Divine Voices: Sheila Chandra and Nóirín Ní Riain
Venue: Union Chapel, Compton Terrace, N1 2UN
Date: Sunday 28 June 2009
Time: 8pm
Tickets: £15 | £12 concs
A rare opportunity to see master singer and pioneer in New World Music Sheila Chandra and acclaimed spiritual and traditional Irish singer Nóirín Ní Riain perform live. The pair will be joined on stage by trio Amen. Nóirín Ní Riain and Amen are supported by Culture Ireland.
If you haven’t heard her before, prepare to be amazed The Times on Sheila Chandra
Described as ‘one of the most distinctive, imaginative and unbelievable vocalists you’ll ever hear’ (What’s On), Sheila Chandra first came to widespread public attention as an actress, playing Sudhamani Patel in the BBC school drama Grange Hill.
As a teenager she formed the band Monsoon, and created a fusion of Western and Indian pop styles which topped the charts in 1982 with the hit single Ever So Lonely. The band soon dissolved and Chandra went on to release a number of albums experimenting with her voice. In the 1990s she released three albums on Peter Gabriel's Real World label. Since 1992 she has shifted from the Indian-Western fusion of synthesizer-centered pop to styles that draw on British and Irish traditional singing tradition. In 2002 she performed the song entitled Breath Of Life with Howard Shore for the Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers soundtrack.
Nóirín truly has the voice of an angel New Dimensions
A teacher and scholar of traditional religious Irish music, Nóirín Ní Riain is one of Ireland's best known musicians. As a young girl growing up in County Cork, Nóirín learned over 1,000 traditional songs directly from an old villager. She continues to perform these songs in the original sean nos style as they have been sung for hundreds of years. She has inspired and worked with many international artists including Sinéad O'Connor, who has described her as "my biggest influence and heroine in music".
Nóirín has also been deeply influenced by the culture and people of India. Her Living Music album, Celtic Soul, is imbued with Indian influences, reflecting her interest in spiritual songs in Hindi as well as her traditional Irish personal and musical base and her classical training. Frequently accompanying herself on Shruti boxes (Indian drones), Surpeti (Indian harmonium) and a reproduction of the medieval Symphony (early hurdy gurdy), Nóirín Ní Riain performs regularly in Ireland and worldwide, often in association with international peace efforts.