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Interview
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Daily Local News, Interview >>
Julie Fowlis was born in Scotland, but she was raised speaking a language that's far removed from English.
The singer (who will be performing tonight at the Grand Opera House in Wilmington and Friday at the World Café Live in Philadelphia), grew up speaking Scottish Gaelic. It's the native language of her home in the Outer Hebrides.
Fowlis is touring North America in support of her new album, "Cuilidh," which is pronounced "KOOL-ee" and means treasury or secret hiding place in Gaelic.
"The Hebrides are the last place in Scotland where Gaelic is the first language and English is the second language," Fowlis said during a phone interview. "I grew up speaking both, because my father is English and my mother is Gaelic. The sentence structure in Gaelic is quite different and some of the sounds are very different."
Scottish Gaelic was not recognized as an official language in Scotland until 2005 -- several years after the country gained an autonomous parliament. As late as the 1960s, children were forbidden to use the language at school. "It was a desperate situation with Scotland recognizing the language," Fowlis said. "For a long time, people couldn't even be allowed to express themselves in their native tongue.
"At home, family and friends pass along the songs. I learned a lot of Gaelic songs when I was still very young. I also did the academic side by going to the library at the University of Edinburgh to research songs from the past.
"You'd be surprised at the number of songs still in the oral tradition. There are a lot that have never been published. I've written a few songs in Gaelic, but I prefer older songs."
This tour marks the first time Fowlis has performed in America, with the exception of two prior showcase gigs in New York and Austin. She sings and plays bagpipes, whistles, oboe and melodeon. Her touring band features Eamon Doorley on bouzouki, Jenna Reid on fiddle and Tony Byrne on guitar.
by Denny Dryoff
What: Julie Fowlis
When: Sept. 23 (Wilmington), 8 p.m.; Sept. 26 (Philadelphia), 8 p.m.
Where: Grand Opera House, 818 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del.; World Café Live, 3025 Walnut St., Philadelphia
Tickets: $20 (both locations) 09/23/08 >> go there
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