Capercaillie

Capercaillie (pronounced kap-ir-kay-lee) is a traditional Celtic band-with a twist. The group stretches the borders of its Scottish music tradition by weaving in African and Latin rhythms and melodies, as well as new instrumental textures. The band began in 1984, when Karen Matheson (vocals) and Donald Shaw (accordion and keyboards) were in high school. Since then, they've picked up guitarist and bouzouki player Manus Lunny, fiddler Charlie McKerron, guitarist and bassist John Saich, drummer Wilf Taylor, vileann piper Michael Goldrick, and percussionist and berembau player Chimp. They've put out a total of eight albums and have gained acclaim as one of the most electrifying and interesting groups to come out of the whole of Britain in many years. Whether she's singing an old song or a new one, in English or in Gaelic, Matheson's other-worldly voice is both haunting and energetic, both expressive and cool. She's been called the best Gaelic singer of the time, and has drawn comparisons to Enya and Sinead O'Connor. The music of the Scots has always echoed the craggy beauty of the landscape and their history of heroism and defeat in dirges, ballads and lilts. Capercaillie's latest recording, Beautiful Wasteland, combines the haunting beauty, whimsey and tragedy that is intrinsically Celt.

  -- LG AK