Biography

  • Cara Dillon was born in 1975 in Dungiven in County Derry, Northern Ireland. She grew up in a close musical family in an area steeped in Irish traditional music. She demonstrated a striking vocal ability from an early age winning the All Ireland Singing Trophy when only 14. Whilst she was still a teenager she went on to sing with Oige, De Dannan and from there, joined the highly lauded folk supergroup Equation in 1995. However, in 1996 Dillon left with original band member Sam Lakeman because of musical differences before the release of the band's Blanco Y Negro (WEA) debut album and together they immediately signed a separate deal with the same label.

  • What may well be the world's most beautiful female voice...

    Mojo

    Cara and Sam (now named Polar Star) spent the next four years writing, recording and experimenting with different musical directions. However, although they look back on that period as an essential step towards affirming their strong musical tastes and developing their songwriting craft, it was full of frustration and the constant pressure from the label to have commercial success. During this time Cara sang "Man In The Rain" on Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells III which was released as a world wide single. But by 2000 they had parted company with Warners without releasing a single track and in stark contrast to their recent recordings with the label began working on an album of mostly traditional material which they quietly released on an unsuspecting audience via Rough Trade Records.

  • Cara Dillon, is without exaggeration, amongst the very finest to be heard today…

    fRoots
    Cara Dillon (2001) was met with astonishing critical and popular acclaim. The combination of Cara's expressive vocals and Lakeman's lyrical piano work squeezed new life into ancient material which was artfully supported by the understated arrangements and seductive production. Sam's brother Seth also made an appearance on the album and toured with them. A shower of accolades followed including BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards for ' Best Traditional Track' and 'Horizon Award', 'Best Traditional Act at Big Buzz and Hot Press Magazines and Irish Tatler’s ‘Woman of the Year’) and the album swiftly placed Dillon firmly amongst the leading lights of the new generation of young acoustic artists emerging onto the mainstream.

  • The Irish, of course, breed prize winning musicians like racehorses, but even among these Dillon’s a wonder - wide-eyed all-Ireland champion… Dillon’s vocals, expressive beyond her years, are right on the money. - Q

    Recorded at their new home in Somerset in the rural West of England, Cara's second album, Sweet Liberty (2003, Rough Trade) proved to be as beguiling and intimate as the first. Using a wide range of instrumental textures it included five original Dillon/Lakeman songs which, alongside the traditional, revealed Cara’s ability to reach inside the soul of a song and imbue material with not only profound sweetness but also poignancy and depth. 'Sweet Liberty' also featured Cara's already famous version of Tommy Sands' heartbreaking narrative about 'the troubles' in Northern Ireland. Originally recorded at the behest of Billy Connolly to accompany his TV series about Great Britain, “There Were Roses” was a rare and overtly political song in Cara's repertoire and perhaps had all the more impact because of this. In 2004 she won the prestigious Irish Meteor Award for Best Female Singer in a category which also included Sinead O’Connor, Enya and Roisin Murphy.

  • A rare and extraordinary talent ....Cara Dillon sings with a passion that is evident in the depth of her content, lyrically illustrating the scars of the human heart. There are few on this island to equal her tremendous musical talent. - RTÉ

    By this stage Cara's enviable reputation had meant she was regularly performing to appreciative audiences at major festivals throughout Europe and had toured as far afield as Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China, South Korea and Singapore. She had featured in a sell out tour of the USA with 'A Woman's Heart' with Mary Black, Sharon Shannon and Maura O'Connoll and had performed with the Ulster Orchestra for a BBC TV special. February 2006 saw the release of Cara's 3rd album, After The Morning ( Rough Trade ). As with the first two it was produced by husband Sam and gave Cara her most successful radio hit to date with Never In A Million Years which featured on the BBC Radio 2 playlist for six weeks and was record of the week on BBC Ulster and RTÉ Radio One. The album is a mix of original and traditional material and features several guest appearances such as acclaimed guitarist Martin Simpson, string members from the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, traditional Irish musicians Mairtin O'Connor and Cathal Hayden and Paul Brady, who sang a duet with Cara on the album highlight 'The Streets Of Derry'. The album reinforced the considerable musical relationship that Cara and Sam have and saw them fulfill their contract with Rough Trade Records.

  • Dillon's crystalline, angelic voice is an instrument of rare beauty capable of melting the sternest of hearts

    BBC


    Whilst touring the album Cara performed at the opening ceremony of the 2006 Ryder Cup at The K Club in Ireland in front of a TV audience of more than 300 million people. In November the same year Cara gave birth to their twin boys Noah and Colm, who were born extremely premature and subsequently spent a great deal of time in hospital. The resulting year saw very little professional work, but highlights included their appearance on the 'Transatlantic Sessions 3 ' with Jerry Douglas and Aly Bain and a club remix of 'Black Is The Colour' ( Cara Dillon vs 2Devine) which was released on Ajunabeats to huge acclaim and was voted #1 Trance Track 2006 in Mixmag. Cara also sang the single, 'Ordinary Day' which entered the UK dance chart at No 3. and was taken from Judge Jules album ' Proven Worldwide'.

    May 2008 saw the release of a duet with singer-songwriter John Smith called 'If I Prove False' to promote the release of her first live DVD, 'The Redcastle Sessions' (June 2008). The DVD was filmed entirely on location in Co. Donegal and Co. Derry, Ireland and features outstanding live performances of some of her best loved songs in a breathtaking location on the shore of Lough Foyle.
    Cara has a incredibly rare talent that you only come across a handful of times in your whole life. Her gentle charm and natural personality combine with a mesmerizing gift to relate a great story through song and has helped her to defy borders, cultures and even languages. She is an emotive and captivating performer at the very top of her field and one has the feeling she'll be there for a very long time.

Redcastle Session DVD

Cara releases an all new DVD of the Redcastle session recorded in Jan 2008.

New tracks, and a host of talented guest musicians
Coming soon...

Tour/Appearances




To book tickets to see Cara, please call the number alongside the venue of your choice above