Ancora

Formed in 2012 by Patrick Jongschaap, Harm Wolters, and Martin Dams, Ancora is a Dutch folk trio known for its lively combination of melodic pop, Irish and European traditional folk, and sea shanties. The ensemble adopted its moniker from the Latin expression signifying “anchor,” and it has been likened to fellow practitioners of Celtic-infused, sea-oriented folk-pop, including Germany’s Santiano, Canada’s Great Big Sea, and Ireland’s Celtic Thunder. August 2013 saw the release of the group’s self-titled debut album, which came packaged with a DVD. In 2015, Ancora followed up with its second studio album and accompanying DVD, Vrij als de Wind, which entered the Dutch album charts in the top position.