Where is the singer Enya from? Does she play any instruments?
—J. McKenna, Rhode Island
Enya, 40, was born Eithne Ni Bhraonain in Gweedore, Ireland, to a large musical family. The fourth of nine children, she was still a teen when three siblings formed the band Clannad in 1976 with their uncles. The band was popular, and Enya joined as a keyboardist in 1980. She stayed with them for two years before embarking on a solo career, recording scores to movies and television. Music from the BBC television series The Celts was released as an album under the name Enya in 1986. Her sophomore album, Watermark, launched Enya as the top New Age musician she is now. She sings, writes, and plays the keyboard on her albums, which have sold nearly 50 million copies worldwide. The music released under her name is a collaboration between her, producer Nicky Ryan, and lyricist Roma Ryan, Enya says. Her music has been featured in several films, including Far and Away and Age of Innocence. In February, she received an Oscar nomination for the song May It Be from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
