Nòs Ùr

PRESS & MEDIA

See below for:
- Photos & Media of the 2009 Nòs Ùr competition
- Information on the 2009 Finalists & MP3 of each song
- YouTube video of Jacques Culioli winning Liet Lavlut 2008
- For Nòs Ùr 2008 images and media visit here

Photos: Nòs Ùr 2009

Information on the Finalists

Àdhamh MacLeòid (Scots) "Jist the Graith"

I am a 29 year old songwriter and father of four from Glasgow. I have played in bands of many kinds over the last 12 years on a variety of instruments, from shoegaze, to classic rock, to country and recently I have been singing much more in Scotland’s native Gaelic. I am a fluent Gaelic speaker and also grew up with the Scots language due to my father writing poetry through the tongue. The acceptance and encouragement of the use of both tongues I see as being fundamental to Scotland’s cultural well-being, and this is the motivation behind bringing both languages together in ‘Jist the Graith’. The song has been recorded in its entirety by myself, although if required to be played live, my band would be brought in to perform it. It is an unabashed tribute to my native land. I have decided to use my Scottish family surname of MacLeòid for this project as I am keen to encourage the use of Gaelic spellings and feel it is appropriate to what I am doing.

Enda Reilly (Irish Gaelic) "Mol an Aimsir"

Mol an Aimsir was inspired by the Irish phrase Mol an Óige is Tiocfaidh Sí.  Instead of Praise the Youth and they will flourish the new meaning is Praise the Weather/Times and it/they will flourish.

Enda Reilly is an alt-folk/pop singer/songwriter hailing from Tallaght in Dublin. The music he makes has been described as Christy Moore maybe mixed with a bit of Syd Barrett. His fingerpicking and song-writing also has its roots in the likes of John Martyn, Nick Drake, The Beatles, Christy Moore, Paul Brady and Dick Gaughan. Oxygen 21 his debut album, was released last year and www.endareilly.com was shortlisted in the Best Music Site category at the Irish Web Awards. Enda honed his skills gigging as lead singer / guitarist with The Mongrels and appeared on Ceol ’06 (a compilation of songs in Irish).

Fiach (Irish Gaelic) "Sea Táim"

Fiach is a 26 year old Dubliner, well respected and loved within the Irish music scene for his beautiful songwriting, exceptional voice and fantastic guitar playing. His talent has found him sharing the stage with such artists as Sinéad O'Connor, Damien Dempsey, Kila, Freddie White, Declan O' Rourke, Finbar Furey, Mundy, Damien Rice, BellX1 and Hazel O'Connor to name a few. Fiach is known for his humorous and honest live shows but it's his voice that really hits home; it is full with expression and control, sometimes hard and coarse to direct his aggression on political and social issues, then suddenly wrapped around you with soft lyrics and breathy tones in his seeringly confessional lyrics. His concerts are where this young artist shines, always unpredictable, and always a very special event. Up to now, Fiach has been steady on the gig circuit, playing  in France, Germany, Holland, New York and Scotland as well as gracing every top venue in Ireland, so it is only a matter of time before he is playing at a venue near you.

Iwan B (Breton) "Fulenn"

Iwan Benead was born in Les Lilas (Paris area) on October 2, 1984. He began to study piano and musical theory at the age of 4. At the age of 9 he joined the Academy of Music in Paris. Iwan graduated with a degree from the Paris Atla School of Music in 2004. In 2007, he gained his '3rd cycle' diploma at the Academy. He has toured as a pianist with many singers and played in concert halls such as the “7 Lézards,” “Le Baiser Salé” and “New Morning”.

His family is originally from Brittany, and so in 2003, he decided to learn the Breton language. He quickly came to like the musical qualities of it  and began to write songs in Breton, taking inspiration from modern genres. On May 31, 2007, he won the third "future of the Breton language" award, in the "private individual" category. Two days later in Carhaix, he won the first musical "springboard" award dedicated to the breton language. He is currently working on his first album with songs in Breton and/or French.

Malachy Duffin (Ulster Scots) "I Dinnay Gie a Hoot"

Malachy has been writing songs in Irish and Ulster Scots for some time and has released a number of albums in Irish.  

