Karan Casey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Karan Casey
Background information
Born	1969 (age 55–56) Kilmeaden, County Waterford, Ireland
Genres	Celtic Folk
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter producer Pianist
Years active	1996–present
Labels	Crow Valley Music (own label) Compass Records

Karan Casey (born in 1969) is a famous Irish folk singer. She used to be part of the popular Irish band Solas. Today, she lives in Cork, Ireland.

Early Life and Musical Start

Karan Casey was born in Kilmeaden, County Waterford, Ireland. Her family always encouraged her to sing. She sang at home, in church, and at school.

She studied piano at Waterford Regional Technical College. Later, in 1987, she studied music at University College Dublin. Karan learned to copy Ella Fitzgerald's scat singing style. While still a student, she performed in a Dublin bistro often.

At the Royal Irish Academy of Music, she studied classical music. She sang in different bands, including jazz and folk groups. She was also inspired by Dublin folk singer Frank Harte. During this time, she even started her own band called "Dorothy."

Moving to the USA and Joining Solas

In 1993, Karan Casey moved to New York City. She went there to study jazz at Long Island University. While in New York, she started going to Irish traditional music sessions. This led her to sing Irish traditional music again. She performed mostly in local bars and centers.

In 1994, she sang with a group called Atlantic Bridge. Then, in 1996, she joined the band Solas. She recorded five songs on their very first album. At the same time, she still performed jazz and folk songs by herself. In 1997, Karan recorded her first solo album, Songlines. This album was inspired by a book of the same name. It featured both traditional Irish and modern folk songs.

Karan Casey's Solo Career

Karan Casey left Solas in 1999 to focus on her solo music. She moved back to Ireland but often traveled between her home in Cork and America.

In 2000, she worked with other singers on a musical called Seal Maiden. This musical was about a mythical creature called a selkie, which is a seal-woman. Karan narrated the story, and many famous musicians helped with the album.

Her second solo album, The Winds Begin to Sing, came out in 2001. Critics really liked it, and it helped her start a successful solo career. She released Distant Shore in 2003 and toured a lot. In 2005, she released Chasing the Sun. This album had Irish traditional and folk songs she learned from her family. It also included songs she wrote herself.

In 2006, Karan joined Solas again for a special live DVD and album. This project, called Reunion: a Decade of Solas, brought together all the past and current members of the band.

In 2008, Karan and her husband started their own music label, Crow Valley Music. They released her album Ships in the Forest through this label. In 2010, she released Exiles Return, a duet album with her former Solas bandmate John Doyle. The Irish Echo newspaper named it one of the top albums of the year.

Her sixth solo album, Two More Hours, was released in 2014. This album was special because all the songs were written by Karan herself. It had a more modern sound and included duets with other artists. The album mixed her love for R&B, jazz, and blues with her folk roots.

In 2017, Karan was a special artist-in-residence at University College Cork. She also toured the UK and the US, performing at famous places like New York's Carnegie Hall.

In 2018, Karan helped start FairPlé. This group works to make sure female performers in Irish traditional and folk music get fair chances.

Her album Hieroglyphs That Tell the Tale came out in 2019. It was produced by Donald Shaw, a well-known Scottish producer. The album showed off Karan's great songwriting skills. She also sang with many women singers she admired, like Karen Matheson and Aoife O'Donovan.

In 2022, she released a single called "Nine Apples of Gold." The full album with the same name came out in February 2023.

Karan Casey has also worked with many other famous musicians. These include Bela Fleck, Maura O'Connell, Tim O'Brien, and The Dubliners.

Personal Life

Karan Casey married Niall Vallely, an Irish concertina player, in February 2007. They have two children named Muireann and Áine. She often works with the Vallely brothers and their bands on music projects.

Discography

Solo Albums

• 1997 – Songlines
• 2001 – The Winds Begin To Sing
• 2003 – Distant Shore
• 2005 – Chasing The Sun
• 2008 – Ships in the Forest
• 2014 – Two More Hours
• 2018 – Hieroglyphs That Tell the Tale
• 2023 – Nine Apples of Gold

With Solas

• 1996 – Solas
• 1997 – Sunny Spells and Scattered Showers
• 1998 – The Words That Remain
• 2006 – Reunion: A Decade of Solas (CD/DVD)

Images for kids

• 

  Karan Casey performing in 2019.