Barely had the line-up for September's Blas Festival been finalised when it began to attract considerable interest from potential festival-goers both in this country and particularly from abroad. Significantly, the first tickets sold for Blas events were bought by a couple from South Carolina in the United States who, to mark a family celebration, are travelling to Talla Stafainn in Skye on 2nd September to see Dimh, Dchas and the Cilidh Trailers.

Blas's programme, which features nearly forty events to be staged in different communities throughout Lochaber, Caithness & Sutherland, Ross-shire and Skye & Lochalsh, is brim full hugely talented exponents of Gaelic and Highland traditional music. As was envisaged from the outset, young musicians from the area are well represented in this programme. So also are performers from overseas whose cultural and musical traditions are complementary to those of the Highlands. They all meld together in an exciting programme which will entertain and inspire audiences while also giving them insights into Highland culture and the Gaelic language.

Festival managers were sure that Blas's particular blend of youth and experience with the strong emphasis on Gaelic and highland culture would prove very attractive and the wave of interest since the details of the Festival programme were released seems to bear this out. Enquires about the programme and individual events are flooding in with a considerable number of these from overseas. "We felt that what Blas offers audiences would be attractive", according to Artistic Coordinator, Brian hEadhra, "but what we did not expect so soon was such a strong international response. We did anticipate that overseas visitors who were already in the Highlands would find out about Blas and attend performances. This will no doubt happen but it appears that many are already planning their trips to the Highlands to some extent at least around Blas events."

Blas a' glacadh aire dhaoine

’S e càraid às na Stàitean Aonaichte a’ chiad fheadhainn a cheannaich ticeadan airson cuirm-ciùil anns an fhèis, Blas. Tha iad a’ dèanamh an slighe gu ruige Talla Stafainn gus Dàimh, Dòchas agus na Cèilidh Trailers fhaicinn air an darna là dhen t-Sultain. Tha e inntinneach gur iad a cheannaich na ticeadan ud oir tha e a’ dearbhadh gu ìre bhig co-dhiù, gu bheil Blas air aire dhaoine à tìrean cèin cho math ri aire muinntir na dùthcha seo.

Bha dùil aig rianairean na fèise gum biodh mòr-ùidh aig daoine anns na cuirmean is eile oir is e sreath tarraingeach ga rìreabh a tha ga thabhainn dhan fheadhainn a tha dèidheil air ceòl agus dualchas na Gàidhealtachd. Tha còrr agus còig deug thar fhichead cuirm air an cuir air dòigh airson na fèise. ’S ann ann an diofar cheàrnaidhean ann an ceithir sgìrean dhen Ghàidhealtachd a bhios na cuirmean seo agus ‘s e luchd-ciùil ealanta, òg agus feadhainn nach eil cho òg, a bhios a’ gabhail pàirt annta. Mar sin, cò nach bi air a tharruing gu Blas? Tha Brian Ó hEadhra, Co-òrdanaiche Ealain airson Blas moiteil gu bheil gnothaichean a’ coimhead cho fàbharach cho tràth sa chùis. Is gann gu robh e air crìoch a chuir air deasachadh prògram na fèise nuair a thòisich teachdairean a’ taomadh a-steach bho dhaoine a bha airson ticeadan a cheannach no tuilleadh fhaighinn a-mach mun fhèis. Tha e den bheachd làidir gur e am measgachadh de chuirmean a tha a’ taisbeanadh dualchas ciùil na dùthcha ann an dòigh cho inntinneach agus cho farsaing fear dhe na h-adhbharan a tha togail ùidh dhaoine.

“Tha mi air mo dhòigh glan gu bheil uiread à thall thairis a’ sealltainn ùidh anns an fhèis mar thràth. Bha fios againn gum biodh luchd-turais à tìrean cèin a bha anns an dùthaich seo co-dhiù buailteach a bhith a’ nochdadh aig cuirmean rè na fèise ach ‘s ann a tha e coltach gu bheil feadhainn a’ dèanamh na slighe an seo a dh’aona ghnothaich airson cuid dhe na cuirmean a fhrithealadh.”