By Rick Grant
What: Cosy Sheridan
Where: European Street in San Marco (1704 San Marco Blvd)
When: Thursday, January 24, 2008
Ms. Cosy Sheridan is a veteran songstress. She’s written songs since 1955 and released five CDs. In 2003, Cosy created a one-woman show called The Pomegranate Seed–An Exploration of Appetite, Body Image and Myth in Modern Culture. Today, Cosy is still interested in her own vision of mythology, like body image and how women are culturally programmed to look like skinny models.
Yes, this spunky woman has been around the block and back again. Her songs are biting satires of contemporary American women’s issues and observations of her life on the road. And, as I found out during our chat, I particularly like her sharp sense of humor.
When I listened to her music I was awe struck the quality of her voice and songwriting skill. In ‘Botox Tango,’ Cosy humorously tells of a woman’s fascination with possibly getting Botox to smooth-out her face. The song is an ode to women’s vanity. In ‘Ighigenia’ Cosy tells the poignant story of a woman’s struggle with Anorexia. She analyzes the woman’s feelings and the powerful negative influences on young girls to be thin. ‘Hannibal Crossed The Alps’ is a funny song about Hannibal’s famous trek across the Alps on elephants.
Researching Cosy further, I discovered her long list of accomplishments, such as winning the Kerrville Folk Festival and the Telluride Bluegrass Festival’s songwriting contests in 1992. Today Cosy is a big draw at folk clubs and festivals. She never stops writing and is always on the way to her next gig. Most importantly, Cosy has passed the test of time and established herself as a legendary humorist and songwriter.
When we talked, I tuned into her wavelength right away as a kindred spirit. So, it wasn’t an interview, per se, but a meaningful conversation with a fellow savvy traveler on this earth journey.
“I’m touring with my bassist T.R. Richie and we’re just out on the road doing our thing… I’m into writing songs about women’s mythological stories put into a modern context. It means that in a young woman’s life, she goes down into the underworld into the darkness and she is changed. Then later she matures and learns about her inner-self. I sought other mythic figures like Ighigenia who has Anorexia.
“It’s a personal Greek mythology as a frame of reference. Like the Barbie Doll myth is ripe for satire. I’ve found that the issue for most women who are hung-up on conforming to the myth of the ideal stereotype is they think that their body appearance is all they have. As they become illuminated, they learn that they are so much more than just their body – they have an interior life. And as they get older they become concerned with taking care of their inner-bodies. Unfortunately, we are bombarded with images of the ideal woman–thin with what is considered outer beauty. It’s a powerful influence on young girls.”
“A poignant example of artists trying to counteract these stereotypes is photographer Frank Cordelle’s The Century Project, (thecenturyproject.com) which is a photographic essay. It is shot by Cordelle, who takes nude photos of all types of women–young, middle aged, and elderly to let people see what real people look like and not to be scared of getting old or of other body configurations. I write songs about these issues,” Cosy said.
This wise woman troubadour has much to say and a humorous way of saying it through her intelligently conceived songs and her unwaveringly clear voice. Catch her live at the San Marco European Street.
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