No, Gudrun Walther says, there is no Irish grandpa in Cara's ancestry.
Cara just happens to be a German band that performs Celtic music.
And quite well at that. In January, it was named best new artist at the Irish Music Awards. Cara performs Saturday in Lowville as part of the Black River Valley Concert Series.
The quintet Cara, which means friend in Irish, is fronted by two female lead singers: band founder Ms. Walther (vocals, fiddle) and Sandra Steinort on vocals, flute and piano. They are joined by Jurgen Treyz on guitar; Claus Steinort on flute, whistles, uilleann pipes and concertina and Rolf Wagels on bodhran.
The band met with pessimism when the members decided to turn professional and tour the world. But Cara's first CD, 2004's "In Colour," was a huge success and the band was booked at festivals and venues around Europe.
They are now on their fifth tour of the United States. Lowville will be Cara's third stop on the tour, which began Thursday in New Jersey.
Ms. Walther, in response to questions e-mailed to her home in the Palatinate region of Germany last week, said Irish music is very big in her country.
"Lots of Irish people live and work in Germany, and most of the bands tour on a regular basis at German concert venues," she said.
She said all band members have their own story about how Irish music became an important part of their lives.
"In my case, my brother, who is 12 years older than me, started to play and listen to Irish music at the age of 17," Ms. Walther said.
At age 6, she got her own fiddle. "I started to scratch tunes on it," she said. "Not exclusively Irish music, since my parents both played music so we also played German traditional songs and classical music."
Ms. Walther said Cara members enjoy U.S. audiences.
"They are really appreciative and know a lot about music, and Irish music in particular," she said. "You can tell this because when we change key or someone plays a solo, they cheer and clap. Also, people are nice and welcoming and that's great, especially if you are thousands of miles away from home."
The band plays traditional songs and ones they wrote. Ms. Walther said their live shows are a mixture of things members enjoy about Irish culture.
"There is the happy side if it, the dance music, but there is also melancholy and heartbreak," she said. "There are funny stories between the tunes, and audiences will get a chance to sing along, or dance, if they like."
Cara will begin recording its fifth CD in May, to be released in the fall in Europe.
