Griogair Labhruidh (born 24 October 1982) [1] is a Scottish Gaelic singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and recording artist from Gartocharn with strong roots in the Gaelic tradition of Ballachulish in the Scottish Highlands. [2] [3] After many years recording the Gaelic traditions of his local area, Gaelic became his dominant language and he is one of the few musicians who can speak and perform in a mainland Gaelic dialect, rather than the standard Hebridean Gaelic. [4] Well-versed in the ceòl mòr piping tradition of his native district, Labhruidh is a member of the Afro-Celt Sound System and has also produced Gaelic music in non-traditional genres, such as hip-hop. [5] In 2014, Labhruidh, who sings in a sean-nós style, [6] became the main vocalist for the Gaelic supergroup Dàimh. [5] He was Gaelic Singer of the Year at the MG Alba Trad Music Awards of 2015. [7] He contributed a chapter to the book Dhá Leagan Déag: Léargais Nua ar an Sean-Nós. [6]
Labhruidh was a Ph.D. candidate at the National University of Ireland; his dissertation "challenges the influences of cultural colonisation upon the Gaelic singing tradition of Scotland". [8] In addition, he runs a croft in the Ballachulish area of the Scottish Highlands. [2] [9]