BIOGRAPHY SUSAN McKEOWN

She walks on the wild side of Gaelic melody.
- BOSTON GLOBE

Once heard, you would never take Susan McKeown for
anyone else. This year's Grammy-winning album
'Wonder Wheel' from The Klezmatics, features Susan
on lead and harmony vocals throughout; her strong,
richly colored contralto soaring on the dramatic
>survival anthem "Gonna Get Through This World".

A singer of passion, grace and striking presence
with the ability to capture both the essence of a
traditional folk song or the more hard-edged domain
of contemporary adult rock; she seems to personify
both past and present.
- IRISH EXAMINER

After singing on the streets of her native Dublin as
a teenager, Susan left for New York with a bursary
from The Arts Council of Ireland and a scholarship
to the American Musical & Dramatic Academy, and soon
became a regular performer at the legendary East
Village club Sin-É. The enlivening intelligence of
her songs marked Susan as a distinctive talent. Her
debut album 'Bones' (1995) garnered wide critical acclaim,
established her reputation as an inventive songwriter with a
powerful voice, and set her on the road to an
international touring and recording career.

Along the way she has boldly yet lovingly
re-imagined Celtic music, bringing it immeasurably
enhanced - yet spiritually intact - into the new era
of world music. Her album 'Sweet Liberty' (2004 World
Village/Harmonia Mundi) drew accolades and a BBC Music Award
nomination for her beautiful arrangements and collaborations
with the groups Mariachi Real de Mexico and Ensemble Tartit.
Audi licensed a song from her "Bushes & Briars" (1998 Alula) album for
their national 'Father & Daughter' television campaign.

Ten albums later Susan has a catalog of music that
solidly spans the realms of world music and rock and
along the way she has worked with such luminaries as
Natalie Merchant, Linda Thompson, Pete Seeger, Mary
Margaret O'Hara, Billy Bragg, Arlo Guthrie, Andy
Irvine, Flook, Lúnasa, and the Scots fiddle master
Johnny Cunningham.

If there's some dividing line between Celtic
traditionalism and eclectic contemporary
songwriting, McKeown refuses to acknowledge it. And
with a voice as warm, resonant and versatile as
hers, why should she?
- THE OREGONIAN

McKeown has been praised in the pages of Time
Magazine and Rolling Stone and has appeared on
various NPR programs (All Things Considered, A
Prairie Home Companion, New Sounds Live, Mountain
Stage and The Infinite Mind) as well as on the
nationally televised CBS This Morning and Sessions
at West 54th Street. Her powerful, emotive delivery
and unique approach to a lyric have made Susan the
vocalist of choice for documentary film soundtracks
on CBS, Discovery Channel and PBS American Masters,
as well as for prestigious theatre companies such as
San Jose Repertory Theatre and Mabou Mines: Susan
contributes lead vocals to the latter's production
of Peter & Wendy which plays Arena Stage in
Washington, DC in May and June of 2007.

"McKeown grabbed both song and audience by the
throat, dragged them through heaven and hell and
back again, and left the stage to the loudest
applause heard all evening."
- ROLLING STONE






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