Thank you...and the Scottish Sun (not the weather..!)
Current mood: imaginative
Category: News and Politics

Thank you...to all the great folk who came and supported us in their hundreds in Strathpeffer and Pitlochry. It was brilliant to meet you all and have the craic, and to see so many old friends too.

Myself, Eamon, Duncan, Tony and Martin had great fun and hope to be back to see you again soon.

Incase anyone is interested, the Scottish Sun newspaper featured the issue of the Gaelic language all of last week, with comments from lots of folk like myself who support the language and the culture, with the debate culminating with a public vote on Saturday as to whether Gaelic should "live" or be "left to die". Thankfully for us, the Sun reading public in Scotland voted overwhelmingly in favour of Gaelic, with 77% in agreement that it should be supported and nurtured whilst we still have time to do it. So good news on that front. With the new Gaelic digital TV channel only a few short months away, this is just another boost to all those who work tirelessly behind the scenes protecting and preserving our language, which was spoken across nearly the whole country at one time, not just the Highlands and Islands as is often assumed. Much of the debate was lighthearted, but it was nice to see a bit of positive press about the language for a change! It's easy to attach labels in the debate about Gaelic, and it's easy to forget that we are actually talking not just about a language, but about people, a way of life, a culture and a heritage. That's what it's all about.

This all coincides with Linda Fabiani, Minister for Culture, visiting the Outer Hebrides to see several initiatives including the reknowned festival Ceolas in South Uist this weekend. She also described yesterday in the Gaelic column of the Scotsman how she is tired of hearing people complaining about Gaelic, and the money that is spent on furthering the language from Government level in Scotland. The language has had a tough treatment over the years and it's good to hear such positive attitudes towards it now.

As a good friend of mine, Francis Macdonald, would say "Onwards and upwards!"

Hope you're all enjoying your summer, we are all set for the Junction festival in Clonmel, Co Tipperary this weekend along with, amongst others, the lovely Danú. Then it's off to the Hebridean Celtic Festival and then the Rogues Gallery/Sea Chanteys tour. Lots of fun!

lots of love,

Julie xxx

Currently playing : Big Brain Academy Release date: 2006-06-05

11:26 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

2 Scottish gigs this week!
Current mood: artistic

Hallo there, just a note to say we are playing two Scottish concerts this week - the first on Thursday July 3rd in the Pavilion in Strathpeffer and then onto the Festival Theatre in Pitlochry on Sunday July 6th. Myself, Eamon Doorley, Duncan Chishlolm, Tony Byrne and Martin O'Neill. Hope to see some locals there! Should be fun :o)

Hope you're all well and not being eaten by the midges like I am. Having a great time recording in Glenfinnan with Eamon, Muireann and Ross. Nearly a whole album recorded!

Julie xx

1:44 PM - 3 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

News and two big tours
Current mood: thankful

CUAIRT NAN STÀITEAN AONAICHTE
Tha mi toilichte innse gum bi sinn a' dèanamh a' chiad chuairt againn anns na Stàitean Aonaichte as t-Fhoghar. An dèidh cuireadh fhaighinn gus obair còmhla ris a' bhuidheann "Monterey International", bidh sinn a' cur a' chiad dà chlàr againn air bhog anns na Stàitean Aonaichte agus Canada aig deireadh an t-Samhraidh, agus bidh sinn a' dol air chuairt an sin anns an t-Sultain. A' tòiseachadh ann an New York, còmhla ri an duine agam Éamon, an cluicheadair giotàr Tony Byrne agus am fìdhlear Sealltainneach Jenna Reid, tadhalaidh sinn air iomadach baile. Nam measg sin, bidh sinn a' dol gu Boston, Philidelphia, Pittsburgh agus Chicago. Thoir sùil air an fhiosrachadh mun turas air an làrach-lìn. Tha sinn an dòchas coinneachadh ri feadhainn dhe na daoine còire bho thaobh thall a' chuain a tha air a bhith a sgrìobhadh thugainn! 'S e turas air leth a bhios ann dhuinn...feuch gun inns sibh dhuinn ma thèid agaibh air tighinn chun nan cuirmean againn.


