Manran in top 40 bid for Gaelic with charity single

Forwarded from my friends at Fèisean nan Gàidheal:

Fèisean nan Gàidheal is supporting Mànran in their bid to get into the Singles Charts with their Gaelic Song, “Latha Math”.

Please pass this round your own contacts to see if we can help them get into the Top 40! They need to sell at least 7,500 downloads this week.



“Latha Math” costs just 79p and is downloadable from iTunes here http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/latha-math/id406278896

Further Information:

Scotland Shinty captain targets historic chart success.

The captain of the Scotland shinty squad has set his sights on leading a team of Scottish Gaelic musicians into next week’s UK top 40 for the first time in the 21st century.

Gary Innes, who led the Scotland team to victory in the last international match against Ireland at Croke Park in Dublin, wants to emulate the success of Capercaillie and Runrig who enjoyed chart hits with Gaelic songs in the 1990s.

Innes will swap his caman for an accordion as his band launch their debut single – “Latha Math” or “Good Day” - in Glasgow’s ABC club on the 16th January during the Celtic Connections festival. It will be released the following day.

“Latha Math”, written by singer Norrie MacIver, describes an idyllic and peaceful day in his native island of Lewis in the Western Isles. The six musicians came together in April 2010 to form Mànran, which means “man about town” or “sweet, tuneful and melodic”.

The other band members joke that both are fitting descriptions for shinty legend Innes, a fireman who is now playing music full-time alongside his sports career. In 2010 Innes scored in the last minute to clinch victory for Fort William in the final of shinty’s premier trophy, the Camanachd Cup, to pick up his fifth winners’ medal.

“Latha Math” has to achieve at least 7500 downloads in the seven days from the 17th of January to break into the Top 40. Innes admits it will be a challenge to convince that number of people to buy the single: “It is a big target but we are a strong team of musicians. We really need the public to get behind us and support Gaelic and traditional music.”

The Scotland forward, who featured on the cover of Runrig’s last album ‘Everything You See’, added that chart success would be important for the Gaelic language: “If Gaelic is to survive as a living language the kids have to think it is cool. A Top 40 hit alongside Rihanna, the Black Eyed Peas and Katy Perry can help achieve that.”

Mànran have already received the backing of Runrig, who regularly play to sell out crowds across Europe and are the only band to make it into the Top 20 with a Scottish Gaelic song. “An Ubhal as Àirde” – “The Highest Apple” - reached Number 18 in the charts in 1995.

Founder member of Runrig, Calum MacDonald, urged everyone who is interested in music, Gaelic and shinty to download the single next week: “Anyone who has an eye for goal like Gary Innes will have an eye for the charts. Runrig will be delighted if they make it a hat-trick of chart wins for Gaelic songs.”


Notes for Editors:

“Latha Math was released on Monday 17th January. It is available on iTunes, Amazon and other music sites and will be for download only.

For further details please contact:

Gary Innes
(m) 07748 706316
(e) info@garyinnes.com