Artist Summary
Artist Bio
Once upon a time she was a war correspondent, a wild dolphin swimmer, a clown... Now, rooted in the earthy and the ethereal, Oona is a new kind of world musician - an alchemist of song and story. Her pure voice and harp blend Celtic elements with Hawaiian, Latin and African influences, bridging cultural differences while evoking a primal beauty. Oona’s words and music are a river connecting heartache to hope, passion to possibility, inspiring us to not only love the world, but believe we can transform it.
Sweet and soulful, Oona McOuat’s (pronounced oo-na mick-kew-it) new album Honey and Holy Water flows with urgency and wonder. The honey bees are disappearing. The oceans are in peril. It’s been 40 years since Woodstock (the only cover tune on the disc). Will we make it "back to the garden" before the jig is up? From the fun and funky re-creation of the trad tune Drowsy Maggie to The Wild Ones’ heartfelt plea for preservation, through the broken-open love song, Where the Emptiness is Full, this album navigates mystery and loss with purity and grace while encouraging us to cherish what might yet be saved.
Oona and her band Dream Deep perform at arts centers, festivals and concert halls, her warm and heartfelt presence transforming an ordinary performance into an extraordinary event. She has shared the stage with Bruce Cockburn, Jann Arden, The Rankins, Jami Sieber, Toni Childs and Ferron and was a featured artist on the NPR radio special "Do You Hear What I Hear? A Holiday Folk Tour" aired on over 100 stations across the US and hosted by folk icon Judy Collins.
More About Oona McOuat
"Like Loreena McKennitt eating chocolate cream pie… Soothing, grooving, Eco celt, organic and emotive, African overtones enfold a golden voice and the Celtic harp rises to a new dimension."
Honey and Holy Water now available on CD Baby: 
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/oonamcouat
”Mysterious and reverent” “A near angelic voice” - Michael Henningsen, Albuquerque Weekly Alibi
“Music to lift your soul”- Volcano Gazette
“Pure, fluid vocals… Her lyrics are deeply personal and poetic…Able to draw out unexpected depths of feeling” - Mayne Island Mayneliner
“McOuat deeply touches her audience and lifts them to another place and time”- Comox Valley Record
“Oona McOuat, harp player, is a genuine songbird/diva. When she sings one is moved to close their eyes and contemplate beauty.” - Richard Diamond, The
…”Not believing my ears or trusting my eyes welling with tears of pure delight and enjoyment at a true treasure discovered … more water than music, more valuable than Spanish doubloons." - Charles Collins
"A little piece of dreamtime recently dropped through my door...Honey and Holy Water from angel-voiced Canadian harpist Oona McOuat...combines all the elements necessary to craft a work of presence and beauty. There are eleven captivating stories of magic, peace and perfection...You can almost feel the strings respond to her wishes as she asks them to play. Add that to her sensitive, gently delivered vocals and you have a woman of notable talent." - Tim Carroll, FolkWords, England, May 2010 www.folkwords.com/albumreviews_45632.html
"Laced with bohemian sultriness and Islander spirit...a solid base of musicians and a mature, crafted songwriting that can stand the test of time. Honey and Holy Water challenges true music enthusiasts to take a listen and be delighted by the bounty of mother earth...The smoky atmosphere of This (is a Prayer) makes my eyes cloudy. And I mean it. The melody simply rips your heart out of your chest." - Jose Baxter, Celtic Music Fan ZIne, the Philippines, April 2010 celticmusicfan.wordpress.com/2010/04/08/oona-mcouats-thirst-quenching-new-album-honey-and-holy-water-interview/
“Soothing harp music
Perfect for frolicking while
Wood nymphs feed you grapes”
- Lyle Bell, Edmonton Vue Weekly May 6-12, 2010
"Without a doubt, this is one of the most creative and evocative CDs I have yet encountered... (Her) voice is captivating and clear. Oona... is truly unique in her approach to music and the harp." - Rhett Barnwell, Folk Harp Journal, USA, October 2009
“A beautiful voice that is accompanied by a beautiful instrument … her songs encourage the listener to dig deep inside them, where inspiration lies dormant just waiting to be discovered. Her music is not just moving, but defines her love of music and her passion for the unexpected and the inspired.”- Mark Gunn, Celtic Mp3s Music Magazine, May 2010, celticmp3s.com/2010/05/mp3-the-wild-ones-by-oona-mcouat-dream-deep/
“Since receiving this CD I have become enchanted with this music…I absolutely recommend this album and stand by this moving music with all my heart.”- Erich Böck , New Age Radio, Germany
"Her songs brings out her golden voice and the music she makes with the Celtic Harp makes the harp rise to a new dimension.” - John Gavin, Atlantic Seabreeze, Canada, May 2010 www.atlanticseabreeze.com/ItemOne.asp?ID=3711
“Don’t miss this jewel of an album…. it has been beautifully conceived and artfully crafted. Oona has the gift of mesmerizing melodies, a visionaries’ depth and a perchance for eclectic arrangements.” - Baxter Labatos, Celtic Music Fan Zine, the Philippines, June 2010 http://celticmusicfan.wordpress.com/2010/06/21/in-defence-of-folk-new-age-and-world-music/
Performance
With her band Dream Deep - James Mujuru on vocal and imbira, Jose Sanchez on percussion, Corbin Keep the wild cellist, and dazzling woodwinds virtuoso Richard Lee, Oona l ights up the stage with her wit, compassion and open heart. Oona is also a gifted storyteller and weaves tales told with the harp that delight children of all ages.
Workshops & Family Stage
James and I are available to share a mix of Shona and Celtic stories and songs on the family stage. Jose is a master percussion teacher, James leads seminars all over the world on Shona cultural traditions and music and mbira making, I lead sessions on "sound yoga", womens' songs and storytelling, Corbin on improvisation, and Richard - who is a music professor at the University of Hawaii - is available to teach jazz woodwinds and Renaissance recorder.
Check out our complete EPK here:http://www.oonamcouat.com/bio.html
Performance Highlights:
Halifax International Buskers Festival, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Fish Aid Festival, Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
Islands Festival, Duncan, British Columbia
Volcano Art Center, Volcano National Park, Hawaii
Elora Festival, Elora, Ontario
Loch Lomond Festival, Scotland
Edinburgh Fringe Festival - Edinburgh, Scotland
Portpatrick Festival, Portpatrick, Scotland
Kispiox Festival, New Hazelton, British Columbia
Pacific Rim Summer Festival, Tofino, British Columbia
Alex Goolden Hall, Victoria, BC with Ferron, Tony Childs & Jamie Sieber
Diversity Festival Texada Island
Fast forward 40 years to an age of tarnished idealism and ecological crisis and the need to get “back to the garden” is more pressing than ever, which is why singer songwriter Oona McOuat has covered Joni Mitchell’s
Same nationality, same pure voice, same golden hair, but on this upbeat version of the song, the piano is replaced by a Celtic harp and Oona is joined by rootsy Zimbabwean singer James Mujuru, affirming the cross cultural stream that irrigates the shrinking Eden we now share.
Soothing, grooving, eco-Celt, organic and emotive, Honey and Holy Water flows with urgency and wonder. The honey bees are disappearing. The oceans are in peril. Will we make it back to the garden before the jig is up?
From the fun and funky re-creation of the trad tune Drowsy Maggie to The Wild Ones’ heartfelt plea for preservation, through the broken-open love song, Where the Emptiness is Full, this album navigates mystery and loss with purity and grace while encouraging us to cherish what might yet be saved.