CUAIRT ANN AN SASAINN (agus oidhche anns a' CHUIMRIGH!)
Anns an Damhair, bidh sinn a' dèanamh air Sasainn a-rithist. Bidh sinn a' tòiseachadh air a' 15mh dhen Damhair ann an Stables ann am Milton Keynes agus bidh sinn a' siubhal air feadh na dùthcha chun an 3mh dhen t-Samhainn nuair a bhios sinn a' criochnachadh an turais ann Colaiste Rìoghail a' Chiùil ann am Manchester. Bidh a' chuirm againn ann an Lunnainn ann an eaglais bhreàgha, Eaglais an Aonaidh, air Dihaoine 24mh. Bidh sinn a' leum dhan Chuimrigh cuideachd air an 17mh, far a bheil sinn air ar dòigh a bhith a' tilleadh dhan Choliseum ann an Aberdare. Leis an turas seo, bidh a' cheathrar as àbhaist a bhith còmhla – mise agus Éamon le ar deagh charaidean Tony Byrne agus Donnchadh Sisealach, agus 's dòcha deagh charaid no dhà eile air an t-slighe còmhla rinn. Bidh spòrs gu leòr againn agus tha sinn a' coimhead air adhart ris gu mòr.


CUIRMEAN ANN AN ALBA AGUS ANN AN ÈIRINN
Tha mi fhìn agus Éamon air ar dòigh a bhith a' dèanamh cuirmean aig an "dachaigh" as t-samhradh, ann an Alba agus Èirinn – bidh deagh oidhche againn aig na Galway Sessions air an 17mh dhen Ògmhios (far am bi sinn a' seinn anns an Roisìn Dubh còmhla ri Roisìn Elsafty, seinneadair sònraichte math,) agus an uairsin bidh sinn a' tilleadh a dh'Èirinn air an 11mh – 13mh dhen Iuchair airson an Junction Festival ann an Clonmel, ann an Sgire Thiobraid Arann, far am bi Éamon trang oir bidh Danú a' cluich cuideachd. Bidh sinn eadhon a' cluich air an àrd-ùrlar còmhla airson aon oidhche, agus tha e an-còmhnaidh math cothrom fhaighinn seinn còmhla ri mi dheagh charaid Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh. Air an 3mh dhen Iuchair bidh sinn a' tilleadh gu àite air a bheil mi gu math eòlach, Spa Pavilion Srath Pheofhair (tha mi an dòchas eòlaichean fhaicinn aig a' chuirm sin!), agus an uairsin air an 6mh bidh sinn a' dèanamh air an Festival Theatre ann am Baile Chloichrigh. Mura bheil sibh air a bhith aig na fèisean seo roimhe seo, nach tig sibh thuca mas urrainn dhuibh, tha iad uile fìor mhath.

Agus an uairsin, tha cuirm mhòr an t-samhraidh againn, nuair a bhios sinn a' cumail taic ri Runrig aig Caisteal Dhùn Èideann air an 26mh dhen Iuchair. Feuch gum faigh sibh ticead fhad 's a tha iad fhathast rim faighinn!


FÈISEAN SAMHRAIDH
Tha an samhradh daonnan a' ciallachadh gum bi sinn a' dol air chuairt gu cuid dhe na fèisean as fheàrr anns an Roinn Eòrpa. Sin aon rud a tha gu sònraichte math mun obair agam, feumaidh mi aideachadh. Bidh e a' tòiseachadh air an deireadh sheachdain seo leis a' chiad turas againn gu Ceann a Deas na Fràinge, gu Fèis Du conte en Uzège agus an uairsin gu Larmer Tree air an 20mh dhen Iuchair agus Folk by the Oak ann an Hatfield air an 27mh. Bidh sinn ann am Portagail airson a' chiad turas air a' 1mh dhen Lunastal aig Fèis Eadar-nàiseanta Galaicofolia agus an uairsin airson a' chiad uair aig Fèis Cropredy Fairport Convention air an 9mh. Bidh sinn a' dèanamh air an Spàinn a-rithist air an 23mh dhen Lunastal, gu ruige Zaragoza airson EXPO 2008. Agus an uairsin, air ais gu Aldeburgh gu Snape Maltings air an 24mh dhen Lunastal. Tha gu leòr a' tachairt!



