Cara Dillon, in the same vein as Kate Rusby, is a musical virtuoso at the head of the traditional folk music revival movement that is sweeping across the United Kingdom and the world. Her voice is breathtaking, sweetly sincere and hauntingly faraway at the same time; her innate talent for telling stories in song, both traditional and contemporary, have gained her the respect and admiration of critics and concert-goers alike. The fact that she is achingly beautiful can't hurt, either.

Born in 1975 in Dungiven, Co. Derry, Ireland, she has been performing seriously since she was 14, when she won the All Ireland Singing Trophy for her renditions of traditional ballads in a competitive venue. Her musical upbringing before this turning point had been centred around traditional singers in pubs in and around her hometown; renowned performers the likes of Paddy Tunney regularly visited Dungiven, and in emulating them she was able to develop her own unique style based on traditional Irish folk music. Shortly thereafter she became the vocalist for the Irish traditional band Oige, and as a collective they toured across the UK for some time, slowly creating a reputation of excellence for themselves and leaving a dedicated following in their wake.

Leaving music behind in favour of furthering her education, Dillon was preparing to leave home for university in 1995 when out of nowhere she received a telephone call inviting her to move to England and join the folk supergroup Equation, replacing former member Kate Rusby who had left to pursue a solo career. The group recorded an album, entitled Return to Me, but unfortunately it was never released; the record label to which the band was signed, Warner, endeavoured to turn them into a pop group rather than the traditionally-oriented acoustic folk group that they would have been without outside influence, which understandably caused frustration and reflected poorly on all parties involved.

During her tenure in Equation, Dillon and bandmate Sam Lakeman found themselves both musically and romantically compatible; shortly after the band's failed album, they split off to pursue their own career as a duo. This decision was followed by a long period of failure after failure, as Lakeman and Dillon worked with a succession of producers and musicians but couldn't seem to manage to match the vision they held for what their music should be.

Ditching the idea of an outside producer, Lakeman and Dillon decided to become completely independent and release an album of their own without bothering to pander to the pop-oriented whims of Warner. With Lakeman as producer, under the banner of indie-fixated Rough Trade Records, 2001 saw the UK release of Cara Dillon's self-titled album of hauntingly beautiful and melancholy folk songs, both traditional and newly-written. It gained her the respect of critics all across the UK and continental Europe, as well as full-to-bursting concert halls everywhere she went in the European tour following the release.

The wild success of her debut album made a follow-up almost inevitable. Released in 2004, Sweet Liberty is as close to perfection as the first. Made up mostly of traditional pieces, it also features five original songs written by Lakeman and Dillon as a duo, as well as a ballad about the unrest in Northern Ireland written by Tommy Sands and entitled "There Were Roses". This last is somewhat surprising in light of the studiously apolitical nature of the rest of her work. In response to this, Dillon says: "People may have been surprised because I've never done anything political before, but I feel so strongly about peace and agree with the essence of that song so much I felt confident about commiting to it."

Fair enough. Dillon's work is also marked by her lilting and decidedly Irish accent; rather than conforming to what many European musicians seem to do and singing in neutral and bland American accents (presumably for ease in comprehension of the lyrics), she remains loyal to her traditional roots in much the same manner as Niamh Parsons, Dolores Keane, Mary Black, Eleanor McEvoy, and Maura O'Connell. Her similarities to these great artists became self-evident when she was invited to participate in the Woman's Heart tour several years ago, now immortalised through a compilation recording.

Currently between albums and engaged in a frenetic touring schedule, Dillon is optimistic about her future and thoroughly enjoying the present: "I am very lucky. I am able to play the type of music I love with great musicians and we're having a lot of fun - you can't ask much more than that."

Discography:

Cara Dillon - 2001, Rough Trade Records
Sweet Liberty - 2004, Rough Trade Records

Sources:
http://www.allmusic.com
http://www.caradillon.co.uk