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The members of Celtic Woman stay busy year-round, not just on St. Patrick's Day. |
BY ANDREW LEAHEY
FOR THE FREE LANCE-STAR
In Ireland, St. Patrick's Day is a public holiday--a time to stay home from school, attend church and throw family parties.
But for the members of female Irish ensemble Celtic Woman, the occasion pretty much guarantees a gig across the pond. This St. Patrick's Day, the group will perform at Fairfax's Patriot Center.
During a recent phone interview, member Lisa Kelly explained, "I've been touring for nearly 10 years, and I think I've spent one Paddy's Day at home. The rest have all been in the States."
That's not to say the group needs St. Patrick's Day to help secure gigs, though--it's done a fine job with that on its own, quietly becoming a major contender on the world-music scene.
Their recently released album, "Songs from the Heart," debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 chart.
"The latest bit of news is that we knocked Michael Jackson off the No. 1 spot on the Billboard DVD chart," Kelly said. "Things like that make you stop and think, 'Oh my god, this is really huge.' We're very, very lucky."
Kelly joined Celtic Woman in 2004. A talented vocalist, she previously established herself as a member of Riverdance. The birth of her first child made touring difficult, however, and the expectation of a second convinced her to leave the show. As a favor to her music director, David Downes, Kelly agreed to take part in a one-night performance of Celtic music before focusing on her duties as a mother.
Downes also extended offers to four other female vocalists. Held at Dublin's Helix Theater in September 2004, the concert was a success, and the women traveled to America in early 2005 to promote a recording of their performance. By the end of their first week, the album had climbed to the top of the world-music charts. Celtic Woman hasn't taken a break since.
"None of us expected it to reach this level," said Kelly, who now brings her three children on tour.
In an industry plagued by record-low album sales, Celtic Woman's success is little short of phenomenal. The group has sold roughly a million albums a year since 2005, a feat that even the most popular musical acts--including U2 and Lady Gaga--have trouble rivaling. With virtually no support from American radio, Celtic Woman has turned to PBS instead, forming a strong bond with the network's executives and enlisting them to broadcast many of the group's performances.
Kelly stressed the importance of PBS, noting, "We really wouldn't be here without them. We've had the chance to be in everybody's living room at some point over the last five years, and that is impressive."
Perhaps more impressive is Celtic Woman's busy touring schedule. The group logged 38 weeks on the road last year, performing a mix of Celtic standards and contemporary Irish folk with the help of a bagpiper, a backing choir and a full band. The musicians have been similarly busy this year promoting the new "Songs From the Heart."
Yet, despite the demanding schedule, Kelly sounded chipper about her plans for the rest of 2010.
"There's talk of trying to visit Australia and maybe Japan, too, so we might spend another 40 weeks on the road this year. Fifty-two weeks is such a short amount of time when you're involved with something like Celtic Woman. But you never know when your last one might be, and as they say at home, it's best to make hay while the sun shines."
Andrew Leahey is an assistant
Email: andrewcleahey@gmail.com.
