Na h-Òganaich, Simple Minds and Year of Gaelic Song

Na h-Òganaich are Margaret MacLeod, Donnie MacLeod and Noel Eadie, who got together back in the early 1970s. and had packed it all in by 1975.  They created a new Gaelic music that showed the way for renowned Scottish bands like Runrig and Capercaillie. Now they’re headed back into the studio to make their first album in 35 years.

And their producer for the project is something of a surprise. Remember Mick MacNeil, former keyboard player with the 80s Scottish rock band, Simple Minds? Yes. Him.

This is going to be a musical conundrum. What kind of album will emerge from the fusion of these two very different backgrounds. Will it follow the band’s 1970’s idiom or go for a more contemporary style?

Well, thanks to BBC Alba’s documentary, Na h-Òganaich, which goes out on 1st Jauary 2010 at 9.00pm, the New Year will start by following a new direction for this pioneering band.

Na h-Òganaich will launch Bliadhna nan Òran, the Year of Gaelic Song, a series of programmes on which BBC ALBA and Radio nan Gàidheal have collaborated for 2010.

The programme provides exclusive interviews with Calum MacDonald from Runrig, Karen Matheson and Donald Shaw from Capercaille and – maybe a surprise for many – Alex Norton, who long before he started his beat on Taggart, toured North America with Na h-Òganaich.

Throughout 2010 an unparalleled line-up of programmes will feature in this Year of Gaelic Song – talent both from the archives and newly produced programmes. They will be broadcast on Radio nan Gaidheal and BBC ALBA.

A dedicated BBC Alba website will also offer contextual information about the song writers and performers, song lyrics as well as audio and video of many of the BBC’s archive recordings.