NEWS
PRESS RELEASE FROM HOT PRESS - 5 JULY 2023
Hot Press have announced the release of a new single to coincide with the Women’s World Cup. The song, written by Maria Walsh and recorded by Zrazy, is titled ‘Come On Ireland (Giving Us The Right To Dream)’ and is available from Friday, 7 July, for sale on iTunes and to stream on Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp and all other relevant online platforms.
Zrazy previously went to No.1 in Ireland with the hugely successful 1990 World Cup song, ‘Watch Your House (Ooh Ah, Paul McGrath)’, which featured a spoken word contribution from Paul McGrath – who was, for many, the leading light in an Irish team of real, top level stars. Zrazy are Maria Walsh and Carole Nelson.
“I had been following the Irish women’s team for long time,” Maria Walsh of Zrazy says, “and it was really inspiring to see them battle their way through to the World Cup finals in Australia. It was a truly extraordinary moment when Amber Barrett scored that winning goal against Scotland. I couldn’t resist the feeling that we should do something special to celebrate that – and ‘Come On Ireland (Giving Us The Right To Dream)’ is the result. Hopefully it’ll give Irish fans something unique and memorable to sing on the terraces during the remainder of the build-up, and at the World Cup finals in Australia.”
The track is being released on the Hot Press Records label.
“When Maria spoke to me about the idea of releasing a track, I immediately felt that it fitted brilliantly with Hot Press’ mission,” Hot Press editor Niall Stokes says. “Irish women were written out of history after the war of independence, when the Catholic Church effectively took control of so many aspects of Irish life. We’ve always fought against that marginalisation of women – and the extraordinary successes achieved by Irish sportswomen have been a vital aspect of empowering Irish women in general to express themselves, and their talents, to the full, free from the stifling inhibitions imposed on them more or less since the foundation of the State."
With the millions of Irish fans all over the world who will follow the fortunes of the Irish team in Australia with bated breath in mind, the track contains a sample from the speech made by President Michael D. Higgins on St. Patrick’s Day this year.
“We are all part of a rich and vibrant global community that is bound together by a shared love of life,” the President says.
There is also a contribution from the broadcaster and V-logger Shebahn Aherne – twin-sister of Irish international footballer Ruesha Littlejohn, who has been part of the Irish set-up since 2012 and has 70 senior caps to her credit – whose spoken word piece tells of her pride, as a member of the Irish diaspora, observing the success of the Irish team in personal close-up.
Shebahn Aherne pictured with her sister Ruesha Littlejohn's shirt in 2021
In its incantatory middle section, the song becomes the ultimate celebration of Irish sportswomen, with Katie Taylor, Sonia O’Sullivan, Kellie Harrington, "Leona the golfer" (aka Leona Maguire!) and Rhasidat Adeleke also being name-checked among those successfully going toe-to-toe with the best on the planet.
“I really wanted the song to properly celebrate the extraordinary Irish women, who have represented us so powerfully on the world stage,” Maria Walsh adds. “For so long Irish women were sidelined, but the success of our female heroes in sport has demonstrated just how profoundly wrong all of that was. And the Irish women’s football team are the latest – and potentially most far-reaching – expression of the reality that Irish women are entitled to equal respect and equal treatment in every aspect of Irish life, without exception."
Katie Taylor after defeating Amanda Serrano at Madison Square Garden. Credit: Ed Mulholland/MatchroomThe track is mixed by Ruadhri Cushnan, a Grammy Award-winning engineer, who has had a huge level of international success working on No.1 hits by the likes of Ed Sheeran, Mumford & Sons and Shawn Mendes, as well as with mega-selling artists like Sugarbabes, All Saints , Coldplay, Snow Patrol, Björk and George Michael.
"We’ve always seen a strong connection between music and sport – and the extent to which, as aspects of popular culture, they both can make a powerful contribution to the equality agenda,” Niall Stokes reflects. " A lot of the great heroes of rock ’n’ roll and folk music are working class. The same is true of football. But beyond that again is the fact that once you step across the line onto a football pitch, the only thing that matters – or that should matter – is what you can do for the team. And the Irish women’s team have shown that collective spirit in a way that is reminiscent of the great days when the Irish men’s team first made their breakthrough under Jack Charlton.”
‘Come On Ireland (Giving Us The Right To Dream)’ by Zrazy, featuring President Michael D. Higgins and Shebahn Aherne is released on Hot Press Records and is available from Friday, July 7, via all the usual online platforms.
Zrazy update since BC (before covid!)
June 2023
OK we've had a very quiet time since Covid gave us a break. To be honest it's been rather lovely to step out and off the stage for a while.
We are in no great hurry and shall just go with our flow and see what we fancy doing at some stage.
Carole has been deeply immersed in her fabulous Carole Nelson Trio and releasing instrumental jazz albums.
