Cathie Ryan: The Back Door

Immigration comes up for political comment often this campaign season. Here's a musical exploration of one view of the subject, which. although written some years back, is still timely.

Cathie Ryan sings the powerful song she wrote concerning immigrants, especially dedicated to undocumented Irish, with Joanie Madden on flutes and whistles and other members of Cherish the Ladies along as well. From the early 1990s, part of a television special with Tommy Makem and Friends.

This song was title track of CTL's first recording with the then members of the regular touring band.

The Back Door really established the unique character of the band and their approach to music for those who had not yet seen them play live. The collection, includes jigs. reels, and songs, among them Coal Quay Market, a fast paced playful tale, and Roisin Dubh, a powerful sean nos song from the heart of Irish history. There's a post here at Music Road with more about The Back Door CD, and a later one about Cherish itself, those early concerts, and further adventures of the band. More about Cathie Ryan at her website.

Cherish the Ladies reunion gig: Ryan, who is a dozen years into her own solo career now, sings The Back Door in 2007, a one minute clip from the Milwaukee Irish festival.

Cathie Ryan: Hard Times

The Cathie Ryan Band:Hard Times

Cathie Ryan sings Stephen Foster. The quality of the video isn't all that great, but still worth a look-- and listen. "I used to think I had to be either an Irish singer or an American singer," Ryan says."It's taken me quite some time to realize I can be both, I can bring both sides of my experience as an Irish American to my music." Taking on one the great American poet/songwriters and illuminating that connection, without saying a word about any of that, is what comes through here.

Singing in Irish: Cathie Ryan

Fred (and other readers),
I'm going to have to think about that a bit to come up with a comment about Bob Dylan in Scots Gaelic.Many Irish and Scots artists have covered Dylan -- but they usually sing in English. Really fine versions of Dylan songs by Mary Black, Altan, Danu, Dervish, many others.


While I am thinking about this, I would not want you to be without a video. The people in your post are talking of Scots Gaelic, and she's singing in Irish, of which Scots Gaelic is an offshoot, but anyway, here is a link to a quicktime video of Cathie Ryan singing PeataBeagDoMhathar.

Cathie Ryan: I'm Going Back

This is a test, really, of linking to a video which is not on YouTube. If you click on the highlighted link, it should take you to a quicktime video of a section of the song
I'm Going Back.
Cathie Ryan is the singer, and this is about 30 seconds worth of a very fine song she wrote which evokes the feelings of those who have ties to both Ireland and other countries. It is from a concert at the Averitt Center in Statesboro, Georgia in January of 2005. That's Greg Anderson on guitar and though you do not see her in this clip, you also hear Hanneke Cassel singing harmony.