Julie Fowlis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Julie Fowlis
FRSE
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Julie Fowlis at Edinburgh's Hogmanay 2011
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| Background information | |
| Born | 20 June 1979 North Uist, Outer Hebrides, Scotland |
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| Years active | 2005–present |
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| Associated acts | Dòchas |
Julie Fowlis (born on June 20, 1979) is a talented Scottish folk singer. She is known for singing mostly in Scottish Gaelic, which is the traditional language of Scotland. Julie also plays many different musical instruments.
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Early Life and Education
Julie Fowlis grew up on North Uist, an island in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. This was a place where many people spoke Gaelic. Her mother was from a family of fishermen and farmers on the island of Heisgeir. Her father was from Pitlochry in mainland Scotland. Julie's parents ran a hotel on North Uist for many years.
When Julie was 15, her family moved to Ross-shire on the mainland. She finished high school at Dingwall Academy. Later, she went to the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. There, she studied music, focusing on the oboe and the English horn. She earned her degree in 2000.
After university, Julie wanted to learn more about Gaelic and traditional Scottish music. She went to Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, a Gaelic college on the Isle of Skye. From 2001 to 2004, she worked to help develop music at a Gaelic culture group called Fèis Rois in Dingwall.
Musical Journey
Julie Fowlis has been involved in music since she was a child. She loved singing, playing the bagpipes, and dancing.
Starting with Dòchas
Julie began her professional music career with a Scottish group called Dòchas. This group had six members, including fiddle player Jenna Reid. They formed while some members were students at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and Julie was at the University of Strathclyde. Dòchas was described as "a young and energetic all-female band" playing traditional music.
The band released their first album in 2002. They were nominated for an award at the Scots Trad Music Awards in 2003 and won in 2004. Julie was also nominated for Gaelic Singer of the Year that same year.
Solo Career and Albums
While still with Dòchas, Julie started her solo career. In 2005, she released her first solo album, Mar a Tha Mo Chridhe (which means As My Heart Is). This album quickly became popular around the world. Her future husband, Éamonn Doorley, played the bouzouki on many songs. Other famous traditional musicians also played on the album. This album was re-released in 2012.
Her second solo album, Cuilidh, came out in March 2007. It became a best-seller in Traditional and World Music charts worldwide. This album featured songs from her home island of North Uist. Éamonn Doorley again helped produce the album and played bouzouki.
Julie won the Horizon award at the 2006 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. She also won Folk Singer of The Year at the 2008 awards. She appeared on the TV show Later With Jools Holland in 2007. Famous musicians like Björk and Radiohead's Phil Selway are fans of her music.
In 2008, Julie recorded an album called Dual with her friends and fellow musicians Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, Ross Martin, and her husband Éamonn Doorley. She also recorded a Scottish Gaelic version of The Beatles' song "Blackbird". This was for Mojo magazine to celebrate 40 years of The Beatles' The White Album.
Her third studio album, Uam (meaning 'From Me' in Scottish Gaelic), was released in October 2009. In 2011, she performed a special hour-long piece called Heisgeir. This piece celebrated the history and legends of the Heisgeir islands.
Music for Brave
In 2012, Julie Fowlis sang two songs for the Pixar film Brave. These songs were "Touch the Sky" and "Into the Open Air". They were sung as the musical thoughts of the main character, Merida.
Julie's fourth studio album, Gach Sgeul (Every Story), was released in 2014. Her fifth album, Alterum, came out in 2017. All of Julie's albums, including Dual, have been released on her own label, Machair Records. This label is run by Julie and her husband. The word "Machair" describes rich, fertile land in Gaelic.
Broadcasting Career
Besides her music, Julie Fowlis has also had a successful career in broadcasting. She has been a guest on radio shows like BBC Radio Scotland's Travelling Folk. In 2007, BBC Two aired a documentary about her musical journey called Bliadhna Julie / Julie's Year.
From 2008 to 2009, Julie hosted her own weekly folk music show called Fowlis and Folk on BBC Radio Scotland. She also co-presents the yearly Radio 2 Folk Awards with Mark Radcliffe. In 2012, a short documentary about Julie and her band was shown on the US TV channel PBS.
In 2015, Julie and her musical friend Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh hosted a TV series called Port. This show explored traditional Scottish and Irish music. In each episode, they visited a new place to highlight local folk musicians. The show was narrated in Scottish Gaelic by Julie and in Irish by Muireann, with English subtitles. It was shown on BBC Alba and TG4. The show had two seasons, in 2015 and 2016.
Personal Life
Julie Fowlis lives in Dingwall, Scotland. She is married to Éamon Doorley, who is a regular member of her band and also part of the Irish traditional group Danú. They got married in May 2007. They have two daughters, Aoibhe, born in 2010, and Niamh, born in 2012.
Discography
Solo Albums
- Mar a tha mo chridhe (2005)
- Cuilidh (2007)
- Uam (2009)
- Live at Perthshire Amber (2011)
- Gach sgeul - Every story (2014)
- Alterum (2017)
Solo Singles
- Turas san Lochmor (2007)
- Hùg Air A' Bhonaid Mhòir (2008)
- Lon Dubh / Blackbird (2008 – a Gaelic cover of The Beatles' song)
Albums with Other Artists
- Allt (2018 - with Éamon Doorley, Zoë Conway and John Mc Intyre)
- Allt: Volume II Cuimhne (2024 - with Éamon Doorley, Zoë Conway and John Mc Intyre)
- Dòchas (2002)
- An Darna Umhail (2005)
- Dual (2008 – with Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh)
- The Lost Words: Spell Songs (2019)
- Spell Songs II: Let the Light In (2021)
Awards and Recognition
In March 2021, Julie Fowlis was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. This is a special honor given to people who have achieved great things in their field.
See also
In Spanish: Julie Fowlis para niños
- Ruth Keggin, a singer who sings in the Manx language.
- Mary Black, a singer who sings in the Irish language.
- Gwenno Saunders, a singer who sings in the Welsh and Cornish languages.
