Nigel Eaton

b. 3 January 1966, Lyndhurst, Hampshire, England. One of the foremost exponents of the hurdy gurdy, a stringed instrument that is essentially a mechanical violin but sounds like the bagpipes, Eaton has been a dynamic presence on the UK folk scene since the early 80s. He originally played the piano and cello, but switched to the hurdy gurdy after his father started making the instrument. Eaton joined the pioneering folk dance unit Blowzabella in 1985, featuring on a string of excellent albums recorded in the late 80s. During this period he also recorded a dance music-orientated...