Cosán Casta

cosán, m. (gs. & npl. -áin, gpl. ~). Path. 1. Footway, track. 2. Way, passage. 3. Direction. casta, a3. 1. pp. of CAS2. 2. Twisted, wound. 3. Complicated, intricate, involved. 4. Gnarled, bent; wizened.

IMC is delighted to host the album launch of a new duo project from two of Ireland’s most distinctive and versatile musicians, Aoife Ní Bhriain and Cormac McCarthy.

Blending deep roots in Irish traditional music with classical, jazz, and contemporary influences, Ní Bhriain and McCarthy chart a compelling sonic path through a shared musical heritage, transformed through their own creative lens. The album title, Cosán Casta, derives from the Irish words for “twisted path”, reflecting a journey both intricate and organic, rooted and exploratory.

Cosán Casta is a deeply considered and intimate work that reimagines Irish traditional music through original compositions, reinterpretations of archival tunes, and a fusion of classical and jazz idioms. The record pays homage to the music Aoife and Cormac grew up with, the musical language they heard and spoke in their family homes.

For both Aoife & Cormac, music is deeply tied to confidence, a sense of place, and a feeling of authority. To play their own music, to have trust not only in the notes but the nuances, the quirks of stylistic ornamentation, and the interpretation of the manuscripts collected before their time, has brought them on a path of discovery, helping them find their voice and bring to life their own interpretation of tradition to life.

Having both left Ireland to further study music, to discover, develop and explore their practice within the worlds of jazz and classical genres, “it became apparent very quickly that the musical accent of our own traditional music was one that cannot be disguised or gotten rid of easily,” says the pair. “This accent defines how we approach music of all genres but also how we express the truest version of ourselves.”

A mix of the old and new, the album tells “the stories of who we are and where we come from, but also the story of the journey our music has taken us on throughout our careers. The paths we have taken have been no means straightforward, and the twists and turns on our musical journeys have always directed us back home - to where the music started.

‘Is fada an bóthar nach bhfuil casadh ann."

"It's a long road that has no turning/bends.”