The Whole Music Experience

Interview with Julie Fowlis The Whole Music Experience has two missions. One of those missions is promote the healing of mind-body-spirit through music. The other mission is to preserve language, culture and heritage through music.  Both missions provide much needed healing. Scottish Gaelic songwriter, song catcher and language preserver Julie Fowlis has captured the hearts and minds of listeners in Great Britain, Europe, North America and beyond with her collection of Scottish Gaelic songs. You will find reviews of her recordings also on this blog.  I caught up with Julie via e-mail and I hope you enjoy the following conversation. WME: How do the traditional songs from the Hebrides and the Scottish mainland differ besides the Scottish Gaelic dialect? Julie Fowlis: Traditional Gaelic songs from the Hebrides in many ways would be similar in style to those sung on the mainland. However, there are differences. For example - the tradition of ‘waulking the tweed’ w...

Celtic Woman 4 Compilation Valley Entertainment Julie Fowlis Uam (From Me) Shoeshine Records Altan with R.T. E. Concert Orchestra 25th Anniversary Celebration Compass Records When I first discovered Celtic music in College, I made the mistake of thinking that Celtic music only derived from the United Kingdom. If Galicia, Brittany, Cape Breton and Quebec were mentioned, it went in one ear and out the other. I remember some viewers of the PBS special RiverDance feeling stunned with the inclusion of Spanish flamenco in its Celtic program. Of course, flamenco doesn't possess Celtic roots as far as I know, but Spain boasts Celtic regions in Asturias and Galicia where Celtic music plays a dominant role complete with Spanish bagpipes and other regional instruments.  Brittany has its French version of Celtic music. The compilation recording, Celtic Woman 4 released on Valley Entertainment provides a collection of songs performed by Irish and Scottish wome...

Photo from rockpaperscissors.biz Photography by Ashley Coombes Julie Fowlis (Scotland) Cuilidh Shoeshine Records and Cadiz Music Hailing from one of the westernmost points of Europe, on the island North Uist, vocalist Julie Fowlis shares ancient and contemporary Scotch Gaelic songs with an international audience on her recording, Cuilidh . This crossover artist and music-preserver prefers to sing the songs in Scotch Gaelic, a language spoken only by 60,000 people and on the remote island where Fowlis resides. The Scotch Gaelic dialect bodes well for these lilting melodies reflecting on scandals, shipwrecks and defiant women who either walk out on their own wedding or marry someone against their parents' wishes. According to the press notes, the songs on this album range from 10 years ago to several 100 years ago. The songs are sung in a clear lyrical voice backed by traditional Celtic/Gaelic instruments and the songs range from rousing to melancholic ballads. And al...