Reveals from a Northern Ireland interview
Did you know Loreena briefly held a taxi driver licence in Toronto when she was first launching her music career? It was a safety net, a potential source of income – just in case. She was looking forward to meeting people and learning about their lives, but in fact she never ended up driving cab. (This wasn’t in the interview, but the day she got her taxi licence a driver was found murdered in his cab, so that ended that plan.) All sorts of fascinating facts came to light during Loreena’s recent wide-ranging radio interview with Chris Scott, of FM105 Down Community Radio, Northern Ireland. The taxi detail emerged when Chris asked what was the highlight of her career. Unable to pick just one, she mentioned some of the magnificent places she’s performed, like Royal Albert Hall, the Acropolis and the Alhambra, but then confided it’s the fans that are a constant highlight. “It’s when I get off the stage and get to meet people afterwards.” During the roughly 40-minute interview they also talked about Loreena’s first introduction to Celtic music (“I felt automatically smitten by it”), her ancestral connection to Ireland, touring with The Chieftains, current challenges within the music industry, and the importance of her civic priorities and projects.