Thanks to its distinct, downright catchy single "Orinoco Flow," which amusingly referenced both her record-company boss Rob Dickins and co-producer Ross Cullum in the lyrics, Enya's second album Watermark established her as the unexpected queen of gentle, Celtic-tinged new age music. To be sure, her success was as much due to marketing a niche audience in later years equally in love with Yanni and Michael Flatley's Irish dancing, but Enya's rarely given a sense of pandering in her work. She does what she does, just as she did before her fame. (Admittedly, avoiding overblown concerts run constantly on PBS hasn't hurt.)
The history of this album is as follows: In the mid-'80s, Enya recorded the soundtrack for a BBC television documentary called The Celts. The music was released on BBC Records in the U.K. in December 1986 under the title Enya. It was released initially in the U.S. on Atlantic Records in 1986. In November 1992, WEA Records in the U.K. issued a revised version of the album under the title The Celts, containing a newly rerecorded track, "Portrait (Out Of The Blue)."
The Memory of Trees is the fourth studio album by the Irish singer, songwriter, and musician Enya, released on 20 November 1995 by WEA. After travelling worldwide to promote her previous album Shepherd Moons (1991), and contributing to film soundtracks, Enya took a short break before she started writing and recording a new album in 1993 with her longtime recording partners, arranger and producer Nicky Ryan and his wife, lyricist Roma Ryan. The album is Enya's first to be recorded entirely in Ireland, and covers themes that include Irish and Druid mythology, the idea of one's home, journeys, religion, dreams and love. Enya continues to display her sound of multi-tracked vocals with keyboards and elements of Celtic and new age music, though Enya does not consider her music to be in the latter genre. She sings in English, Irish, Latin and Spanish.
Watermark is the second studio album by Irish singer, songwriter and musician Enya, released on 19 September 1988 by Warner Music internationally and on 10 January 1989 by Geffen Records in the United States. Watermark received many positive reviews from critics and it became an unexpected commercial success, which propelled Enya to worldwide fame. It peaked at number five on the UK Albums Chart, number twenty-five on the Billboard 200 in the United States, and reached number one in New Zealand and Switzerland. It was certified quadruple platinum by the British Phonographic Industry and the Recording Industry Association of America…
Since the late '80s, Irish singer/composer Enya has become the most unlikely of international stars, delivering lush, Celtic-driven pseudo-classical odes in her signature Wall of Sound vocal style, rarely granting interviews, never touring, and generally taking as much time as she wishes between albums. Bucking odds and industry trends, her popularity has remained steadfast, allowing her to become the best-selling Irish solo artist of all time. Following 2008's snowbound And Winter Came, her silence stretched to eight years – the longest of her career – before the mists once again parted to reveal her eighth album, the evocatively titled Dark Sky Island.