>\n
Hugh P and Maria were invited to perform at the \u2018Red Carpet Music Awards\u2019 in recognition of their musical talents, travelling over with their friends, Eddie and Angela.<\/p>\n
They were delighted to also win three awards, beating off stiff competition from artists around Europe, Australia, Africa, the United States and Canada.<\/p>\n
They closed the show by performing two of their songs, \u2018A Living Prayer\u2019 and \u2018I Heard the Bluebirds Sing\u2019. They received an award for both these songs.<\/p>\n
Hugh and Maria thanked everyone who has \u2018been so supportive to us \u2013 our friends and family and all those who have sent us beautiful, kind messages.\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cAlso to those who have ever booked us to sing at their events, to the radio DJs who play our songs and also to the judges and organisers of the Awards Show, Gaby and Peter \u2013 we are so grateful to everyone for being a part of our music journey!\u201d<\/p>\n
The duo has another CD in the pipeline and their plans for the future include reaching out to even more fans.<\/p>\n
Maria said: \u201cWe had been hiding our light for a long time, as they say, and finally we have realised that people really want to hear our music and that we need it get it out there!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, we\u2019re going to try and make more music for everyone \u2013 we think, as Irish people, we\u2019re the worst at shying away! This has been such an encouragement to see the lovely messages from people who really love our music.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAlso, the number of people from all over the world seeking more \u2013 we really do want to create more music for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n