We are less than two weeks away from the release of my next studio album, Selcouth. “Selcouth” means, “when everything is strange and different, yet you find it marvelous anyway.” It's a beautiful album…with a pinch of the Celtic.
Years and years ago, I was told I didn't play Celtic music. I'll be honest. It hurt. It also boggled my mind. Because fans of Celtic music were flocking to my shows. I grew from the experience. Selcouth is heavily infused with Celtic and folk sounds because of that criticism.
It also made me better at defining what the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast would eventually be about. I've been able to help so many more musicians as a result. It is also why I am better able to promote other indie Celtic artists like Kathleen Donohoe.
With a background that includes a rich tradition of Irish music from her earliest childhood days on, Kathleen Donohoe is not only a singer, but someone who promotes a great deal of Irish culture as well.
Born in Cavan, Ireland where she spent her youth, this artist learned about the magic of music and performance from the ground up—singing and gathering with the locals during all night music fests, referred to as “ceilidhs” in country. There’s little doubt that this time in her life, spent in a rich artistic environment with family and friends, had an impact on her that set the stage for the rest of her life once she left her home country and ventured abroad.
Although Donohoe studied business at University College Galway, she then moved to the United States shortly after and started sharing her love for Irish music with people she encountered as she settled in. Over time this continued to remain an integral part of her life. These days one can find her in Atlanta, where she fits very comfortably into the area’s vibrant Celtic music scene, and is very involved in some of the annual events that have taken place there, such as Ireland in Dixie.
Far from her original “home”, Donohoe still makes trips back to Ireland to keep in touch with her musical roots as well as visit friends and relatives. Indeed, she has even represented the United States as a finalist at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, a traditional Irish singing competition. Donohoe enjoys both contemporary and traditional music, and cites some of her influences as Van Morrison, The Corrs, The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem, as well as a number of others.
The singer’s first CD, Irish Songs You’ll Love features 13 carefully chosen tracks, with her vocals as the centerpiece of most of them. Her voice is at once strong and vulnerable, hitting notes with confidence but infusing them with emotion as well. This nice collection of songs offers a good range of tunes, and sets off her vocal abilities quite well in addition to being a pleasant listen. You’ll hear traditional music such as “Red is the Rose” as well as an cappella track, and much more!
Visit her website to learn more.
Find more about Atlanta Celtic Music and Musicians.
Catherine L. Tully is a freelance writer and photographer who specializes in the arts. She has written for American Style and Classical Singer, among other magazines, and for the Celtic Music Magazine for nearly 15 years. You can reach her through her website at CatherineLTully.com.
