-by Robin DenselowShe may come from the Outer Hebrides rather than Africa or Latin America, but I suspect that the world-music movement has been very useful for Julie Fowlis. British audiences are increasingly appreciative of great artists who don't sing in English, and Fowlis is just such a performer. Her songs are all in Gaelic and include traditional material from North Uist, where she grew up. But she has such a cool, fine voice that language is no problem, especially as many of the thoughtful, wry or witty stories of love and elopement are explained in English in advance.
She came on wearing a short black dress, half-hidden in a cloud of dry ice in the semi-darkness. It was not exactly a conventional folk club entrance, but her gently sturdy, unaccompanied opening song showed that she intended to stick to her largely traditional repertoire. The aim from the start was also to show off her range and variety. For the second song, she brought on her acoustic band, with bouzouki, guitar and fiddle matched against minimalist hand drums for an up-tempo piece. This was then followed by one of her finest ballads from North Uist, Mo Ghruagach Dhonn, a gently charming love song with a twist in the final verse. Then came another change of direction as she showed off her skills on the whistle (a reminder that she was once best known as an instrumentalist).
There were more surprises to follow. John McCusker, best known for his work with Kate Rusby, came on as a special guest to add his sensitive fiddle-playing for a set that now switched between rapid-fire "mouth music" dance songs and the gently exquisite ballads that make Fowlis so special. She deserves a following far beyond Scotland.
11/14/07 >> 
