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About Joy

Gaelic Singer | TV & Radio Presenter | Scottish Stepdancer | Educator

Joy Dunlop’s singing career is the result of a life–long fascination with Scotland’s traditional music and has led her all over the world; from major Celtic festivals, to touring the UK, Europe, Canada, USA, Japan and New Zealand.

Through her singing, she showcases Gaelic music and song in a contemporary way that always remains true to its roots. Nominated as Gaelic Singer of the Year 2020, 2016, 2011 & 2010, she has also won both the coveted Royal National Mòd Gold Medal and the Oban Times Gold Medal and is the only person to be crowned both Traditional Singer of the Year & Traditional Dance Champion at the Pan Celtic Festival. She’s released three highly acclaimed solo albums, Caoir, Dùsgadh and Faileasan and also, Dithis; a duo album with her brother Andrew. Joy is also the driving force between ‘Gaelic/Gaeilge supergroup’, LAS and has featured on a range of collaborative albums.

A popular television & radio broadcaster, Joy is involved with a wide range of music, current affairs and light entertainment programmes. With her trademark poise and depth of knowledge, Joy’s warmth and enthusiasm have made her increasing in-demand in television and radio broadcasts alike; from presenting the weather on both BBC Scotland & BBC Alba, to fronting SpeakGaelic; a wide-ranging, multi-faceted learning brand, offering the most comprehensive approach to learning Scottish Gaelic in a generation. She also presents the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year competition and often hosts well known music programme Travelling Folk. Joy is also the creator and co-host of the popular Scottish Gaelic and irish podcast ‘A-nunn ’s Anall’.

A fluent Gaelic speaker, with an honours degree in Gaelic Language and Culture, Joy has taught Gaelic language and song courses across the globe and in her spare time, she also conducts the Alba Choir; Scotland’s first and only Eurovision entry, who participated in the 2019 Eurovision Choir of the Year finals in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Caoir

Joy Dunlop - Caoir
Buy Caoir on CD

“Joy’s pure, enthralling vocals burn brightest at the heart of it all, acting as the ember which breathes life to the skilled, heartfelt flames of musicianship that surround her on the recording.”

“A bigger and bolder sound than ever before.”

“It’s easy to imagine the album’s sparkling tracks lighting a fire in listeners as Joy’s musical embers dance around venues and festivals across Scotland and beyond.”

Esteemed Scottish singer, broadcaster and Gaelic language advocate Joy Dunlop releases her third solo album Caoir, featuring contemporary recordings of traditional Gaelic songs.

Caoir (pronounced koor) means a blaze of fire, fiercely burning, flames or flashes – imagery which comes across in the album’s undeniably vibrant and warming sound. Her pure, enthralling vocals burn brightest at the heart of it all, acting as the ember which breathes life to the skilled, heartfelt flames of musicianship that surround her on the recording.

With its upbeat rhythms and captivating melodies and riffs, it’s easy to imagine the album’s sparkling tracks lighting a fire in listeners as Joy’s musical embers dance around venues and festivals across Scotland and beyond.

Latest News

Forthcoming Events

Upcoming | Archive: 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019
  • Sat
    15
    Jul
    2023

    Gaelic Choral Singing Workshop

    10am
    Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace, EH1 2JL

     
    The next workshop with Joy Dunlop (with support from Seachdain na Gàidhlig – Edinburgh Gaelic Festival) will be held in Edinburgh on Saturday 13th May!
     
    The workshop will develop participants’ confidence in singing in Gaelic as well as their repertoire of Gaelic songs, including those often performed by the massed choirs at the Royal National Mòd.
     
    For more information or to sign up, please visit: https://www.edinburghgaelicchoir.co.uk/
  • Tue
    18
    Jul
    2023
    Fri
    21
    Jul
    2023

    Fèis Phàislig

    10am

    Johnstone High School

    Our Fèis Week is an intensive week of arts workshops for young people aged 5-18. Working with some of Scotland’s top traditional musicians, participants are able to develop their skills, take part in our finale concert and most importantly, have fun. 

    Find out more here
  • Wed
    02
    Aug
    2023

    Under Canvas Festival - Fèis Rois Ceilidh Trail + Joy Dunlop

    8pm

    Eden Court Theatre, Inverness.

    Under Canvas, our flagship summer festival, is back! From 5 July – 26 August 2023 we’re presenting 39 days of live music, performance and DJ sets on our lawn.

    Tha Under Canvas, ar fèis shamhraidh a-muigh, air ais! Bho 5 Iuchar – 26 Lùnastal 2023 bidh sinn a’ taisbeanadh 39 làithean de cheòl beò, DJan agus eile anns na gàrraidhean againn.

    Further information here
  • Thu
    24
    Aug
    2023
    Sun
    03
    Sep
    2023

    Scottish Music Festival - China 2023

    Various

    China wide tour

    A celebration of Scottish Folk and Traditional Music in all its contemporary glory in a land that boasts the most populous cities in the world yet is nearly entirely untouched by Scottish Music.

    The Aim of the Festival, which will run from Thursday 24th August until Sunday 3rd September 2023, is to celebrate Scottish Folk and Traditional Music in all its contemporary glory in a land that boasts the most populous cities in the world yet is nearly entirely untouched by Scottish Music.

    Five Bands will be selected to represent the cutting edge of Scottish Music who complement each other and are ambassadors for their craft, their culture and their country. With an expected audience of 30,000 concert goers and a potential direct advertising reach of over 1 Million people the scope and potential for the project is enormous.

    The five groups will assemble at the start of the project for a grand opening concert; this will likely be in Beijing or Shijiazhuang in Hebei Province. This will then be followed by each band embarking on their own tour, before all bands congregate for one final stramash at the end of the festival.

    More details to come – find further information here.

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