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Iona Fyfe

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Iona Fyfe (born 16 January 1998) is a Scottish folk singer from Huntly, Aberdeenshire. In 2016, she was a semi-finalist of the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award and, in 2017 and 2021, was a finalist of the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician award. In 2018, she won "Scots Singer of the Year" at the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards. In 2019, she won "Young Scots Speaker o the Year" at the inaugural Scots Language Awards, winning "Scots Performer o the Year" in the 2020 Awards, and "Scots Speaker o the Year" in the 2021 Awards. She has advocated for official recognition of the Scots language, successfully petitioning Spotify to add Scots to their list of languages.

Iona Fyfe
Fyfe in 2017
Fyfe in 2017
Background information
Born (1998-01-16) 16 January 1998 (age 26)[1]
Huntly, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
GenresScottish folk music
Doric folk music
Occupation(s)Folk singer-songwriter
Multi-instrumentalist
Instrument(s)Vocals, piano
Years active2012–present
LabelsCairnie Records
Websiteionafyfe.com Edit this at Wikidata

Fyfe is a National Director of the Traditional Music and Song Association and serves as a committee member of the Musicians' Union Scotland.[2]

In November 2024 it was announced she would be the rector of the University of Aberdeen from 1 January 2025 until 2028.[3]

Biography

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Fyfe was born on 16 January 1998 and was raised in Huntly. She started learning poems in the Doric dialect of Scots as a child. She spent time in her youth in the company of bothy balladers such as Jock Duncan, Joe Aitken, and Geordie Murison, people that Fyfe considers to be her "adoptive family".[4] After singing folk songs and bothy ballads, Fyfe auditioned to join the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland at the age of 16, being accepted. She graduated in 2019 with a First Class Honours degree in Traditional Music.[5]

Fyfe is a communications officer of Scots language advocacy group Oor Vyce, and often speaks about getting Scots to be a "legal language".[6][4][7] Her work in promoting the Scots language was recognised with awards from the Scots Language Awards in 2019, 2020 and 2021.[8][9][10]

Music

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Fyfe sings in English and Doric Scots, and translates English songs into Doric. She is a member of the Iona Fyfe Trio.[11] Her music has been played on BBC Radio Scotland, BBC Radio 2, and BBC Radio nan Gàidheal.[12][13][14] Her choice of country and western was inspired by Jane Turriff, who came from the north east of Scotland and recorded an album of country and western covers.[15]

Her first solo album, Away From My Window, was recorded with various other artists, such as Tim Edey and Luc McNally.[16][17]

In December 2020, Fyfe released her Scots translation of Christina Rossetti's Christmas song, In the Bleak Midwinter.[18] After she was unable to choose Scots as the language for her song's metadata, she publicly asked music streaming service Spotify to add Scots to the languages available to describe uploaded songs.[19] In March 2021, Spotify added Scots to their list of languages.[20]

In 2016, Fyfe was a semi-finalist of the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award.[21] In 2017 and 2021, she was a finalist of the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician award.[22][23] Also in 2017, she won the Molloy Award.[24] In 2018, she won "Scots Singer of the Year" at the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards.[25]

In January 2021, Fyfe signed a petition opposing the UK government's plans to exclude professional musicians from their list of workers permitted to enter the EU without a visa, claiming the plans would make touring Europe "financially unviable".[26][27]

In April 2021, Fyfe released a rendition of "The Northern Lights", the unofficial anthem of Aberdeen F.C., after being commissioned by the club.[28]

Politics

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Fyfe supports an independent Scottish republic. "In my opinion, Scotland should be a sovereign nation, not under rule of monarchy," she said. "We should have a duly elected head of state. Coming from Aberdeenshire, I completely understand the draw and intrigue of the royal family, but cannot possibly stand by and support this whilst many families in the region struggle to afford to live. The monarchy is outdated and not fit for purpose."[29]

Discography

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Fyfe has released two albums and two EPs of her songs.[30]

2015: The First Sangs
2016: East EP
2018: Away From My Window (Cairnie Records)[31]
2019: Dark Turn of Mind (Cairnie Records)[32]

Awards

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2017 - Molloy Award[24]
2018 - Scots Singer of the Year - MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards[25]
2019 - Young Scots Speaker o the Year - Scots Language Awards[8]
2020 - Scots Performer o the Year - Scots Language Awards[9]

