Lisa O’Neill speaks as she sings, in a broad Irish brogue that reflects her upbringing in Cavan, rural Ireland. Her voice will never be described as beautiful. It is guttural, fierce yet plaintive, marking her as among the most distinctive of contemporary folk singers. When she performs at Womad New Zealand, listeners will hear an Irish experience shorn of cliché and stereotype.
Riverdance O’Neill isn’t.
“I sing just the way I am,” says
