Tune Up - Music Touring Across Scotland

Tune up: Michael McGoldrick & Dòchas

Michael McGoldrick, award winning flautist and piper, tours with his high octane fusion band in a double bill with Dòchas, a bright, new Gaelic traditional band

Michael McGoldrick is one of the most inspiring and exciting traditional musicians at the forefront of crossover music in the UK. He won the the Radio 2 Young Traditional award, and since then has performed with headline acts such as Lunasa, Flook and Capercaille. In 2001 he won the Best Instrumentalist Award at the BBC 2 Folk Music Awards. His award winning album, Fused is typical of his cutting edge live show drawing from folk, jazz, world and hip-hop. In the last few years he has been integral to the sounds of Flook!, Afrocelts, the Kate Rusby Band and now as a permanent member of Capercaillie.

Dòchas has taken the traditional music scene by storm. The five girls, from the Highlands and Islands exude professionalism and rare talent throughout their performances. They play fiddle, accordion, pipes, whistles, clarsach, piano and guitar, complemented by powerful and poignant Gaelic singing. Since releasing their debut album in 2002, Dòchas has rocketed to success with sell-out shows throughout Scotland, Europe and the United States, thus ensuring further tours in Ireland, Europe and Canada in 2004. The success of the band led them to be nominated as Best Newcomers 2003 at the Scottish Traditional Music Awards. In addition to this, the band's fiddler Jenna Reid has been named as a semi-finalist at the Young Scottish Traditional Musician of the Year 2004 competition.