Maria has been mulling, reading, teaching, learning and finally this merry month of May 2023 , has written a song for the World Cup Irish Womens Soccer Team who will be playing in Australia and New Zealand July 2023.
It's not a typical Zrazy song - it's a Maria mad-about-Irish womens (or mens) soccer song and reprising our hidden role in writing and releasing Ooh Aah Paul McGrath way back in Italia '90 - all of 32 years ago wowee!
Check out our updated LINKS Page under the MORE.. tab for things and people we like and support.
Older news!
German Womens Music Magazine MELODIVA loves our Album
Already in December, MELODIVA was full of praise. They wrote:
"The duo Zrazy comes from Dublin and consists of Maria Walsh (vocals, flute, perc, bodhran) and Carole Nelson (piano, sax). With their new CD "The Art Of Happy Accidents", they present an unusual and ingenious mix of jazz, Irish sounds and electro-pop. That does not work together? Oh yes, it does! The soundcarpet consists of cool, programmed beats that match Walsh's warm, beautifully swinging voice, Nelson plays a relaxed, jazzy kind of piano or keys and the two enrich their music with great backing vocals, saxophone and - the wonderful sound color of the flute. In addition to all the relaxation and joy, the "art of happy coincidences" also includes a debate of death and farewell, as in "Song For Jim", "Go Now" and "Night Crossing", a melancholic B-side so to speak, not being less beautiful though.
In any case, the two musicians are outspoken personalities and are not afraid to make political statements. So they were boycotted by TV stations, because of a kissing scene between two women in their first video ('I'm in love with Mother Nature'). Their record company withdrew support when Zrazy published the telephone number '6794700' as a dance track (it was the abortion information emergency phone for women with un-wanted pregnancies). A tour of Germany is planned for 2017 - whoever wants to lure them to his / her hometown, should enquire here (Link)"
To MELODIVA review (German)
Irish Times Womens Podcast June 14, 2016
Zrazy open and end the Podcast with an exclusive unplugged version of 'Maroc' and 'Heaven is Here’. Fantastic journalists incl Olivia O Leary, Anne Harris, Kathy Sheridan, Kitty Holland are only some of the splendid cast of female talent across all media.
Listen here
FLASH MOB GPO VIDEO 'Women of '16'
To commemorate the Women of the 1916 Rising, Zrazy performed live in the GPO for International Women's Day March 8th. Live streaming worldwide on Periscope app via Twitter feed @Postvox . A pre-emptive strike, a new Rising, a retrieval of only SOME of the women who participated nationwide - left out by male historians of the academy.
Sales were in aid of Focus Ireland Homeless Charity.
Electro-swing meets Feminist History - the first video. National Anthem - Women of '16
ALBUM OF THE YEAR The Art of Happy Accidents is nominated for HOT PRESS Album of The Year.
FEB 2016 HOT PRESS announce Zrazy as Duo of the Year and The Art of Happy Accidents is nominated for Album of the Year.
Hot Press have announced the release of a new single to coincide with the Women’s World Cup. The song, written by Maria Walsh and recorded by Zrazy, is titled ‘Come On Ireland (Giving Us The Right To Dream)’ and is available from Friday, 7 July, for sale on iTunes and to stream on Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp and all other relevant online platforms.
Zrazy previously went to No.1 in Ireland with the hugely successful 1990 World Cup song, ‘Watch Your House (Ooh Ah, Paul McGrath)’, which featured a spoken word contribution from Paul McGrath – who was, for many, the leading light in an Irish team of real, top level stars. Zrazy are Maria Walsh and Carole Nelson.
“I had been following the Irish women’s team for long time,” Maria Walsh of Zrazy says, “and it was really inspiring to see them battle their way through to the World Cup finals in Australia. It was a truly extraordinary moment when Amber Barrett scored that winning goal against Scotland. I couldn’t resist the feeling that we should do something special to celebrate that – and ‘Come On Ireland (Giving Us The Right To Dream)’ is the result. Hopefully it’ll give Irish fans something unique and memorable to sing on the terraces during the remainder of the build-up, and at the World Cup finals in Australia.”
The track is being released on the Hot Press Records label.
“When Maria spoke to me about the idea of releasing a track, I immediately felt that it fitted brilliantly with Hot Press’ mission,” Hot Press editor Niall Stokes says. “Irish women were written out of history after the war of independence, when the Catholic Church effectively took control of so many aspects of Irish life. We’ve always fought against that marginalisation of women – and the extraordinary successes achieved by Irish sportswomen have been a vital aspect of empowering Irish women in general to express themselves, and their talents, to the full, free from the stifling inhibitions imposed on them more or less since the foundation of the State."
