Ry Cooder’s son Joachim in Cork to trace his roots

SINGER, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Joachim Cooder is the son of legendary Ry Cooder but is a talented musician in his own right, and he will be performing gigs in Cork city and Leap next week.

Joachim will be performing in Cyprus Avenue on May 2nd and in Connollys of Leap on May 3rd.   

His gigs follow a sell-out Irish tour last autumn, and his current tour kicked off in Belfast on April 25th, with Taylor Lally the special guest support.

‘I grew up in a household very much alive with Irish music,’ he said.

‘My dad Ry Cooder, collaborated often with Paddy Maloney and the Chieftains, so I got to experience the sound up close and let it sink in and influence me as a player and songwriter,’ said Joachim.

‘One of the last times I saw Paddy we mentioned my Dad’s people were the O’Leary’s.  Paddy said – “The O’Leary’s are from Cork!”, so this trip to Ireland is a bit of a pilgrimage to find my Cork O’Leary’s!’ he said.

Joachim was born in Santa Monica in 1976 and grew up surrounded by music alongside his dad Ry, who took him on the road at an early age on drums, playing both live and in the studio.

As well as that ‘apprenticeship’, he has toured and shared stages and recordings with Johnny Cash, Ali Farka Touré, Mavis Staples, Steve Earle, John Lee Hooker, Dr John, Nick Lowe and Buena Vista Social Club.

Described as a ‘musical pioneer,’ he has also been a sought-after percussionist for over two decades.

He also produced albums for Julia Commagere and Carly Ritter; composed for film and collaborated on music for dance.

His new album is scheduled for an autumn 2024 release is called Dreamer’s Motel.

It sees the Californian building on the success of his 2020 Nonesuch Records debut album ‘Over That Road I’m Bound’.