Singers have enjoyed and endured a varied history in Ireland. Some are revered from the moment they open their mouths (witness Mary Black, Maura O Connell and Dolores Keane) while others scratch away on the periphery until fame comes knocking (to wit, Mick Hanley and Michael McGlynn of Anzna). Still others find that it s only when they lend their voices to others that recognition is finally awarded (Brian Kennedy is probably the greatest testimony to that particular foible of the music industry).
Karan Casey has enjoyed huge success as vocalist with the all-star traditional group, Solas. Waterford-born but largely New York-based, Solas seduced the masses with their inimitable driving style and their insatiable appetite for musical exploration. Casey s crystalline vocals were a pivotal part of the Solas identity, but she still managed to exert her own primal force from an early stage, with a solo album, Songlines, released back in 1997.
These days, Karan has decided to strike out on her own in earnest. With a short nationwide tour planned from August 6th to 12th (see below for venues), she s heading across the land with a feisty and formidable selection of songs and stories.
Casey s new to the solo tour route, so her expectations are vague and refreshingly bare.
I ve only done in all about 3 or 4 weeks of solo stuff, she admits, and they were always squeezed in between Solas gigs. So this time it feels very different. I tend to get nervous before a tour, and I suppose there s more pressure because I m on my own. But it s exciting too.
With a wealth of rich pickings to choose from on her debut album, from Ewan McColl s Ballad Of Accounting to Aine Um Cheallaigh s Buachaillmn Ban and Jean Ritchie s One, I Love . It s an eclectic mix that challenges as much as it soothes. Far from the cosy environs of easy listening, Karan Casey s repertoire has a habit of questioning and probing as often as it mollifies the spirit.
Casey makes no apologies for the passion of her delivery:
I tend to be very attracted to songs that actually say something, she nods. In fact I ve got a rap from people who think that I m too political. I don t think I m political enough. I find that being a folk singer, it s important to be talking about issues that affect your audience, issues that reflect the day s events. We ve become very used to banal balladry that adds very little meaning to people s lives, so I m very committed to songs with deep meaning. I think there s a whole history handed down through songs which is amazing, so I d like to respect that.
Casey is almost alone in the pantheon of current singers in her willingness to tackle the unpalatable aspects of the Celtic tiger.
It s fear, I think, that stops singers, she avers, maybe because you d be seen as being a feminist, or an activist, or whatever. But I just think that these things matter and they mean a lot to me, so I assume that ll come through in the music too. That s been proven already by the likes of Nina Simone and Bob Dylan. The trouble is that since we re supposed to be all in this very celebratory mood with the Celtic Tiger, any criticism of Irish society today is taken very harshly.
The lyrical content of her songs has an impact on more than just the audience, Casey suggests.
It s not that love songs aren t valid, she explains. Of course they are, but I just like there to be a broader spectrum, and it adds an emotional spectrum as well where you can challenge your own vocal technique.
Ultimately though, it s the delivery that s important, and Karan Casey s no martyr when it comes to cause politics. She appreciates a good night out as much as anyone else, and she s determined that no gig of hers would ever come across like a penance that has to be endured for the sake of a cause.
While I think that yes, all singing is political, she says, I wouldn t use singing primarily as a political platform. I understand, of course, that people go out to a gig to enjoy themselves. I try to get politics over in a humorous way. And I admire people who ve succeeded in doing that, like Christy Moore.
She s got plenty more stories to tell. But it d take an entire night to hear them all. Just as well Karan Casey s hitting the road. It s where all the best yarns are to be found. n
Karan Casey s solo album, Songlines, is available on Shanachie Records