Maggie learned the songs on this album from recordings of her mother, well-known traditional singer Flora MacNeil MBE (1928-2015), recorded between 1955 and 1961 by Australian- born folklorist, Dr James Kalokerinos. Flora got the songs from her mother, grandmother, aunt, uncle and others surrounding her as she grew up on the island of Barra in the Western Isles of Scotland. The archive contains many songs which Flora helped make popular today but also some seldom heard gems which Maggie is very excited to share.
With support from Creative Scotland, Maggie has been able to digitise the original recordings, develop a show called “The Kalokerinos Tapes” which pays tribute to Flora and the other Tradition Bearers who passed the songs on to her, and to record this album.
All of the songs on the album have been chosen very carefully by Maggie for their beauty and variety and, by adding fresh innovative arrangements, she hopes that the songs will be enjoyed for generations to come