Griogair Labhruidh
Griogair Labhruidh is a Scottish Gaelic poet, musician, and hip-hop producer/MC from Gartocharn with strong roots in the Gaelic tradition of Ballachulish in the Scottish Highlands. After many years recording the Gaelic traditions of his local area, Gaelic became his dominant language and he is one of the only musicians who can speak a mainland Gaelic dialect, rather than the standard Hebridean Gaelic. Well-versed in the ceòl mòr piping tradition of his own homeland, Labhruidh is a member of the Afro-Celt Sound System and has produced Gaelic music in nontraditional genres, such as hip-hop and fusion. In 2014, Labhruidh became the main vocalist for the Gaelic supergroup Dàimh. He was Gaelic Singer of the Year at the MG Alba Trad Music Awards of 2015. Labhruidh is planning to release a hip-hop album by the end of 2017, writing, recording and producing the first fusion album of its kind.
He also is a Ph.D. candidate at the National University of Ireland; his dissertation "challenges the influences of cultural colonisation upon the Gaelic singing tradition of Scotland". In addition, he runs a croft in the Ballachulish area of the Scottish Highlands.
He is especially notable for combining traditional Gaelic poetry and music with modern elements and themes.
