Listing out Sallay Matu Garnetts accolades just doesn’t seem fitting as an introduction to one of the most mesmerising artists I’ve had the privilege of sitting across from. So, I’m going to let her take you through her journey.

My introduction for her is stolen from my first guest and a very good friend of Sallay’s, Stephanie Dufresne;

“She’s a literal angel, Fearghal, I don’t know what else to tell you, ok. She’s a magical, elfin creature and she sings like an angel. So, deal with that.”

And for the last couple of weeks I’ve been dealing with just that. Every Time I’ve come to prepare Sallay’s interview, I’ve turned on her music as a soundtrack to my research, only to fall into a rabbit hole of being swept away by a musician and artist who creates a world that I have no fitting adjectives to describe.

I actually met Sallay, who professionally goes by Loah, back in 2017 through our mutual friend, yep, you’ve guessed it, Stephanie Dufresne. The setting was the popular artist hot spot, Hughes Bar during the Galway Arts Festival, and Sallay instantly captured me with her warm energy, cool vibe and unique speaking tone.

If I mention Steph one more time, I may just have to make it Let’s Talk About The Arts with Steph and Feargh, but it was Steph the next day who filled me in on the wonderful artist and human that Sallay is.

The journey of Let’s Talk About The Arts has been a transformational one for not only my professional life, but also my personal and artistic life. And the heart and passion I’ve explored and learnt from through Loah’s online presence almost seems like the perfect way to end this first series. She is inspiring, enchanting, unique and one of a kind.