Glen Urquhart Public Hall, Drumnadrochit, 23 November 2007

Angus Grant and Luke Plumb of Shooglenifty (photo - www.shoogle.com).

IT WAS THE perfect antidote to the Baltic conditions outside, an evening which was warmed by the intimacy of Glen Urquhart Hall lit by candles, being drawn into the circle of Inuk throat singer Tanya Tagaq Gillies’ amazing performance and finally the sweaty ecstatic dancing that is so much a part of the Shooglenifty live experience.

Tanya Tagaq Gillis sings with every fibre of her being utilising the human voice as a multilayered and multidimensional instrument. Her performance is deeply physical, an almost out of body experience that displays an extraordinary range of sound. Primal guttural growls, gasping rhythmic breath and high ethereal wails are part of her impressive vocalisation, as expansive as the artic landscape she originates from.

Her voice awakens our most basic human need to communicate, blending equally well with contemporary instruments, accompanied by Shooglenifty’s James MacKintosh on drums and Quee MacArthur on percussion and bass guitar.

The tradition of Inuk throat singing in Artic Canada usually involves two female singers who face each other and sing into each other’s mouths using their breath and vocal chords. One leads while “the other fills the gaps in her rhythm until one gives in to either laughter or exhaustion”. Tanya Tagaq Gillies morphs this tradition into a creative and emotive performance drawing on the sounds of the Artic landscape; animals, the movement of ice and elements like the wind all form part of her musical vocabulary.

Improvisation is part of her craft which transcends all cultural and geographical boundaries. Her unique sound is global and resonant with an emotional range that an audience can immediately connect with on a level as basic as breath or the pounding of blood

Collaborating with Bjork, the Kronos Quartet, touring internationally and appearing on the festival circuit in her native Canada, Tagaq Gillies has brought her innovative sound to a whole new audience. Her pairing with Shooglenifty as part of the Scottish Arts Council’s Tune Up touring initiative provides the opportunity for audiences across Scotland, particularly in outlying areas, to experience her unique sound. Teaming the familiar Scottish roots sound with something that for most will be completely new is a great vehicle for musical and cultural exchange.

Shooglenifty, with Angus Grant (fiddle), Garry Finlayson (banjo, banjax), Quee MacArthur (bass), Luke Plumb (mandolin, tenor banjo), Malcolm Crosbie (acoustic and electric Guitars) and James Mackintosh (drums and percussion) opened their set with “McConnel’s Rant” from their latest album “Troots”.

With a bass groove impossible not to move to, both new and old material got the crowd progressively to their feet. “A Whisky Kiss” in which Angus Grant’s fiddle found the perfect sparring partner in Tanya Tagaq Gillies’ vocals was a highlight of the evening. It was a shame not to have seen more collaborative work with Gillies in the second half of the concert.

“Farewell to Nigg” with its soulful and emotive lament underpinned by industrial strength percussion and the title track from the band’s first album, “Venus in Tweeds”, provided the opportunity for individual instruments to be drawn out of a heavily string-based mix. The solo fiddle in “Farewell to Nigg” and the duelling crescendo of “Venus in Tweeds” took the music to a different level.

World music influences such as the South American dance beat of the “Lochaber Rhumba” and the wonderful East European sound of “A Fistful of Euros” got the whole hall moving. I haven’t danced so hard in ages! The evening concluded with two encores demanded by rapturous applause and a lot of foot stomping. Once warmed up the Drumnadrochit audience sure know how to show their appreciation.

It was a hugely enjoyable mix of world, dance, folk and groove which the audience really responded to. However, I would love to see the scope of Tune Up really explored not just through partnering artists on tour but the creation of new work and recording. Although there were hints of creative collaboration in the performance such as Angus Grant’s expressive launch into soundscape, there was not enough collaboration with Tagaq Gillies in the second half.

It felt like the door had been just opened and left ajar. How amazing it would have been to step inside!

© Georgina Coburn, 2007

Links

• Tanya Tagaq Gillies
• Shooglenifty
• Tune Up
• Glen Urquhart Hall