USA TOUR
I am happy to finally announce our first tour in the USA this Autumn. Having received an invitation to work with a great agency "Monterey International", we will be releasing our two albums "mar a tha mo chridhe" and "cuilidh" in the USA and Canada in late Summer, with a tour in September to follow. Starting in New York, and alongside husband Éamon, guitarist Tony Byrne and Shetland fiddler Jenna Reid, we will visit several cities including Boston, Philidelphia, Pittsburgh and Chicago. See the tour list or the website for details. We hope to finally meet some of the kind folk from the far side of the pond who have been in touch! It will be a bit of an adventure for us…let us know if you can come along to any of the gigs.


ENGLISH TOUR (plus a wee visit to WALES!)
October will see us out on the road again in England, starting on October 15th in the Stables in Milton Keynes and travelling throughout the country until November 3rd where we finish of in the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. Our London show will be in in the beautiful Union Chapel on Friday 24th. We even manage a quick visit to Wales the 17th, where we are delighted to be returning to the Coliseum in Aberdare. This tour will be the usual four-piece line up with myself and Éamon being joined by our great friends Tony Byrne and Duncan Chisholm, and we are also delighted to confirm that the Scots songbird Emily Smith will be our special guest for this tour (with the exception of the first three gigs). Loads of fun, and we are really looking forward to it.


SCOTTISH and IRISH SHOWS
Myself and Éamon are delighted to be doing some great "home" gigs this summer in Scotland and Ireland – the Galway Sessions will be a blast on June 17th (double bill with the wonderful Roisìn Elsafty in the Roisìn Dubh) then we return to Ireland on July 11th – 13th for the Junction Festival in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, where Éamon will be busy as Danú will also be on the bill. We even get to share the stage one night which will be great, and it's always nice to get the chance to sing with my grood friend Muireann Nic Amhaoibh. July 3rd sees us returning to somewhere I know very well, Strathpeffer Spa Pavilion (hope to see some familiar faces at this one!), and then on the 6th we head for the Festival Theatre in Pitlochry. If you haven't been before check out these festivals and venues, they are all fab.

Then, of course, there is the big show this summer, which is acting as suport to Runrig at Edinburgh Castle on July 26th. Grab a ticket while you still can!


SUMMER FESTIVALS
The summer always means touring some of the nicest festivals in Europe. This is an especially lovely part of the job I have to admit. This weekend it all kicks off with our first trip to the South of France, to Festival du conte en Uzège then it's Larmer Tree on the 20th July and Folk by the Oak in Hatfield on the 27th. We are in Portugal for the first time ever on August 1st at Galaicofolia International Festival and also for the first time at Fairport Convention's Cropredy Festival on the 9th. We head to Spain again on August 23rd to Zaragoza for EXPO 2008. Then it's back to Aldeburgh to the Snape Maltings on August 24th. All go!

It's been a fun start to the summer already, with our concert in Nairn at the weekend. A well-arranged concert, lovely hosts at the festival, and gorgeous weather. Special thanks to our "hostess with the mostess" Margaret Stewart for the dinner party afterwards. (Remember and send me those recipes!!).

This week is a huge, new start for lots of reasons. New tours, new places, new albums. Happy days.

Sorry for the long ramblings. It's what I do best :o)

Take it easy

Julie x

12:05 PM - 10 Comments - 16 Kudos - Add Comment

Nairn Arts & Books, Rogues Gallery and new album...
Current mood: energetic
Category: Music

Hi folks,

Just back from the Orkney Folk Festival and what a lovely weekend! Chòrd e rium glè mhath agus bha an t-sìde dìreach sgoinneil. B' e deireidh-sheachdain air leth a bha againn le deagh cheòl bho Alba, Eirinn agus na Staitean Aonaichte.

