Cormac begley
with support from Zoé Basha
Sunday 24th November
St Lukes
Doors: 19:30
Price: €30
Cormac Begley’s career has gone from strength to strength over the past year; selling out Vicar Street, headlining the National Concert Hall, winning Best Folk Instrumentalist 2022 at the RTÉ Folk Awards and Irish Times Album of the Year 2022, with his second solo album ‘B’. The album ‘B’ celebrates the bass concertina, a very rare instrument and on this album Cormac uses two Dipper-made Bass concertinas to record all 12 tracks. His bold choice to concentrate solely on the bass and baritone register, the first album of it’s kind in any musical genre, has not gone unnoticed for all the right reasons and it has been described as 'Album of the decade' Donal Dineen, 'The musical gift that keeps on giving' The Irish Times, seven five star reviews and 'Groundbreaking' RTÉ Arena. The album and tracks from the album were nominated over three categories at the RTE Folk Awards 2022 for ‘Best Folk Album’, ‘Best Folk Track’ and ‘Best Original Folk Track’. His original composition ‘To War’ went viral with over 20 million views across multiple social media channels.
Zoé Basha is a musician, composer and carpenter, of French and American origins. Based between Ireland and the traveling life for over a decade, Zoé blends traditional singing with blues and jazz. Her original pieces and traditional songs explore the crossovers between the sway of Appalachian mountain songs, the fervor and solemn ornamentation of Irish traditional songs, and the polyphonic, pushing rhythm of French Occitan music and American ragtime, through playful, syncopated guitar, a booming voice, and an accompanying band with an array of instruments including keys, dobro, fiddle and upright bass.
Following the release of an album with vocal harmony trio Rufous Nightjar in March of this year, Zoé is working on her debut album of original & traditional songs, to be released in 2025.
In 2023, she was a featured singer at Féile Róise Rua, and Music Network RESONATE Residency recipient.