For the first time, the 2011 Blas Festival will have its own band in residence when the festival takes off across the Highlands on 9 September.

Now with a world-wide reputation, The Outside Track play a fabulous mix of Scottish, Canadian and Irish music and song and feature step-dance. Hailing from Scotland, Ireland, Cape Breton and Vancouver, its five members are united by a love of traditional music and a commitment to creating new music on its foundation. They will bring to Blas 2011 a unique blend of boundless energy and unmistakable joie de vivre – in anyone’s terms, the recipe for a real Highland Hooley.

The Outside Track features Mairi Rankin from Mabou in Cape Breton (whose mother is from North Uist and went to teach Gaelic in Cape Breton) and Cape Breton Celtic Supergroup Beòlach on fiddle, vocals and step-dance; Canadian Traditional Singer of the Year nominee Norah Rendell on vocals, flute and whistle; BBC Young Trad Finalist Ailie Robertson on harp and step-dance; BBC Fame Academy Winner Fiona Black on accordion; and Cillian Ó Dalaigh of Trazz on guitar, vocals and step-dance.

Each player within The Outside Track is a master of their chosen instrument with the band stacking up an impressive amount of international awards. This amount of talent alone would be enough to recommend the band but in this case the end result is genuinely greater than the sum of the parts. The band have enjoyed 5 years of extensive touring in the UK, Europe, Canada and the USA, including appearances at Celtic Connections, Celtic Colours, Goderich, Mission, Memoire et Racines, Sidmouth, and Whitby Festivals.

This September, they will light up Blas 2011 as the Band in Residence. Festival Director Donna Macrae said: “We are delighted to have a band of the calibre of The Outside Track as our first ever Band in Residence. Individually, they are outstanding musicians and we are looking forward to hearing the sum of the parts when they appear together during a busy 9 days for the band at the festival in September.”

The Outside Track will appear across the Highlands throughout the festival with shows including Ullapool, Portree, Invergarry, Ballachulish, Portmahomack and Poolewe. The band will also feature in school performances and workshops as part of the Blas Education Programme, organised by the Highland Council’s Arts Links Officer, which reaches around 5,000 school pupils annually.

Now in its 7th full year, Blas has matured into a recognised cultural landmark and continues to forge links and work together with other organisations, celebrating the distinct Gaelic culture of the Highlands.

Hòro-gheallaidh le The Outside Track air an t-slighe gu Blas

Airson a’ chiad turas, bidh còmhla-ciùil fa-leth a’ riochdachadh fèis Blas 2011 fad na Fèise a thòisicheas air feadh na Gàidhealtachd air 9 Sultain.

Tha an còmhlan The Outside Track a’ cluich measgachadh de cheòl is òrain Albannach, à Canada agus an Eireann agus ri dannsa cuideachd agus tha iad air cliù a chosnadh air feadh an t-saoghail airson an làthaireachd. ‘S e meas air ceòl traidiseanta agus sannd a bhith ag ùrachadh agus a’ toirt air adhart stuth air a bhonntachadh air an dualchas a tha ceangal buill a’ chòmhlain, a bhoinneas do dh’Alba, Èireann, Ceap Breatann (le taobh ri Uidhist a Tuath) agus Vancouver.  Bheir iad am blas is dreach fhèin air an fhèis agus bidh hòro-gheallaidh dha-rìreabh nan cois.

Tha còignear anns a’ chòmhlan: Mairi Rankin à Mabou ann an Ceap Breatann (ach a bhoinneas do dh’Uidhist a Tuath tro a màthair Oighrig, a chaidh a Chanada a theagasg na Gàidhlig) agus a tha a’ cluich anns an t-sàr-bhuidhinn Beòlach air an fhidhill, a’ seinn agus ri dannsa; a bhana-sheinneadair Norah Rendell a chaidh a chur air adhart ann am farpais Seinneadair Traidiseanta na Bliadhna ann an Canada air duiseal, fìdeag agus a’ seinn; Ailie Robertson a bha anns a’ chuairt dheireannach de dh’Fharpais Traidiseanta a’ BhBC airson Òigridh air a’ chlàrsaich agus a’ dannsa; Fiona Black, a bhuinnig farpais Fame Academy a’ BhBC air a’ bhocsa; agus Cillian Ó Dalaigh bho Trazz leguitar, a’ seinn agus a’ dannsa.

‘S e sàr-chluicheadairean fa-leth a th’anns gach ball dhen chòmhlan agus tha iad le chèile air grunn dhuaisean eadar-nàiseanta a thogail air an t-slighe gu Blas 2011. Ach ‘s ann còmhla a tha an luach as motha an-lùib leithid de bhuidhinn agus gan dèanamh cho tarraingeach. Tha iad air a bhith a’ cuairteachadh an t-saoghail a-nis airson 5 bliadhna eadar Breatann, an Roinn Eòrpa, Canada agus na Stàitean, a’ nochdadh aig cuid de na Fèisean Ciùil as motha air an t-saoghal eadar Celtic Colours, Goderich, Mission, Memoire et Racines, Sidmouth, agus Whitby.

Mar chòmhlan ainmichte na Fèise, chan eil teagamh aig Stiùiriche Blas Donna NicRath nach toir iad togail àraid do thachartasan anns gach àite.  Thuirt i: “Tha sinn air leth toilichte còmhla cho cliùteach ri Outside Track a thoirt chun na Fèise airson a bhith againn fad na h-ùine. Chan eil an leithid ann ‘s dòcha mar chluicheadairean fa-leth, agus ‘s e gnothach eile a bhios ann èisteachd riutha mar chòmhlan nuair a bhios iad air ghleus againn fad naoi latha san t-Sultain.”

Bidh The Outside Track a’ nochdadh aig an fhèis air feadh na Gàidhealtachd bho Ulapul gu Port-Rìgh, Inbhir Garaidh, Baile a’ Chaolais, Port MoCholmaig agus Poll Iùbh.  Bidh an còmhlan cuideachd a’ tadhal air sgoiltean air feadh na Gàidhealtachd mar phàirt de Phrògram Foghlaim Blas, air a cho-òrdnachadh le Oifigeach Ceanglan nan Ealan aig Comhairle na Gàidhealtachd, agus trom bi timcheall air 5,000 duine cloinne a’ faighinn cothrom gach bliadhna.

Tha The Outside Track gu bhith a’ cluich aig sreath de thachartasan èibheiseach far a bheil prìomh luchd-ealain nan tarraing aig cridhe fèis Blas 2011 a tha a’ luaidh cultar nan eilean. Tha Blas a-nis stèidhichte anns an 7mh bliadhna agus mar phrìomh fhèis a’ taisbeanadh subhachas is cultar na Gàidhlig air a’ Ghàidhealtachd.

Source: Feisean nan Gaidheal