Great to see so many pals there - a great Scottish Contingent!! - and especially good to hear Aoife and the Crooked Still lads (have you heard their new album? It's fab - and they also have a hip range of t-shirts too), Duncan Chisholm and Ivan Drever, (check out Dunc's new beautiful new album "Farrar" here), Kris Drever and Eamon Coyne, Solas, Martin Simpson and the Songshop Choir. So many other great musicians that we didn't get to hear but that we had good fun with after hours....! That was our last Dòchas concert for a while (two of the girls on maternity leave now!) so we were a little sad to leave the islands yeaterday for a few reasons. Myself, Eamon and the girls kept the festival craic going as long as we could though with a big tune on the boat on the way back to the mainland. Thanks to Bob and the OFF team for all their help. Congratulations to Eilidh and Angus who now have a beautiful baby boy called Calum Angus, and good luck to Carol-Anne who has one on the way!

Touring news - we have been invitied to appear in a show which will tour in July called "Rogue's Gallery - Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs and Chanteys" which will be an interesting project. Based on an extraordinary recent CD release featuring Nick Cave, Sting, Jarvis Cocker, Rufus Wainwright, Bono and others, this concert features contemporary re-workings of traditional sea songs and chanteys. The blurb says to "Expect songs about drinking, women, death, nasty crimes on the water and of course pirates... funny, beautiful and sad songs." The album was produced by maverick genius Hal Willner (known for his tribute records, covering the music of Thelonious Monk, Kurt Weill and Harold Arlen). The idea for Rogue's Gallery germinated on the set of the second Pirates of the Caribbean movie, with actor Johnny Depp and director Gore Verbinski.

We will be performing three shows, in Gateshead, Dublin and London. Check out the show details on the website www.juliefowlis.com

Now - album news, expect a new album in the Autumn which will feature myself in collaboration with Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, Eamon Doorley and Ross Martin. This is a project we have been working on for almost four years now, and it will be an album showcasing the links (and also highlighting the differences) between Scottish Gaelic and Irish traditions of song and music. We start recording in just a few weeks and we are really excited about it! More news on that soon.

The next thing to look forward to is Nairn Arts and Books Festival, to a concert hosted by the wonderful Margaret Stewart and featuring Nairn Gaelic Choir and the lovely Jenna Cumming on June 7th. Tickets are still available - check out the website here

Tha gu leor a' dol! More news soon......love

Julie x

Currently listening : Shaken by a Low Sound By Crooked Still Release date: 2006-08-22

5:06 AM - 3 Comments - 6 Kudos - Add Comment

An Cailin Rua & BBC Celtic Zone
Current mood: adventurous
Category: Music

Hey folks,

Just a quick message to let you know that my great friend Kathleen Boyle has just released her debut solo album, it's called An Cailin Rua (or the Red-Haired Girl) and I was lucky enough to be asked to sing a song on the album, which happens to be the title song. It's a lovely song from Donegal, which I sing in Scottish Gaelic (thanks to Beathag Mhoireasdan for the translation!). I have added the song to my playlist - check it out on the main page. It also features my husband, Eamon Doorley on Bouzouki. The gorgeous Heidi Talbot also sings on it, and there is fab music led by Kathleen from Donegal and Scotland.

You can check out Kathleens new website here or hear more music on her myspace page

There is a second attempt at broadcasting the BBC's Celtic Zone tomorrow night - which I presented - which didn't quite go to plan first time around, but which should be streaming online as from tomorrow night for one week on the BBC website.

Had an enjoyable gig in Bury at the Big Whistle weekend, thanks to Phil and Co for a lovely time!