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References

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  1. ^ "Search results for Iona Fyfe". ScotlandsPeople. Archived from the original on 17 August 2021. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
  2. ^ "Scots Language Awards 2020: Iona Fyfe". Hands Up for Trad. Archived from the original on 29 October 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  3. ^ "Scottish singer Iona Fyfe named University of Aberdeen rector". BBC News. 21 November 2024. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  4. ^ a b Christie, Hector (20 April 2020). "Iona Fyfe - the Real Deal". The Living Tradition. No. 127. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  5. ^ "BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician". BBC. 1 February 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  6. ^ Gerrard, Philippa (25 November 2020). "Spikkin Scots: Reclaiming Scotland's mither tongue". The Press and Journal. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
  7. ^ Drysdale, Neil (4 December 2020). "Huntly singer Iona Fyfe records new Scots language version of In the Bleak Midwinter". The Press and Journal. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  8. ^ a b Ferguson, Brian (29 September 2019). "Winners of first ever Scots language 'Oscars' revealed". The Scotsman. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  9. ^ a b Hannan, Martin (26 October 2020). "Janey Godley and Stuart Paterson muckle winners o' Scots awards". The National (in Scots). Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  10. ^ Murray, Beth (25 September 2021). "Poet Len Pennie hosts award ceremony recognising all those who champion Scots language". www.scotsman.com. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  11. ^ "MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards 2019: Iona Fyfe Trio". Hands Up for Trad. 4 November 2019. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  12. ^ Travelling Folk (Radio broadcast). Travelling Folk. Introduced by Bruce MacGregor. BBC Radio Scotland. 21 March 2018. singer Iona Fyfe drops by to discuss her latest album Away From My Window.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  13. ^ Darlingside in Session (Radio broadcast). The Folk Show with Mark Radcliffe. BBC Radio 2. 9 May 2018. Iona Fyfe 'Take Me Out Drinking' Away From my Window
  14. ^ Mairead NicIllinnein le ceòl Ceilteach [Margaret MacLennan with Celtic music] (Radio broadcast) (in Scottish Gaelic). BBC Radio nan Gàidheal. 17 February 2021. Iona Fyfe 'The Wild Geese' (single)
  15. ^ Gilchrist, Jim (15 May 2020). "The Scotsman Sessions #36: Iona Fyfe". The Scotsman. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
  16. ^ "Iona Fyfe: Away from my window". Review. Global Music Magazine. 27 October 2018. Archived from the original on 23 April 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  17. ^ Graham, Kenny (12 April 2018). "The future of Scots Trad music is in safe hands". Scottish Field. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  18. ^ Leslie, Bob (13 December 2020). "Iona Fyfe: In the Bleak Midwinter (Scots)". Review. Fatea Magazine. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  19. ^ Marlborough, Conor (16 December 2020). "Spotify urged to recognise indigenous Scottish languages by Scots singer". The Scotsman. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  20. ^ Ferguson, Brian (4 March 2021). "Singer wins campaign to persuade Spotify to recognise Scots language for first time". The Scotsman. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  21. ^ "Iona Fyfe Trio". The Hippodrome, Eyemouth. 14 April 2018. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  22. ^ "Charlie Stewart named young traditional musician 2017". BBC News. 6 February 2017. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  23. ^ "Pianist Michael Biggins is BBC Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the year". BBC News. 1 February 2021. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  24. ^ a b Kidman, David (1 May 2018). "Iona Fyfe: Away From My Window". Review. Folk Radio UK. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  25. ^ a b Robertson, Kirsten (19 November 2019). "Huntly singer Iona Fyfe nominated for accolade at MG Alba Scots Trad Music Awards". The Press and Journal. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  26. ^ O'Toole, Emer (8 January 2021). "Iona Fyfe joins SNP in fighting against 'shoddy' plan to scrap musicians' visas". The National. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
  27. ^ Hutchison, Caitlin (10 January 2021). "Brexit: UK 'rejected offer' of visa-free tours for musicians in EU amid calls to negotiate 'free cultural work permit'". The Herald (Scotland). Retrieved 20 March 2021.
  28. ^ Da Silva, Ana (30 April 2021). "Aberdeenshire folksinger's voice becomes soundtrack to hopeful Aberdeen fans". Evening Express (Scotland). Archived from the original on 4 May 2021. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
  29. ^ Walker, James (23 March 2023). "Thousands rallying to demand independence on King's coronation". The National. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  30. ^ McFayden, Neil (3 August 2016). "Iona Fyfe Band: East". Review. Folk Radio UK. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  31. ^ Pratt, David (30 March 2018). "Iona Fyfe: Away From My Window". Review. Fatea Magazine.
  32. ^ Grant, Nicky (13 January 2019). "Iona Fyfe: Dark Turn of Mind". Review. Fatea Magazine.
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