Esteemed Scottish singer and Gaelic language advocate Joy Dunlop is set to release her third solo album Caoir (pronounced koor), featuring contemporary recordings of traditional Gaelic songs, on Friday, 24th March 2023. This will be Joy’s first solo material to be released in a decade, and we have the pleasure of premiering her video for Mo nighean donn, ho gù, the first album single.
Mo nighean donn, ho gù is a traditional Gaelic waulking song. The track leans into the rhythmic aspects of the tradition and plays around with the accompaniment, with the backing vocals also imitating and exaggerating the beat-driven feel of a waulking song, which would have been sung during the tweed or tartan-making process.
Bringing the album’s buoyant sound to life alongside Joy’s tantalising Gaelic song are Ron Jappy on guitar, Mhairi Marwick on fiddle, Gus Stirrat on bass, Ifedade Thomas on drums, and Euan Malloch on electric guitar, with drum and bass brought into the mix on Joy’s music for the first time.
On Mo nighean donn, ho gù, the bolder arrangements lend it a lush contemporary feel without surrendering the song’s timeless feel. If anything, this contemporary take empowers the heart of the song. It certainly lives up to the album’s title, which translates as a blaze of fire, fiercely burning, flames or flashes…
Joy Dunlop said: “I’ve always loved music that pushed the boundaries of what was considered ‘trad’, without losing the soul of the songs. As a Gaelic singer, I’m always trying to make my music accessible to those who don’t speak the language. With this recording, I wanted to capture the sentiment of the songs, whether the listener understands Gaelic or not, while adding new engaging elements to the music.
“Caoir started as a jam session with four fantastic musicians, and soon grew into something more – a selection of music that we all loved and a real friendship and bond between us all. I think that sense of joy really comes across in the recording. That mix of trust, creativity and drive for exploration eventually emerged as an album that will hopefully resonate with both trad fans and those who just love music.”
Joy’s singing career has led her all over the world, from Canada to Japan. She has been nominated as Gaelic Singer of the Year no less than four times and has a Royal National Mòd Gold Medal to her name.
A much-loved broadcaster, Joy’s face and voice are well-known from her wealth of television and radio work, including as BBC Scotland and BBC ALBA weather presenter, BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year presenter and host of Speak Gaelic.
Caoir was recorded at Solas Sound in Glasgow by Gus Stirrat and mastered by Peter Beckmann at Technology Works.
Caoir will be available to buy on CD and to stream and download on all major digital platforms on Friday, 24th March 2023. Joy will play an album launch gig at Cottiers, Glasgow, on Thursday, 30th March 2023 (Tickets).
For more information, visit www.joydunlop.com.