Bodega

Scottish Folk Band Of The Year - MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards 2009

(August 2006) 11 tracks: 9/8’s (marches) * Crooked Jack * Smeòrach Chlann Dòmhnaill * The Devil / Wagon Wheel * The Badger Set * Oràn Chaluim Sgàire * Compositions * Aird Ranters * Hòrò ahu-ò Mo Nigh’n Donn * Greenland * Clueless.

Bodega are Gillian Chalmers (Fraserburgh – pipes, whistle, fiddle), Ross Couper (Shetland - fiddle), Tia Files (Oban – guitar, bass guitar, percussion), Norrie MacIver (Isle of Lewis – lead vocals, accordion, guitar) and June Naylor (Isle of Skye - clarsach).

The five members of this young band have been together since March 2005, and met whilst they were studying at The National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music at Plockton in Ross-shire.

Bodega went on to win the BBC2 Young Folk Award 2005/2006. This, their debut album, was recorded early in 2006, and they featured at the Greentrax 20th Anniversary concert in July.

"Bodega is highly talented and versatile and together their music has a kind of fierce energy, imagination and joie de vivre, that you just don’t hear very often. They do songs brilliantly. They do tunes superbly. They sing in Gaelic and English. They’re funky, yet respectful of traditions. They have clever arrangements. They improvise. Individually they’re among the very best young musicians we have today. Collectively, they may just be the future of traditional music. Get into Bodega now, because where they lead others will follow." (Jack Evans)