Karan Casey
Karan Casey is one of the most instantly recognisable, alluring and original voices in all of Irish music. Long feted as one of Ireland's most original and distinctive vocalists, Karan’s singing blends her intimate grasp of traditional music with a daring new approach. As a solo artist and former lead-singer of SOLAS, Karan has been acclaimed from Japan to America as one of Ireland’s most important voices of recent years.
 Karen’s career has spanned twenty years, starting as a jazz performer in Dublin; during that time she has sold over half a million albums. In 1996, audiences world-wide were introduced to Casey fronting SOLAS and during her five years with the group, Karan earned the sort of praise normally only given to venerable, long-established stars. Her exquisite voice exhibiting the grace, pacing and richness of an old soul. The Wall Street Journal described her as “one of the true glories in Irish music today”, while The Associated Press said Casey has “...a voice so beautiful, it's almost impossible to avoid falling under her spell.”
In 2000 Karan embarked on a solo career; her willowy soprano having an uncanny, heart-piercing ability to sound simultaneously wistful and resilient and defiant. Described as "the most soulful singer to emerge in Irish traditional music in the past decade" (Glasgow Herald), Karan has released 5 solo albums. In recent years Karan has toured extensively throughout North America, Europe and Japan with her band, comprising her partner concertina virtuoso Niall Vallely, Kate Ellis (cello), Ross Martin (guitar) and Caoimhín Vallely (piano).
2006 saw Karan spotlighted on the Solas ‘Reunion’ CD, and as a guest vocalist for Lunasa, as well as joining Peggy Seeger in a special ‘Songs of Conscience’ program at Glasgow’s Celtic Connections Festival. In early 2007 she has appeared with the legendary Liam Clancy and 2008 has seen more performances with Solas and Lunasa, as well as collaborations with pianist/composer Michéal Ó Súilleabháin and with Breton guitarist Gilles le Bigot’s ‘Voix de la Terre’ project.
2008 projects included The Vallely Brother’s Big Band, Karan and Seamus Egan’s new project involving Aoife O’Donovan and Lau, and Niall Vallely’s “Turas na dTaoiseach/Flight of the Earl’s” event, which was premiered in Belfast’s Grand Opera House in November 2007 and was repeated in 2008 in Louvain, Belgium.
 In 2008, Karan released her fifth solo album ‘Ships in the Forest’, produced by Donald Shaw; an album which focuses largely on her traditional repertoire. The album was recorded at Karan’s home studio ‘Crow Valley’ in County Cork and features the members of her current touring band along with some special guests, including Kris Drever and Niall and Cillian Vallely.
Karan Casey has been the recipient of numerous awards. In 2001, the soft spoken and mesmerizing singer won the ‘Best Folk Album’ and ‘Best Folk female’ from Irish Music Magazine and was nominated for a Grammy in Denmark in the category of ‘Best International Folk Album’. Casey was also nominated for her song "Who Put the Blood" from The Winds Begin to Sing by the BBC Radio/Folk Roots Awards in the "Best Traditional Track" category.
She has appeared at festivals such as WOMAD USA, the Cambridge Folk Festival, Celtic Connections, the Philadelphia Folk Festival, Festival Cornouaille and Merlefest as well as appearing at many prestigious venues including the Kennedy Centre, New York’s Symphony Space, Dublin’s National Concert Hall, the Cathedral of St John the Divine, the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall and many others.
Video
A Chomaraigh Aoibhinn O (Sweet Comeraghs)
Beat of My Heart
Just a Note
Millenium Stage, Kennedy Center, Washington
She Is Like The Swallow
Set Up Specification
 Download Specification here
Official Website
www.karancasey.com
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Band Biogs
Niall Vallely – CONCERTINA
Niall’s fearless exploration of the concertina’s undiscovered capabilities has helped redefine its role in Irish music. Based since 1988 in Cork, Niall was a founding member of the excellent Nomos. He also played a prominent part in Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin’s ‘River of Sound’ television project and has performed in recent years with piping great Paddy Keenan, bluegrass mandolinist Tim O’Brien and Mel Mercier. In 1998 he released his debut solo album, ‘Beyond Words’, and in 2003 ‘Callan Bridge’ with his brother Cillian on uilleann pipes. His most recent collaboration has been with the Asturian band Tejedor and Dublin born whistle player Cormac Breatnach in the Ireland/Asturias project which premiered at the Kilkenny Arts Festival 2008. Over the past few years Niall has also been spending a lot of time writing new music. In 2007 he was commissioned by the BBC to compose music for a major TV series on the Flight of the Earls. The resulting piece for traditional musicians and chamber orchestra was premiered at the Grand Opera House in Belfast and had a subsequent performance at the Irish College in Louvain, Belgium, as part of their Flight of the Earls celebrations. In 2008 he composed an electro-acoustic piece entitled ‘Rakish’ based on the classic 1947 recording of travelling piper Johnny Doran which was premiered at the William Kennedy Piping Festival in Armagh.
Caoimhin Vallely – PIANO.
Caoimhín Vallely first came to prominence as fiddle player with the exciting Cork band North Cregg but has emerged in recent years as one of the most interesting and individual piano players on the traditional music scene from his work with Buille, Karan Casey and Brian Finnegan. While still only seventeen and living in Armagh, he joined the band Upstairs in a Tent, where he played alongside Brian Finnegan and Kathryn Tickell. In recent years he has recorded on albums and performed with groups and musicians such as Nomos, Tejedor, Cormac Breatnach, Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin and Mel Mercier, Alan Kelly, Crash Ensemble and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra. In 2005 he released his debut album ‘Strayaway’; a mixture of traditional Irish music on solo piano as well as some ensemble pieces with Brian Morrissey, Paul Meehan, Martin Leahy and brothers Niall and Cillian Vallely.
Ross Martin – GUITAR
Ross Martin’s driving yet sensitive guitar playing has made him one of the most highly regarded accompanists on the Celtic music scene today. He learned his trade in Hebridean and West Highland dance halls and has gone on to tour the world extensively with Tabache, Fred Morrison and Ceòlas and has performed with Deaf Shepherd, Liz Doherty and, ex-Battlefield Band member Iain MacDonald. Ross is also much in demand for session work and TV. He also plays regularly with two of Scotland’s most exciting bands Daimh and Harem Scarem. As if all that wasn’t enough he has also played with the Julie Fowlis Band.
Kate Ellis – CELLO
Kate Ellis is a freelance cellist based in Dublin. Working extensively within all genres of contemporary, classical and improvised music, she is also a member of the Crash Ensemble, one of Ireland's most dynamic and innovative performance groups. Kate also performs with Improvised Music Company artists the Fuzzy Logic Ensemble and the Balkan inspired Yurodni Septet. Kate's solo work with the Crash Ensemble has focused upon the use of extended techniques and live performances with pre-recorded tape, most notably the Irish premiere of Steve Reich's Cello Counterpoint at the RTE Living Music Festival 2006.
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