Irish singer and songwriter Karan Casey, joined by Niamh Dunne on fiddle and vocals, and guitarist and accordionist Sean Óg Graham, members of the Irish folk band Beoga will be performing at the San Juan Community Theatre, June 24 at 7:30 p.m. The concert includes songs that draw inspiration from a wide range of sources from the personal to the historical and political, touching on themes of family, loss, love, the empowerment of women, and the Irish revolutionary struggle.
According to Casey, the traditional Irish music scene, like so many other music genres, is male-dominated. As a result, women in that genre face many of the same challenges as other industries, including being paid less, harassed, being overlooked or not taken seriously, Casey explained.
“Those that speak up and speak out, which I have done a lot of through music, you can be targeted for being a difficult woman.”
Younger bands are changing, however, with an influx of women musicians.
To women breaking into the music industry, Casey said “Make sure you have good friends and have another woman in the band.” But mostly, she advised, don’t take any poor unfair treatment. “Figure out what you want to say before it can be knocked critically, and have a strong sense of self. It’s not always easy to develop that early on.”
Above all else, she said, turning to a key theme in the new album, be surrounded by those that have your back.
“The important thing is your friendships, relationships. They are going to be with you for the hard times. Being able to talk, and be heard with no judgment, allowing yourself to be vulnerable,” Casey said are a few reasons why female friendships are so important. It’s a two-way street she added. “Not even in the big times, but checking in. I have friends I can tell just by the sound of their voice if they are doing alright,” Casey explained. “It’s important to have those people around you.”
Her friends, she continued, have gotten her through the ups and downs of her career, as well as life’s challenges.
Casey’s childhood was infused with music. “My father was a fantastic singer, he would sing when he was driving. Our grandmother would put me up on the table, have me sing, and everyone would applaud when I was done. She created a monster,” Casey laughed.
In school, one of her teachers would get her classroom singing, she said, without the kids even realizing it, or knowing they were learning the songs.
Casey studied music in New York City, focusing on Jazz. She was inspired by Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holliday and Joni Mitchell just to name a few. Casey said she loves and listens to a wide variety of music, but blues, jazz and folk stand at the forefront.
“In Ireland, we listen to a lot of American music. In America, they want you to be more Irish than Irish,” She laughed.
The performance will include “Nine Apples of Gold,” according to Casey, a song that carries a notion she is particularly fond of, the healing power of music.
There will be a mix of older and newer songs full of resiliency and empowerment.
“Music itself, not songs, carries so much emotion,” Casey said. “You can listen to ten minutes of Stevie Wonder for example, and it can make you feel much better. I think we need to surrender to that. There is a beauty to surrendering to that.”
Tickets are $30 for adults, students are $15 or $5. student rush. For more information or to buy tickets visit https://www.sjctheatre.org/whats-happening/calendar/eventdetail/115615/karan-casey.
