Learning the mother tongue has become increasingly popular with the younger generation and especially in the music scene.
The annual Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow is a fabulous showcase for the Gaelic scene and one of the up and coming bands is making its mark with real panache.
Local band Dlù (pronounced dloo, as in blue) made up of Moilidh NicGriogair, Zach Ronan, Aidan Spiers, Andrew Grossart and Seoras Chlad, who all first met at Sgoil Ghàidhlig Ghlaschu, Scotland’s first all-Gaelic school, have attracted a big and faithful following.
In 2022, they released their first album, Moch and ever since have been taking the music scene by storm, showing off the Gaelic language and culture and celebrating the generations who are determined to keep it going.
The band are among a large community of Glasgow Gaels (Gaelic speakers) who have grown up with the language and culture in a city which first embraced the traditional tongue when families from the Highlands and Islands moved south in the 1970s.
Dlù, which means closeness, is an apt name for the band, whose musical talents have brought them together and resulted in the bold and all-inclusive performance.
Their debut album “Moch” was released by Arch Music in February 2022 at Glasgow’s Oran Mor and featured a thoughtful and powerful collection of songs which reach deep into the soul.
It was warmly welcomed by Gaelic speakers, keen to keep their culture and language alive and music fans who just loved the beat and chance to have a right good jig.
Such was the success of “Moch”, that a second album, “Close To” has also been released and snapped up by music fans across the board, with many dipping their toes into Scottish traditional music for the first time.
With beautiful blends and harmonies in songs with Gaelic titles including Mogaisean, Gluais and Mhic Iain ‘IC Sheumais’, the album is really beautiful and allows your headspace to drift off to the stunning spots which Scotland and its Gaelic speakers and musicians draw their inspiration from.
For more information on the band and to buy the albums or see them live on stage, check out www.dluband.com.
Author Bio:
Rebecca Hay is an experienced travel writer and member of The British Guild of Travel Writers. Follow her adventures with her family on Twitter and Instagram @emojiadventurer and on Facebook via EmojiAdventurers2.
Photographs courtesy of Dlù
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