Capercaillie was formed in 1984 while many of the members were students in High School. This was the same year that Donald Shaw was All Britain Accordion Champion. They have since developed a reputation as Scotland's foremost Celtic Band, having sold over a million albums and have toured in 25...
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Capercaillie was formed in 1984 while many of the members were students in High School. This was the same year that Donald Shaw was All Britain Accordion Champion. They have since developed a reputation as Scotland's foremost Celtic Band, having sold over a million albums and have toured in 25 countries. Their music is both modern and fused with Celtic traditions. Their music has been described as being given the "'Capercaillie Treatment' consisting of taking a traditional Gaelic song, adding modern and original arrangements while still using traditional instruments, then adding loops and samples. The treatment is then completed with Matheson's breathtaking voice. The end result is a very modern-sounding song with its heart and soul bathed in Celtic tradition."
Fronted by Karen Matheson ("Karen Matheson has a throat that is surely touched by God...... Sean Connery"), traditional songs have been the backbone of their material over the years. Karen learned many of these songs from her Grandmother,a singer from the island of Barra in the Outer Hebrides. Karen has been called "the finest Gaelic singer alive today" and this reputation has been earned in a career which began with her performing in local ceilidhs when she was a child and progressed to her winning the silver pendant for best singer at the MOD - a gathering of Gaelic culture from all over the world.
Capercaillie released their first album in 1984 whilst still at school and over the following eight albums have established themselves as "the most exciting and vibrant band in the field of Celtic music today"(Billboard). They have sold many hundreds of thousands of albums across the world, and played in over twenty five countries, including ground breaking tours of South America, The Middle-East and Eastern Europe, receiving enthusiastic response in every country.
Capercaillie: Che Beresford on drums, David Robertson on percussion, Karen Matheson on lead vocals, Manus Lunny on bouzouki, guitar and vocals, Donald Shaw on accordion, piano, synthesizers and background vocals, Michael McGoldrick on whistles, flutes, uillean pipes and bodhran, Charlie McKerron on fiddle and Ewen Vernal on basses.
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