A blast of top musicians from all over the world will head for the Empire Theatre at Eden Court in Inverness when Blas 2012, the Highlands’ premier Gaelic festival, kicks off in a few weeks’ time.

This year’s festival will run from Friday September 7 until the 15th and will feature a wide variety of stage performances from the exotic to the exciting. Mixed in with the annual commission for the festival will be special tributes to the legendary Gaelic singer Calum Kennedy, the Highlands’ own Blazin’ Fiddles and the Senegalese singer Samba Sene. Not to mention Breabach, Kristan Harvey and Sanna and Linda Macleod, amongst a long list of notable others.

The opening night at the Empire, Saturday 8th September, will set the ball rolling with some of Scotland’s finest pipers musicians and dancers – high kicks, blistering reels, boundless energy, bagpipes and break dance. With Breabach, piping father and son Hamish & Fin Moore, high octane break dance and the full ahead musicianship of MOVE with John Saich, Neil Primrose of Travis, jazz guitarist John Goldie and Scotland’s number one Hip Hop crew, Random Aspekts. A special surprise will appear on the night.

There is no surprise in the excellence of the line-up on the evening of Thursday September 13 with Gaelic singer Maeve MacKinnon leading a celebration of the power and beauty of the human voice in An Guth – The Voice. Maeve presents her cross-cultural epic project “The Exile”, joined by Senegalese singer Samba Sene and the combined forces of Inverness Gaelic choir and Maeve’s own band. Multi award-winning Scots singer and songwriter Emily Smith, joined by her band, gives us her fresh and evocative interpretations of traditional Scots songs. Julie Fowlis and Muireann NicAmhlaoibh, together with Ross Martin and Eamonn Doorley, present DUAL, showcasing the links between Scots and Irish Gaelic song and culture. Còisir G, drawn from all over the Highlands and led by Eilidh Mackenzie, completes a stellar line-up.

The Blas Grand Finale is always a show-stopper and this year’s offering is no exception. Performing alongside the award-winning Battlefiield Band, the Highland’s own fiddle stars Blazin’ Fiddles and the jaw dropping talent that is Fèis Rois, the beautiful Blas 2012 commission from Margaret Stewart, “A’ Bhanais Ghàidhealach – The Highland Wedding”, will bring the Festival to an exhilarating close for another year.

Donna Macrae, Blas Festival Director said of this year’s programme: “I firmly believe that the events lined up for Eden Court and the other venues throughout the Highlands are as good, if not better than ever. There is a fantastic mix of talent from all parts of the globe, along with some of the very best of Highland music and song. The Empire Theatre will be leaping all week with something for everybody and I look forward to it all to kicking off. Earlybird tickets are available at reduced pieces until 31 July and we would encourage Blas festival goers to take advantage of the significant savings they offer.”

Blas organisers, building on the outstanding success of last year’s events, have attracted new sponsorship from RBS and Business Gateway to enable them to build the platform for this year’s festival. The event will also be supported by The Highland Council, Bòrd na Gàidhlig, Creative Scotland and Highlands & Islands Enterprise.

For more information about the full programme of events and for the chance to buy earlybird tickets with significant savings up to 31 July, visit www.blas-festival.com

Tarraing san Talla Ìompaireachd tro Bhlas 2012

Thig cruinneachadh de shàr luchd-ciùil na Gàidhealtachd agus bho air feadh an t-soaghail còmhla a-rithist an ceann beagan sheachdainnean aig Fèis chiùil Blas, prìomh thachartas Gàidhlig na Gàidhealtachd. Agus thèid Talla na h-Ìompaireachd ann an Cùirt an Aodainn an Inbhir Nis a chleachdadh a-rithist mar phrìomh ionad tachartais.

Bidh Blas 2012 a’ tòiseachadh air Sultain 7 agus a’ dol air adhart gu Sultain 15. A-measg na th’ air a’ chlàr am bliadhna tha coimisean ùr bhon bhana-sheinneadair Mairead Stiùbhart, cuimhneachan air an t-sàr sheinneadair Calum Ceanadach, an ceòl a’ dol feadh na fìdhle còmhla ri Blazin’ Fiddles agus an triùir Eireannach Fidil, cuirm le sàr ghuthan Dual, Maeve NicFhionghain agus a’ bhana-sheinneadair à Sengal Samba Sene, agus a bharrachd air sin cuirmean gun chrìch an cuideachd Breabach, Còmhlan Battlefield, Kristan Harvey agus an Sanna, agus Linda NicLeòid, agus gu leòr eile a bharrachd orra-san.

