Dougie MacLean

Dougie MacLean has built an international reputation as songwriter,
composer and extraordinary performer on his own terms. This talent has
taken his performance to concerts and festivals all over the world and to
the stages of Carnegie Hall in New York, London’s Festival Theatre and
the Sydney Opera House. Other appearances of note include sharing the
stage with Lou Reed and Eddi Reader in the grounds of Culzean Castle
at the Burns and A’ That festival, featuring on the BBC Hogmanay
programme from Edinburgh Castle with James Taylor and sharing the bill
with legendary soul singer Mavis Staples at Glasgows Royal Concert
Hall.
His songs have been covered by hosts of artists including Scottish stars
Paolo Nutini & Amy MacDonald, Irish greats Ronan Keating, Mary &
Frances Black, Dolores Keane, Deanta and Cara Dillon, and Grammy
award winning US country singer Kathy Mattea. His anthem Caledonia
has topped the Scottish charts and become one of Scotland’s most
popular contemporary songs. His music has been used in Hollywood
films (eg Last of the Mohicans), TV Drama (eg BBC’s A Mugs Game) and
he has been the subject of three BBC TV Specials (The Land - Songs of
Dougie MacLean, SongRoads and Clann na Mara - Children of the Sea).
Dougie was awarded an OBE in this years New Years Honors list in
recognition of his services to music and charity. He has also recently
received two prestigious Tartan Cleff Awards and has been inducted into
the Scottish Music Hall of Fame.
Dougie’s own 10 day Perthshire Amber Festival, now it it’s seventh year,
was described by US magazine Sing Out as “The most original acoustic
music festival in Scotland today”. Through the festival he shares his
inspiring music, celebrates the history and culture of his Perthshire home
and showcases it’s beautiful scenery. The concerts, which are staged in a
variety of wonderful venues, welcome high calibre musical guests from
Scotland and abroad.
“Dougie MacLean is a performer of extraordinary warmth and ease... he
has a knack for turning the experiences of his own life into something
universally understood, as well as a gift for bestowing each with just the
right melody.”
(Scotsman, UK)
“Strong yet subtle, hauntingly evocative yet contemporary in feel, this
music demands listening to over and over again.”
(Time Out, UK)
“..a Scottish phenomenon... with his exquisite guitar style, expressive
voice and honest performance, his songs conjure up remarkably vivid
imagery of our world.”
(The Performing Songwriter, USA)
“..a musical hero.”
(Wall Street Journal, USA)