Ta as always for all the messages, catch up with you all soon. Tons of love,

Julie xxx

3:29 AM - 5 Comments - 6 Kudos - Add Comment

Julie presents the first "The Zone" on BBC Scotland tonight

BBC Scotland's "The Celtic Zone"

Julie Fowlis launches the first night of this new series of programmes including highlights from Global Gathering, Travelling Folk and The Reel Blend. Listen in live or later here

Other "Zones" include History, New Music, Arts, Classical and Jazz and there is even a Comedy Zone on Friday night. It looks great - check it it out if you have a minute....

9:37 AM - 1 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Julie air Caithream Ciùil an-diugh

Direach airson innse dhuibh gum bi Julie air a' phrògram an-diugh còmhla ri Seonag Monk. Bidh Julie a' bruidhinn air Fèis Cheilteach Ìnnse Gall 2008. Eist beò an seo

Julie will be a guest on the Folk Music programme Caithream Ciùil on BBC Radio nan Gaidheal today with Seonag Monk. She will be talking about the Hebridean Celtic Festival 2008. Tickets for the festival are being released today! You can listen live (or again) here

2:27 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Exciting Runrig Concert & general blethers
Current mood: creative

Hallo everyone, how's it going?

Hope you are all doing good. I am just getting the small suitcase packed for Bergen Festival, we leave tomorrow for our first ever show in Norway. We are all really looking forward to it! I am especially interested in our closest neighbours to the East, as Scotland and Scandinavia have had a close and interesting history. Two of Scotland's island groups, Orkney and Shetland, once belonged to Norway. Our language, place names and much more have changed and evolved due to the Norse influence, especially in the Western Isles. We have alot more in common than you might think.

The Irish tour was a joy - myself, Eamon and Tony had a ball, and were so well looked after everywhere - thanks to all the lovely folk who came out to see us! We hope to do more of the same another time soon....the next Irish engagement is this weekend with Mary Smith, Anna Murray and Maeve MacKinnon (Barra) in Co Leitrim and Drogheda, then it's the Galway Sessions in June with the band, and also a concert with Muireann Nic Amhloaoibh in Dublin in August, more details when I have them.

The big exciting news for this week though is this:





SO EXCITED. I don't need to tell anyone who knows me how daft I am on Runrig. To be their special guest at Edinburgh Castle is just...wow. I am chufty. Calum and Rory Macdonald are also from North Uist and have been heroes to us since forever. Check out what the band are up to here


Working on lots of new material at the moment, there is lots of creativity going on! I am learning new songs, listening to old recordings and I have spent most of this week singing down the phone to family members, discussing songs etc - all part of the learning process. Hopefully we will have lots of new material for tours later in the year. Looking forward to a wee break next month, then one of the highlights of June is our invitation to perform at the Nairn Arts and Books Festival, hosted my the very lovely Margaret Stewart. Myself, Eamon and Tony Byrne will be performing along with songbird Jenna Cumming and Nairn Gaelic Choir. You can find out further details here

Better go get that case packed. See you around......

Julie xxxx

12:09 PM - 6 Comments - 6 Kudos - Add Comment

Julie update....
Current mood: adventurous
Category: Blogging

Hi everyone!

Just a quick blether from the road - we are having an fab tour in Ireland just now, we have played some wonderful venues including not one but TWO castles, travelled the length and breadth of the country and managed to squeeze a trip to London to do some radio on our day off. Great fun.

Last night we played in Leap Castle, Roscrea - allegedly one of the most haunted castles in Ireland. An amazing venue, with equally impressive hospitality. Proper old style 13th century castle, that just happens to have a wonderful family living there - great musicians and hosts who put on occassional concerts. Special thanks for last night to Sean, Ann, Tom and Lucy.

I will drop by next week to give a blow-by-blow account of the tour. We have had great craic. Two gigs to go - Baltimore tonight and Tralee tomorrow.

Hope you are all well. With love,

Julie x

3:46 AM - 4 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment

Scotsman giveaway TODAY!!!

Buy the paper today and text to claim your freebie!

3:41 AM - 2 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment