Album Notes

QUESTIONS ABOUT DÉANN MACALLA

1. Where was Déann born?
Déann was born in Deargbhréag, Ireland.

2. Did she come from a musical family?
As children, Déann and her sister Gormlaith-Bain Macalla sang in their local church's choir. Gormlaith-Bain eventually formed a singing group (along with Déann's second cousin, Mayuko Oyama, and French singer Audrey André) called Trio Dinidae. Déann originally sang with the group, but had her own ideas and struck out on her own (Déann is quick to point out there is no antagonism between her and her sister). She also has a younger brother, Cormac.

3. Who does all the singing on Déann's album?
With the exception of singer Jogo on 'Virgo Supercluster' and a group of Japanese schoolchildren on 'Odo Odo Suru Tsuki', it's all Déann. "I sing the choral parts one at a time, then we 'stack' them in the mix to create the choir. Typically there are 18 voices, but for 'Pageant of the Clouds' there are parts for two choirs, so there are 36 voices."

4. How do you pronounce Déann?
The correct pronunciation is DAY-unn, with the stress on the first syllable. It is actually spelled with only one "n" ("Déan"), but non-Gaelic speakers pronounced it like the boys' name, so the second "n" was added to make it more feminine. Alas, this led to the name being pronounced Dee-ANN. But Déann takes it all in good stride and says either way is fine with her.

5. Was Irish (Gaeilge) Déann's first language?
"I'm afraid not." says Déann. She grew up learning only English, but has begun taking Irish lessons.