For Folk`s Sake

By Joe Kavanagh

Down through the years, Ireland has produced some outstanding female vocalists whose distinct timbre has captured the imagination of music lovers around the world. Sinead O'Connor and Dolores O'Riordan are prime examples of singers whose voices exhibited the almost ethereal Celtic quality associated with vocalists originating in the Emerald Isle, their distinctness separating them from the crowd and allowing them to sell millions of records in the process.

Even Dido admits that the characteristic lilt of her vocals originated entirely from when she sat on her Irish grandmother's knee as a child, listening to her sing songs from the old country.

Although far lesser known, another voice has emerged in Ireland that displays all the qualities that make for a great Celtic singer and seems to resonate so intensely with music fans.

While all three of the aforementioned ladies predominantly plowed their furrow in the world of pop music, Cara Dillon's near anonymity stems mainly from the fact that, until now, she has chosen to work almost exclusively within what could loosely be termed folk music.

Depending on her next move she may yet emerge from that world and find herself on the road to success in the international mainstream.

Born in the small Irish village of Dungiven, County Derry, Dillon grew up in an area known long for its traditional roots and she began studying fiddle and tin whistle at school.

Although she was never formally trained in singing, she found herself drawn to that discipline when her mother took Cara and her sister, Mary, around to Fleadhs (Irish traditional music competitions) throughout the country.

Both would eventually earn their living as singers. As her teenage years approached, Dillon began to broaden her musical horizons and began listening to Joni Mitchell, Fleetwood Mac and particularly Kate Bush's Hounds Of Love, the latter of which she still claims she listens to at least once a week.

By 14-year-old she had won the All-Ireland Singing trophy and had begun writing her own music after taking classes from teachers and at folk music workshops.

In 1992, she became a founding member of traditional band, Óige (Youth), with a group of school friends, the lineup proving successful enough to tour Ireland, the UK and Germany.

The trio even released two albums, Inspiration and Live (recorded at a show in Glasgow) and opened for such Irish stalwarts as De Dannan and Phil Coulter.

Although serious about her music, Dillon was not foolish enough to turn down a place in university on the basis of a pipedream.

All that changed however when the dream became a reality and she was asked to join to so-called 'English folk supergroup': Equation.

Along with brothers Sean, Sam and Seth Lakeman, and Kathryn Roberts, the band had enjoyed wide acclaim but called upon Dillon when their vocalist, Kate Rusby left to begin what would ultimately be a highly successful solo career of her own.

The label refused to release the album and it would only see the light of day years later when Rough Trade founder Geoff Travis bought the rights to it. As the situation worsened, Dillon and Seth Lakeman struck out on their own with the blessing of their bandmates.

Curiously, they were signed by the same label and received much the same treatment as executives attempted to mold her into a blend between Enya and The Corrs.

Despite teaming up with several musicians and producers, neither party was happy with the result and they soon parted ways.

In all, Dillon had spent almost five years of her life languishing on a label without releasing an album, although she gave glimpses of her ability and kept a modest public profile through several collaborations, most notably on Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells III, in 1998.

True to their talent, the duo were soon back on another label, when the previously mentioned Travis, who had also spent time as the band's manger, penned them to a deal on Rough Trade in 2000, giving them the simple mandate: 'Just get on with it.' Free from the pressure of executives telling them, 'we don't hear a hit single' the pair recorded the album on a shoestring budget, laying down the tracks in Lakeman's parents home and the couple's own house in Donegal.

The resulting work, entitled simply, Cara Dillon, featured the couple's take on several Irish traditional songs, along with brace of their own compositions, and went on to score well with critics who were enchanted by Dillon's voice.

After two years of solid touring and time out for their wedding, the duo entered the studio and in 2003 and returned with Sweet Lullaby, which was widely acclaimed as a step forward and secured them a couple of BBC Folk Music Awards and the Meteor Music Award for Best Irish Female.

The couple also began making inroads in the international market, most notably in Japan, where Dillon's voice saw them very much in demand.

By February of last year they were back with the follow-up, After the Morning, which spawned their biggest single to date: Never In A Million Years. Although the nearest thing you could find to a star in the folk music world, she remained all but invisible to the commercial market but all of that changed when a club remix of Dillon's Black Is The Color introduced her to a whole new market and her guest spot of DJ Judge Jules, Ordinary Day, burned up dancefloors throughout the globe, winning her a host of admirers among young club kids unfamiliar with her previous work.

Last year also saw Dillon and Lakeman start a family and the birth of twins made the duo step back from the budding spotlight in order to concentrate on domestic responsibilities.

Now word is emerging that they are ready to return to the studio and contemplating a more expansive sound, that will surely see them move ever closer to international success.

With all due respect to Lakeman, a truly superb musician, there remains the distinct possibility that Dillon's key to fame may lie with another musician or producer, capable of unlocking and harnessing the true beauty of her vocal talents.

Along with the abovementioned Rusby and Eliza Carthy, Dillon is widely regarded as one of the finest voices in her genre, and thanks to those recent collaborations with the world of club music, however varying their results, she is finally enjoying the mainstream recognition she so richly deserves.

Given the right platform and formula, her next album might see it happen entirely on her terms.