Mary Ann Kennedy (Scottish Gaelic) "Mise Fhuair"

The words of ‘Mise Fhuair’ were written by Aonghas MacNeacail during a trip to New York for a poetry gathering celebrating minority languages. It was a response to Mary Ann’s husband’s description of their relationship, both having ‘been around the block’ once before. He said that ‘someone else might have shaken the tree, but I’m catching the apples’. Mary Ann subsequently wrote a tune ‘Catching the Apples’ and it was while talking about the background to this tune that Aonghas started to think on these words. The song was written in the abstract, but comes closer to the truth than was perhaps known or intended!

Better known as a poet in Gaelic and English, his literary interests began with dreams of Blue Suede Shoes. In recent years he's been drawn more and more into songwriting, with some of Scotland's leading musicians providing the music: Donald Shaw, Phil Cunningham, Simon Thoumire, Andy Thorburn, Fred Morrison, Anna Wendy Stevenson, Aidan O' Rourke and Fergie MacDonald. He's worked in operatic forms with Bill Sweeney and Alasdair Nicolson and contributed lyrics for Gordon Rigby's suite which was performed at Proms in the Park 2008. Phamie Gow's setting of his words was short-listed for last year's Nòs Ur.
Mary Ann Kennedy is a Glasgow Gael, now living in the west Highlands where she and her husband, Nick Turner, run Watercolour Music Studios. A traditional music background and a classical training coupled with many years experience working with the BBC has established her as a major figure in the Scottish music scene, equally respected as a performer and as an authoritative commentator on many genres of music. Her career includes work as performer, producer, writer and teacher. She has won several major awards, including the Concours Internationale de l'Harpe Celtique and both National Mòd Gold Medals. Her band, Cliar, won all-time Best Album at the inaugural Scots Trad Music Awards, and earned her a Saltire Award. Her current project, ‘Mary Ann Kennedy & Na Seòid’ is a showcase of some of the finest male vocalists in Gaelic music.

Masters in France (Welsh) "Y Rhai Gwyllt"

The song is about people who make rash decisions and judge on face value. 

The Masters in France are a 5 piece Alt/Pop act who write record and perform songs through the medium of Welsh and English. Frustrated and bored with the lack of things to do, music passes the time perfectly.

Na Gathan (Scottish Gaelic) "Claigeann Damien Hirst"

This song was inspired by Maoilios Caimbeul's short story, "An Claigeann aig Damien Hirst," which was in turn a response to the work of art by Damien Hirst, "For the Love of God."  The song is sung from the perspective of a diamond miner in South Africa, and it imagines the jewel encrusted scull as a full moon drawing the life-blood out of the miners.

Na Gathan are an indie rock band from the Isle of Skye.  The members hail from the far corners of the globe, from Seattle, Glasgow, Fife, The Black Isle and from Skye itself.  All five members are fluent Gaelic speakers.

Phil Innes & Josie Boucharde (Cornish) "Kernewek Ov Vy"

Kernewek Ov Vy was written and produced for a short film on the Cornish language made in 2008 by Jack Morisson. The song has caused a bit of a stir in it’s own right though! We are writing more songs so that we can make a whole album in a similar style.

Sunries not Secular (Scottish Gaelic) "Lasair na h-Oidhche"

The song uses the symbol of a bright, burning flame, seen on a night time journey in the pitch-black – to represent the Gaelic speaking minority’s contribution to world culture, and how an exciting time of refreshment and resurgence is awaiting. The song may also transpire to any minority culture for that matter.

Sunrise Not Secular are a passionate, visionary celtic rock band from the Isle of Lewis in Scotland. The band blend powerful rock with fluid and spiritual lyrics in Gaelic and English, with an overall anthemic sound, to create something truely unique. SNS have appeared at events with the likes of Runrig, The Saw Doctors, Macdonald Brothers and Paulo Nutini – as well as appearing at numerous festivals including John Lennon Northern Lights Festival and Glasgow’s Winterfest (George Square). Last summer saw the release of their debute EP “Toiseach An Turas” and two of the songs appeared with a video on BBC Gaelic show – “Rapal”.