With the millions of Irish fans all over the world who will follow the fortunes of the Irish team in Australia with bated breath in mind, the track contains a sample from the speech made by President Michael D. Higgins on St. Patrick’s Day this year.
“We are all part of a rich and vibrant global community that is bound together by a shared love of life,” the President says.
There is also a contribution from the broadcaster and V-logger Shebahn Aherne – twin-sister of Irish international footballer Ruesha Littlejohn, who has been part of the Irish set-up since 2012 and has 70 senior caps to her credit – whose spoken word piece tells of her pride, as a member of the Irish diaspora, observing the success of the Irish team in personal close-up.
Shebahn Aherne pictured with her sister Ruesha Littlejohn's shirt in 2021
In its incantatory middle section, the song becomes the ultimate celebration of Irish sportswomen, with Katie Taylor, Sonia O’Sullivan, Kellie Harrington, "Leona the golfer" (aka Leona Maguire!) and Rhasidat Adeleke also being name-checked among those successfully going toe-to-toe with the best on the planet.
“I really wanted the song to properly celebrate the extraordinary Irish women, who have represented us so powerfully on the world stage,” Maria Walsh adds. “For so long Irish women were sidelined, but the success of our female heroes in sport has demonstrated just how profoundly wrong all of that was. And the Irish women’s football team are the latest – and potentially most far-reaching – expression of the reality that Irish women are entitled to equal respect and equal treatment in every aspect of Irish life, without exception."
Katie Taylor after defeating Amanda Serrano at Madison Square Garden. Credit: Ed Mulholland/MatchroomThe track is mixed by Ruadhri Cushnan, a Grammy Award-winning engineer, who has had a huge level of international success working on No.1 hits by the likes of Ed Sheeran, Mumford & Sons and Shawn Mendes, as well as with mega-selling artists like Sugarbabes, All Saints , Coldplay, Snow Patrol, Björk and George Michael.
"We’ve always seen a strong connection between music and sport – and the extent to which, as aspects of popular culture, they both can make a powerful contribution to the equality agenda,” Niall Stokes reflects. " A lot of the great heroes of rock ’n’ roll and folk music are working class. The same is true of football. But beyond that again is the fact that once you step across the line onto a football pitch, the only thing that matters – or that should matter – is what you can do for the team. And the Irish women’s team have shown that collective spirit in a way that is reminiscent of the great days when the Irish men’s team first made their breakthrough under Jack Charlton.”
‘Come On Ireland (Giving Us The Right To Dream)’ by Zrazy, featuring President Michael D. Higgins and Shebahn Aherne is released on Hot Press Records and is available from Friday, July 7, via all the usual online platforms.
Zrazy update since BC (before covid!)
June 2023
OK we've had a very quiet time since Covid gave us a break. To be honest it's been rather lovely to step out and off the stage for a while.
We are in no great hurry and shall just go with our flow and see what we fancy doing at some stage.
Carole has been deeply immersed in her fabulous Carole Nelson Trio and releasing instrumental jazz albums.
Maria has been mulling, reading, teaching, learning and finally this merry month of May 2023 , has written a song for the World Cup Irish Womens Soccer Team who will be playing in Australia and New Zealand July 2023.
It's not a typical Zrazy song - it's a Maria mad-about-Irish womens (or mens) soccer song and reprising our hidden role in writing and releasing Ooh Aah Paul McGrath way back in Italia '90 - all of 32 years ago wowee!
Check out our updated LINKS Page under the MORE.. tab for things and people we like and support.
Older news!
German Womens Music Magazine MELODIVA loves our Album
Already in December, MELODIVA was full of praise. They wrote:
"The duo Zrazy comes from Dublin and consists of Maria Walsh (vocals, flute, perc, bodhran) and Carole Nelson (piano, sax). With their new CD "The Art Of Happy Accidents", they present an unusual and ingenious mix of jazz, Irish sounds and electro-pop. That does not work together? Oh yes, it does! The soundcarpet consists of cool, programmed beats that match Walsh's warm, beautifully swinging voice, Nelson plays a relaxed, jazzy kind of piano or keys and the two enrich their music with great backing vocals, saxophone and - the wonderful sound color of the flute. In addition to all the relaxation and joy, the "art of happy coincidences" also includes a debate of death and farewell, as in "Song For Jim", "Go Now" and "Night Crossing", a melancholic B-side so to speak, not being less beautiful though.
In any case, the two musicians are outspoken personalities and are not afraid to make political statements. So they were boycotted by TV stations, because of a kissing scene between two women in their first video ('I'm in love with Mother Nature'). Their record company withdrew support when Zrazy published the telephone number '6794700' as a dance track (it was the abortion information emergency phone for women with un-wanted pregnancies). A tour of Germany is planned for 2017 - whoever wants to lure them to his / her hometown, should enquire here (Link)"
To MELODIVA review (German)
Irish Times Womens Podcast June 14, 2016
Zrazy open and end the Podcast with an exclusive unplugged version of 'Maroc' and 'Heaven is Here’. Fantastic journalists incl Olivia O Leary, Anne Harris, Kathy Sheridan, Kitty Holland are only some of the splendid cast of female talent across all media.
