Here’s a country music story with a difference. Elisa Teyssier is a 20-year-old from Dunboyne, Co Meath. Her father is French and her mother is Irish. Born in Lyon, France, she grew up in Dunboyne where she went to school in St Peter’s College.

From the age of seven her singing talent was apparent. She was a member of her local school choir and sang solo on RTÉ’s Sunday Mass.

Over the years, she has taken part in various musicals and was a long-time member of the Meath Youth Musical Society, where she featured in several shows, including Les Miserables in which she played the part of Eponine.

At 18 she joined the renowned music college BIMM, Dublin, where she is studying to be a professional singer.

Elisa was the first Irish singer to perform at the Equiblues Rodeo and Country Music Festival in Saint-Agreve, France, back in August. She delivered a powerful performance, wooing the crowd of over 1,000 with her easy charm, energetic stage presence and vocal range.

She sang 11 songs, including numbers from the repertoires of Kacey Musgraves, Rascal Flatts, Shania Twain and many others. Her rendition of Shania Twain’s That Don’t Impress Me Much was the highlight of the occasion, with the audience bringing her back for an encore. Equiblues is the largest rodeo in Europe and the only rodeo in France, combining both rodeo events and country music. Kacey Musgraves performed at this event in both 2008 and 2010.

While various musical genres appeal to Elisa, she has a special love for country songs, which allow her to embrace both enchanting melodies and meaningful lyrics.

The folks at the Equiblues Rodeo and Country Festival certainly loved her debut performance at the acclaimed annual gathering in France. Gardez sur le chant, Elisa.