Enya
Birth name Eithne Ní Bhraonáin, is Ireland's best-selling solo musician.
I live in Victorian Gothic castle in Killiney that I was so bold as to rename Manderley, because Daphne du Maurier 's Rebecca is one of my favourite books. ... People have this image of me as an ethereal Lady of Shalott, floating across the battlements, but it's a very small castle as castles go — with no big ballrooms... I don't write my music in my home, only in the studio; I want as normal life as possible at home, with dinner parties and entertaining.
What I was looking for was a romantic athmosphere that I could feel at home with. I think I've achieved that. I love my home. I have friends round. I take care to live in it, not to work in it.
I do promotion when it is necessary ... But I always want to get back to the music. The personal appearances and red carpet events are very glitzy, but it's a bit false.
I am really a very shy person ... If I appear, it is because of the music, not because I want to be seen. I'm not a recluse. I like to go out, but I don't like the glitziness that goes with it.
I'm very happy as I am. I realise that I made sacrifices early in my career and that it was hard on my relationships because, when I am working, I am very focused and it isn't easy, when you have been in the studio all day, to say to someone, 'I'll meet up with you later on.' I learned that it was necessary to be dedicated and put work first. But, at the same time, it was a wonderful feeling to be successful at doing something I loved.
Out of night has come the day
Out of night, our small earth.
Our words drift away.
Our words journey
to find those who will listen.
I'm not one for walking the beaches humming a melody ... I love the discipline of sitting in the studio, writing and listening. That is my domain.
Enya knew nothing about recording, about production or arrangements. Originally, we were stock-piling music and just letting her get on with it. There was no name on the music she was writing. All I knew was that hard work succeeded.
I like to stay up-to-date with what's happening musically ... I wish people wouldn't think that such things were going to shock me. 'Wow! Does Enya really watch TV?'
It's only now when words are said
that break my heart in two,
I wonder how you can endure
all I've said, all I say to you.
Regardless of how I live my life, there are people who develop fixations that are not healthy. It could be a visual thing, or it could be the music that they are drawn to. These people need help.
Late at night
I drift away -
I can hear you calling,
and my name
is in the rain,
leaves on trees whispering,
deep blue sea's mysteries.
You know when love's
shining in your eyes
it may be the stars
fallen from above.
And you know love
is with you when you rise,
for night and day belong to love.
Always looking for a meaning,
all the time you keep believing,
but I don't know why
you won't say goodbye.
Even when the sun is shining
you don't see the silver lining,
but I don't know why
you won't say goodbye.
You know when you give your love away
it opens your heart,
everything is new.
And you know time will always find a way
to let your heart believe it's true.
How far to go
I cannot say.
How many more
Will journey this way?
I loved to talk about music to Nicky ... His influence came from people like The Beatles and The Beach Boys, and he had these ideas about layering vocals, painting landscapes with music. Roma knew about Irish mythology, told stories, wrote poetry and had this special feeling for lyrics. My grounding came from the classics.
Enya is more than just me. It's also Nicky, who arranges my melodies, and his wife Roma, who writes the lyrics. They believed in my music from day one
I and Nicky have got a lot of disagreements, but they are nearly always associated to music. Because we both are very strong-willing persons, we might sit in the opposite corners in the studio argueing about things. One does never know beforehand, whose idea works the best way.
There's something about Celtic mythology which is deep in the soul, and I just think that somehow she has tapped right into it.