Julie Fowlis (born 20 June 1978 on North Uist, Outer Hebrides) is a Scottis… Read Full Bio ↴Julie Fowlis (born 20 June 1978 on North Uist, Outer Hebrides) is a Scottish folk singer and multi-instrumentalist who sings primarily in Scottish Gaelic. Fowlis won the Horizon award at the 2006 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, won Folk Singer of The Year at the 2008 awards, and was nominated for the Folk Singer of the Year award at the 2007 awards.

British broadcaster Mark Radcliffe hailed her voice and songs as “enchanting, beguiling and as fascinating as songs by Kate Bush and Björk” and KT Tunstall described her voice as "formidable and amazingly rhythmic". She was the BBC Radio 2 Folk Singer of the Year 2008 and has gathered a small army of fans around the world including an impressive list of celebrities including the aforementioned Mark Radcliffe, KT Tunstall plus Ricky Gervais and Phil Selway from Radiohead. In 2007 she was invited to appear on "Later...with Jools Holland" and was a special guest on the critically acclaimed "Transatlantic Sessions" series and has entertained millions of radio listeners around the world with her engaging live sessions and live performances.

She is somewhat of an enigma as she sings in a language only understood by around 60,000 people - which accounts for only approximately 1% of the population of Scotland. She sings in Scottish Gaelic and spends her time touring around the world bringing ancient songs from the Hebridean Islands to new audiences. She is an accomplished musician as well - playing Highland bagpipes, smallpipes, whistles, oboe & cor anglais and three waltzes on the one row melodeon.

She has broadcasting experience, including present two flagship music programmes on BBC Scotland - the traditional music programme "Travelling Folk" and the world music show "Global Gathering". A one hour documentary on her and her musical travels, entitled "Bliadhna Julie/Julie's Year" was broadcast by the BBC in 2007. She was publicly voted Gaelic Singer of the Year 2007 at the Scots Trad Music Awards and her album "cuilidh", produced with husband Eamon Doorley, was voted "Album of the Year" at the same awards. She has a clutch of other awards, including BBC Radio 2 Horizon Award 2006 for Best Emerging Artist (the first ever Gaelic Artist to be nominated for such an award) and was also voted Gaelic Singer of the Year 2005 at the Scots Trad Music Awards. She remains the only singer to have won this prestigious award twice.

Oganaich Uir A Rinn M' Fhagail
Julie Fowlis Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oganaich ùir a rinn m' fhàgail
Hi ri-abh o hiùraibh o ho
Hi ri-abh o ro hùbhag
Hi ri-abh a hiùraibh o ho
Chum thu air deireadh air chàch mi
Hi ri-abh o hiùraibh o ho

Hi ri-abh o ro hùbhag

Hi ri-abh a hiùraibh o ho
Gun fhios dha m' athair no m' mhàthair
Hi ri-abh o hiùraibh o ho
Hi ri-abh o ro hùbhag
Hi ri-abh a hiùraibh o ho
Gun fhios dham phiuthar no m' bhràithair

Hi ri-abh o hiùraibh o ho

Hi ri-abh o ro hùbhag
Hi ri-abh a hiùraibh o ho
A bhean ud thall aig a chuibhle
Hi ri-abh o hiùraibh o ho
Hi ri-abh o ro hùbhag
Hi ri-abh a hiùraibh o ho

Fhios agad fhèin mar a tha mo chridhe

Hi ri-abh o hiùraibh o ho
Hi ri-abh o ro hùbhag
Hi ri-abh a hiùraibh o ho
Caimbeulach òg oirre shiubhal
Hi ri-abh o hiùraibh o ho
Hi ri-abh o ro hùbhag

Hi ri-abh a hiùraibh o ho

'S nach fhaigh mi baisteadh an Uibhist
Hi ri-abh o hiùraibh o ho
Hi ri-abh o ro hùbhag
Hi ri-abh a hiùraibh o ho
Gu ruig mi fear a' chùil bhuidhe
Hi ri-abh o hiùraibh o ho

Hi ri-abh o ro hùbhag
Hi ri-abh a hiùraibh o ho
Chum thu air deireadh air chàch mi
Hi ri-abh o hiùraibh o ho
Hi ri-abh o ro hùbhag
Hi ri-abh a hiùraibh o ho
Hi ri-abh o ro hùbhag
Hi ri-abh a hiùraibh o ho

Hi ri-abh o ro hùbhag
Hi ri-abh a hiùraibh o ho

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Julie Fowlis's song Òganaich Ùir a Rinn M' Fhàgail are about a young man, who the singer addresses as òganaich ùir, who has left her behind. The singer repeats the refrain, "Hi ri-abh o hiùraibh o ho, Hi ri-abh o ro hùbhag, Hi ri-abh a hiùraibh o ho," which was commonly used in Highlands and Western Isles island hopping songs that were sung by drovers, sailors, and fishermen. The drovers would sing this refrain to calm their animals over hills and long distances, while sailors and fishermen would use it to keep a steady rhythm when pulling nets or oars.

Throughout the song, the singer expresses her deep sense of loss and abandonment. She sings that the young man has left without the knowledge of his father, mother, sister or brother. The refrain "Hi ri-abh o hiùraibh o ho" takes on a melancholic tone as she repeats it, conveying a sense of sadness, longing and intense emotion at being left behind.

The verses of the song further elaborate on the singer's feelings of loss and longing. She expresses the desire to be with this young man, walking by his side and reaching her destination. The song ends on a final repetition of the refrain, which is drawn out over the last few verses, leaving the listener with a sense of melancholy and longing.

Line by Line Meaning

Oganaich ùir a rinn m' fhàgail
A new young lad who left me

Hi ri-abh o hiùraibh o ho
Chorus

Hi ri-abh o ro hùbhag
Chorus