From shinty to shindigs, Manran’s a trad music hit

Accordion player Gary Innes fronted a high-profile campaign to secure a UK top 40 slot for Manran just months after putting the band together last year.

Although the bid was ultimately unsuccessful, the band’s increased profile helped it win the coveted “album of the year” title at last night’s Scots Trad Music Awards ceremony in Perth.

Singer of the Year was named as Siobhan Miller, the young emerging talent from Penicuik in Midlothian who has made appearances with Jock Tamson’s Bairns.

Innes, who has declared ambitions to emulate the success of Celtic stars Runrig and Capercaillie, juggles his band duties with captaining the Scottish shinty team and starring for Fort William. His bandmate Norrie MacIver, from the Isle of Lewis, made it a double for Manran when he was named best Gaelic singer at the awards. Awards organiser Simon Thoumire said: “Manran have done really well in making an impact in such a short space of time, but they’ve also produced a really great album which has also sold incredibly well.”

The six musicians came together in April 2010 to form Manran, which means “man about town” or “sweet, tuneful and melodic”.

Their debut single – Latha Math or Good Day – was released last January during the Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow and the group’s intention was to take a Gaelic song into the UK top 40 for the first time in the 21st century. Written by MacIver, the song describes an idyllic and peaceful day in his native island of Lewis but it didn’t achieve the 7,500 downloads in the seven days after release to achieve its target.

At last night’s ceremony, all 1,000 tickets were snapped up, underlining the revival in traditional music. The event will receive its biggest TV audience tomorrow when highlights are shown on BBC ALBA’s Freeview slot for the first time.

Singer Barbara Dickson was among the performers at the event, along with Celtic stars Peatbog Faeries and Salsa Celtica.

Thoumire said: “All of the awards are decided by a public vote, and we had almost 100,000 people voting this year, which was much more than ever before.

“The event was a complete sell-out and is now so popular that we’re only able to offer each band a couple of seats due to the level of demand.”

Hebridean boy band Skerryvore, who promote themselves as “Tiree’s answer to Westlife”, were named best live band. The group have performed across the world since forming in 2004 as well as events such as New York’s Tartan Week and the Ryder Cup. Thoumire added: “Skerryvore have done brilliantly well at building a name for themselves and they are now able to sell out concerts all over the country. They have taken a really professional approach to their look and marketing and it has paid off. They’re an absolutely brilliant live band.”

Other award-winners included the Orkney Folk Festival, which was named best event ahead of its 30th birthday in 2012; the tiny Ben Nevis bar in Glasgow, which scooped music venue of the year; and the young Glasgow band Rura, who were named best newcomers.

Veteran Gaelic singer Arthur Cormack received the Hamish Henderson lifetime achievement award.

Among those inducted into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame were Glasgow-born guitarist Bert Jansch and veteran Fife singer John Watt, both of whom have died in recent months.