When you have such respected peers as Björk and Phil Selway of Radiohead singing your praises you know you have to be doing something right. Björk and Selway are amongst the many fans of traditional Gaelic/Celtic singer Julie Fowlis, who will be performing at the Highdive in Champaign on April 20.
Raised in the Gaelic community of North Uist, Outer Hebrides, Scotland, Fowlis was ensconced in the musical tradition of her homeland. Fowlis embraced the long-established singing and dancing at an early age thanks to her family’s background. Fowlis’ mother’s family was Gaelic speakers and her grandmother was an accomplished singer.
Fowlis began singing Gaelic traditional songs at primary school and started playing the oboe and pipes. After primary school (grade school and high school), Fowlis left her homeland for the mainland to study music at Strathclyde University in Glasgow. After earning her degree, Fowlis moved onward to the Isle of Skye, where she studied Gaelic at the Sabhal Mòr Ostaig learning school.
As she continued her education, Fowlis befriended Scottish harp player Eilidh MacLeod, a member of the band Dòchas. In 2000, Fowlis joined the group when Rachel Walker left the band.
Over the next few years, Fowlis found herself on the road touring with Dòchas. She was also part of the bands two critically praised records Dòchas and An Darna Umhail”
The irony of that time was Fowlis was known as a multi-instrumentalist in the band playing the fiddle, oboe, and whistle. However, in 2004 the budding singer won the pan-Celtic sean-nós singing competition in Tralee, Ireland.
This spurred Fowlis on to branch out on a solo career and release her solo debut Mar a Tha Mo Chridhe which translats to “As My Heart Is.”
The album went on to earn Fowlis a nomination as Best Gaelic Singer at the Scottish Traditional Music Awards. The solo debut also went on to win Fowlis the Horizon nomination at the BBC Folk Awards. The album was funded by the Scottish Arts Council, and featured traditional Gaelicsongs, performed by the backing band - John McCusker, Eamonn Doorley, John Doyle, Kris Drever, and Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh.
Two years later in 2007, Fowlis followed up her stunning debut with her sophomore release Cuilidh, which went on to earn her more praise from critics, fans and her peers. The album was nominated for several awards and won Fowlis the 2008 BBC Radio 2 Folk Music Award for Folk Singer Of The Year and she won Album of the Year at the 2008 Scots Traditional Music Awards. To complete the hat trick, Fowlis also earned top honors as the Gaelic Singer of the Year at the same event.
The talented singer and instrumentalist Julie Fowlis will be in Champaign to play a show at the Highdive on Monday April 20. The show will start at 8 p.m. and end at 10 p.m. There will be no opening act. Tickets are 20 dollars in advance and at the door.