Listen here
FLASH MOB GPO VIDEO 'Women of '16'
To commemorate the Women of the 1916 Rising, Zrazy performed live in the GPO for International Women's Day March 8th. Live streaming worldwide on Periscope app via Twitter feed @Postvox . A pre-emptive strike, a new Rising, a retrieval of only SOME of the women who participated nationwide - left out by male historians of the academy.
Sales were in aid of Focus Ireland Homeless Charity.
Electro-swing meets Feminist History - the first video. National Anthem - Women of '16
ALBUM OF THE YEAR The Art of Happy Accidents is nominated for HOT PRESS Album of The Year.
FEB 2016 HOT PRESS announce Zrazy as Duo of the Year and The Art of Happy Accidents is nominated for Album of the Year.
NEW ALBUM After long anticipation Zrazy's latest album The Art Of Happy Accidents was released November 2, 2015 in Ireland and the UK. Featuring 12 new songs, all composed, performed and produced by Zrazy, the album was crowd-funded through Fundit.ie and we are immensely grateful to all our friends and fans who have helped make this music a reality.
ALBUM LAUNCH We had our Dublin Launch party on Oct 20th. Frank McGuinness, Ireland's celebrated playwright had THIS to say about Zrazy on the night. Powerful and poetic language that left us speechless!
GIGS check HERE for latest dates
LATEST REVIEWS
From HOT PRESS, Ireland
‘Irish Duo return with dazzling collection. ...Maria Walsh and Carole Nelson have musical talent to burn.…The duo specialise in a blend of smooth jazz, cocktail lounge soul and funk that’s infused with dance-come-electronica textures and rhythms – topped with lithe and enchanting vocals. These diverse elements are melded, and duly stamped with the unique Zrazy signature, It is one hell of a brew....All told, 'The Art of Happy Accidents' is the work of a class act. It is about time Zrazy got the recognition they deserve…’
(Full Review HERE)
From the IRISH TIMES
'Joyous...sultry'
From The ROCK CLUB, UK
‘This is a nice all moods record from Irish band Zrazy made with a style that makes it just the nicest album to listen to, chill to, drive to and cook to….Musicianship is excellent and the music covers all corners of the spectrum; pop, soul, jazz, blues and sprinkled electronica. The first two songs 'Forgiven' and 'You make Me Happy' are chill zone specials. The songs centre on relationships, love, hope and regret and as with all those emotions, the music shifts styles to cope with the changing mood of Carole's lyrics....The Art of Happy Accidents’ is the band's first record since 2005 and with a record this strong we can only hope for more to come.‘
ALBUM LAUNCH We had our Dublin Launch party on Oct 20th. Frank McGuinness, Ireland's celebrated playwright had THIS to say about Zrazy on the night. Powerful and poetic language that left us speechless!
GIGS check HERE for latest dates
LATEST REVIEWS
From HOT PRESS, Ireland
‘Irish Duo return with dazzling collection. ...Maria Walsh and Carole Nelson have musical talent to burn.…The duo specialise in a blend of smooth jazz, cocktail lounge soul and funk that’s infused with dance-come-electronica textures and rhythms – topped with lithe and enchanting vocals. These diverse elements are melded, and duly stamped with the unique Zrazy signature, It is one hell of a brew....All told, 'The Art of Happy Accidents' is the work of a class act. It is about time Zrazy got the recognition they deserve…’
(Full Review HERE)
From the IRISH TIMES
'Joyous...sultry'
From The ROCK CLUB, UK
‘This is a nice all moods record from Irish band Zrazy made with a style that makes it just the nicest album to listen to, chill to, drive to and cook to….Musicianship is excellent and the music covers all corners of the spectrum; pop, soul, jazz, blues and sprinkled electronica. The first two songs 'Forgiven' and 'You make Me Happy' are chill zone specials. The songs centre on relationships, love, hope and regret and as with all those emotions, the music shifts styles to cope with the changing mood of Carole's lyrics....The Art of Happy Accidents’ is the band's first record since 2005 and with a record this strong we can only hope for more to come.‘
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We are currently performing in both Ireland and the UK. Can't wait to get all the new songs out there! See live dates for news on our schedule.
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Track List
1. Forgiven 2. You Make Me Happy 3. Go Now 4. Down With Jazz 5. Heaven Is Here 6. Teampall na mBo 7. It's All Right 8. Snow 9. Song For Jim 10. Nightcrossing 11. Keep On Giving It 12. You make Me Happy (single mix) |