Thèid cuirm fosglaidh na fèise “Kick Start” a chumail ann an Cùirt an Aodainn air oidhche h-Aoine 8mh Sultain, le cuid den luchd-ciùil is dannsairean as fheàrr ann an Alba, le breaban àrda, ruidhlichean luath, neart gun chrìoch, pìob-mhòr is dannsa break. An làthair bidh Breabach, am pìobaire Hamish Moore agus a mhac Fin, dannsa break agus an sàr chèol aig MOVE le John Saich, Neil Primrose bho Travis, cluicheadair giotàr diàs John Goldie agus prìomh sgioba Hip Hop na h-Alba, Random Aspekts.

A’ gluasad air adhart an uairsin gu oidhche Dhiardaoin (13mh Sultain) an Talla na h-Ìompaireachd bidh Blas 2012 a’ comharrachadh cùmhachd is binneas guth mhic an duine, le Maeve NicFhionghain agus “An Eilthireach”, pròiseact mòr eadar-culturach, ‘s i ag obair còmhla ris an t-seinneadair Shenegalach Samba Sene, còisir agus an còmhlan aig Maeve fhèin. Mur biodh sin fhèin gu leòr, bidh a’ bhan-seinneadair Albannach Emily Smith agus an còmhlan aice, a tha air iomadh duais a thogail, a’ toirt dhuinn mìneachadh ùr air òrain thraidiseanta Albais. Bidh Julie Fowlis, Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, Ross Màrtainn is Eamonn Doorley a’ lìbhrigeadh DUAL, pròiseact a chomharraicheas na ceanglaichean eadar dualchas na Gàidhlig is na Gaeilge, agus bidh Còisir G, a thàlas òigridh bho air feadh na Gàidhealtachd agus a tha air a stiùireadh le Eilidh NicCoinnich, a’ coileanadh sàr oidhche.

Ma tha seasamh nan cas idir aig daoine aig deireadh seachdain na fèise, chan urrainnear a dhol seachad air Talla na h-Ìompaireachd air an oidhche chriochnachaidh, Disathairne 15mh Sultain. Bidh am Battlefield Band, gaisgich na Gàidhealtachd Blazin’ Fiddles, an òigridh air leth tàlantach aig Fèis Rois agus Coimisean Blas 2012 fo stiùir Mhaighread Stiùbhart, “a’ Bhanais Ghàidhealach”, a’ toirt na fèis gu crìch mhìorbhailleach airson bliadhna eile.

Thuirt Stiùiriche na Fèise, Donna NicRath gu robh i dhen bharail gu robh clàr na bliadhna seo agus na tha ri fhaicinn aig na cuirmean an Inbhir Nis, cho math ri rud sam bith a th’ àir a bhith aig an Fhèis roimhe seo: “Tha measgachadh math againn de shàr luchd-ciùil bho air feadh na Gàidhealtachd agus bho air feadh an t-saoghail. Bidh brag aig an àrd-ùrlar an Talla na h-Ìompaireachd fad na seachdain agus tha mi an dùil gum bi tarraing gu leòr ann do dhaoine fad na seachdain, le sàr-thàlantan ciùil is guthan eadar-dhealaichte. Tha fadachd orm gus an tòisich an fhèis a-rithist. Gheibhear tiocaidean aig prìsean nas ìsle gu 31 Iuchar agus mholainn do dhuine sam bith a bhios airson a thighinn dhan fhèis feum a dhèanamh de na sàbhalaidhean a thèid a dhèanamh le bhith gan ceannach tràth.”

Tha luchd-stiùiridh na Fèise air luchd-taic ùra fhaighinn, a’ togail air mar a shoirbhich leis an Fhèis an uiridh. Tha RBS agus Business Gateway le chèile air taic aontachadh airson a’ chiad turas. Agus tha taic ann a-rithist bho Chomhairle na Gàidhealtachd, Iomart na Gàidhealtachd is nan Eilean, Bòrd na Gàidhlig agus Alba Chruthachail.

Source: Blas Festival