“I love Celia’s warm and wacky sense of humor, which she joyfully turns on herself! A tender waltz, love songs, fun with butter, and Scottish deliciousness. ”
Celia Ramsay is best known for her expressive renditions of Scottish roots music, original songs, and vocals from the Great American Songbook. She’s performed at the Freight and Salvage in Berkeley in her own shows, and with The Black Brothers, Holdstock and MacLeod, and Flower and McLaren. She has appeared in many duo-style house concerts with Eamonn Flynn, Steve Baughman, Dave Nachmanoff, and Ken Risling, and in her bands Fortunate Strangers and Glamourie. You can listen to her recordings on Bandcamp and visit her SongAndDanceGirl YouTube podcasts that discuss her favorite Scottish songs and their history, as well as her original songs.
Celia is also known as a Contra Dance caller. She teaches this New England-style folk dance and “calls" or prompts the dancers to live music from Monterey to Ukiah, and San Francisco to Reno.
Together, Celia and music pal Libby McLaren have been teaching harmony workshops for several years, and during the pandemic, created a series of free videos that teach harmony singing. Visit their YouTube Podcast channel, Celia & Libby’s Excellent Harmony Lessons and see for yourself.
Celia recently retired from volunteer board service both for the Freight & Salvage and Lark Traditional Arts, and also just retired from her role as Program Director for Lark Camp. She is a literacy tutor at the Napa County Library. She is also retired from her husband’s eponymous business, Kent Rasmussen Winery, following 37 years of successful winemaking.
““While Ramsay’s first album featured Scottish balladry, her second warms to a vintage jazz sound. Her voice is captivating and convincing. The material ranges from bluesy to bawdy. Highlights include the luscious standard “You Don’t Know What Love Is” and her own, witty, libido-themed “Lament.” ”