Munster Express Online

Ireland has never produced a singer quite like Mary Coughlan. She emerged in 1986 with her debut album, Tired and Emotional, seemingly from nowhere and without any preliminaries, but already with a stagecraft and vocal sophistication of a veteran, singing new songs and blues songs with a voice that conjures instant recognition of something very special. Her critically acclaimed album, the emotionally stunning House of Ill Repute, charts the extraordinary and the ordinary with a devastating mix of weariness and amusement. Over the course of nine studio albums, two live albums and countless concert performances in the past twenty-five years, Galway-born torch singer Mary Coughlan has established herself as one of her native land’s most enduring and remarkable vocal talents. From her break through success on 1985’s ‘Tired And Emotional’ to her internationally acclaimed ‘After The Fall’ (1997); and onwards to her faithful and poetic rendering of the songs of Billie Holiday in 2000, she has cast her meditative eye over songs of joy, sadness, mischief and melancoly; and has delivered each one with a voice that effortlessly straddles jazz, blues, chanson and pop in equal, sublime measure. To mark the release of this album, and to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the release of Tired and Emotional, Mary will be performing a selection of songs from throughout her stellar career at the Theatre Royal in Waterford on Saturday 10th April at 8pm. Tickets €25/€22/€20 online from www.theatreroyal.ie or from 051 874402.