Ireland in the 1980s was a dark place moving towards the light. It was our artists and, most of all, our musicians that led the way. Tiny and bald, Sinéad O'Connor began kicking over the last vestiges of respectability in our Catholic past. The fact that her head was ...
... shaved was not an accident; given how women's bodies and actions were policed, she was the ultimate symbol of who we were, and who we wanted to be. And then she sang. "Mandinka" changed so many things, because it was angry and raw and energetic and soothing, all at ...
@philipoconnor I saw her perform in Toronto in 1990, and what struck me is how amazed she was by it all. She giggled uncomfortably at the crowd cheering their favourite songs, seemingly overwhelmed. Sending love to her family. ❤️