Irish singer-songwriter Susan McKeown will perform at the 2010 National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) convention awards dinner in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, July 3.She will share songs from her upcoming new album, Singing in the Dark, which will be released in October 2010 during Mental Illness Awareness Week.
Influenced by the poetry of Lord Byron and Anne Sexton among others, the new album examines the depths of living with depression - and the hope of recovery.
"It's been important to me that throughout this collection of songs there is an overall sense of hope," said McKeown.
McKeown's music from past albums is available on the Internet. One song to anticipate in her NAMI performance is "Gracias a la vida" ("Thanks to Life") by Chilean folk singer Violeta Parra, who died tragically from depression and suicide in 1967. It has since become one of the most popular folk songs in Latin America and was introduced to the United States by singer Joan Baez.
McKeown was born in Dublin, Ireland and while her songs echo her Celtic music roots, her inventive interpretations cross genres. Thoughtful lyrics, moving melodies and her unique voice have earned her accolades in contemporary world music.
