The Connacht Tribune
Aran Singer Proves Her Talent On New Solo sean-nós album

Every once in a while a new talent appears on the scene with a voice, intelligence and looks.
Lasairfhíona Ní Chonaola from the Aran Islands is the latest talent and one whose star is quickly rising.
Her first album ‘An Raicín Álainn’ (The Beautiful Comb) is selling out in Galway record shops as quickly as it is being stocked onto the shelves.

It is not surprising because this collection of songs sung sweetly by Lasairfhíona transcend language or culture. They are beautiful songs in themselves songs in themselves with one or two of them so impressive that you would stand barefoot in snow to listen to them.
Apparently she could sing before she could talk and although her singing style is deeply rooted in the sean-nós tradition, she has been influenced by contemporary music and says she likes a range of styles.

A graduate in Celtic Studies from Trinity College Dublin, Lasairfhíona (pronounced Lah-sah-reena) was a lead singer on the much acclaimed CD of Irish sacred songs ‘Lights In The Dark produced by Hector Zazou and chosen by ‘The Irish Times’ as one of the best albums released in 1998.

She has been featured on many television and radio programmes in Ireland and abroad and sang at the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland.
Her album ‘An Raicín Álainn’, was launched at this year’s Interceltic Festival in Lorient, Brittany.
Although her singing style is deeply rooted in the sean-nós singing tradition in her home on Inis Orr, a broad range of contemporary music has influenced her. Lasairfhíona beautiful delivers different styles of singing on this album : some passed on to her from her family and traditional melodies that have not been recorded before. Her new compositions of lyrics are by the well-known Dara O Conaola. Maier Breatnach has excellently produced this new CD and also features Mary Bergin, Johnny McDonagh and her brother MacDara O Conaola.
“Lasairfhiona’s voice is ands attractive and yet unusual thing within Sean-nós circles, being wispy, and ethereal with a floating childlike quality it is a highly individual slant on an age old tradition,” says John O’Regan of Irish music Magazine.

During the Interceltic Festival, in Lorient, Lasairfhíona performed in Nuit Magique to an audience of over 12,000 people. She also performed in the concerts Femmes d’Irlande/Women of Ireland and Virtuses d’Irande, which was a great success, singing songs from her new CD.

Radio presenters continuously praise her new CD and she is regularly played on a number of Radio 1 programmes as well as Radio na Gaeltachta. But she has also featured on radio programmes in Los Angeles, the BBC and other local radio stations around the country.
Recently she was the subject of a RTE 1 documentary when Léargas filmed her and her Aran family.
She will also feature on a documentary programme about Sinead O’Connor’s new album this Christmas. Her brother, MacDara O Conaola, makes his debut as a singer on this CD joining Lasairfhíona on track 7 in the singing of the delightful, lilting song ‘Bímse Fein Ag Iascaireacht’/I Myself Go Fishing’.

Her plans for next year including organising a series of concerts around Ireland and possibly aboard which will broaden her fan base. She is also featured on a new Hector Zazou produced album on which she sings a songs she composed herself.
It is obvious from the range of material on this, her debut solo album that she is not just a pretty face with a good voice but a good judge of what people want to hear.