Michael O'Shea was a musician known for his self-made instrument, the Mo Cara (Irish for "My Friend"), a 17-string zither-like creation made from a door. Born in Newry and grew up in Carlingford Co. Louth, he left school at 16 to join the British Army but later went AWOL and was later jailed. O'Shea lived in London, mingling with folk musicians, and travelled extensively as a street musician after serving as a volunteer relief worker in Bangladesh.
In the late 1970s, after having played Indian sitar and wanting to try something different, he created the Mo Cara, combining elements from other instruments, which he played with paintbrushes. O’Shea played his instrument with echo and phaser guitar effects that lended his music an otherworldly quality.
He busked in Covent Garden and the London Underground with Mo Cara. In early 1980, he performed at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club and was later the opening act for Ravi Shankar at the Royal Festival Hall. He collaborated on an unreleased project with Rick Wakeman and toured with Don Cherry before returning to busking. After being discovered by musician Tom Johnston, he was introduced to Bruce Gilbert and Graham Lewis of Wire, who offered him a recording opportunity. O'Shea, known for his eccentricity, eventually took them up on the offer and recorded his self-titled album in one day in July 1981, which included the acclaimed 15-minute track "No Journey's End". The album initially received little attention but retrospectively was praised for its blend of musical styles and became somewhat of a cult classic. The album was re-released in 2019 and garnered a fresh round of positive reviews and renewed interest in this unique piece of work.
Throughout the 1980s, O'Shea collaborated with various musicians, including playing the Mo Chara on Stano’s debut album. He became less active in public performances in the late 80s. He died in London in 1991 from injuries sustained in a traffic accident.
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