Joy Dunlop

Career

Dunlop graduated from Sabhal Mòr Ostaig with an honours immersion degree in Gaelic Language and Culture and the Anna NicDhonnchaidh prize for her efforts in promoting and supporting Gaelic in the community. Inititally working as a Gaelic Development Officer for An Comunn Gàidhealach, she decided to pursue a full-time music career in 2010.

Music

Dunlop has performed throughout the world as both a solo and collaborative performer. Nominated as 'Gaelic Singer of the Year' in 2010 and 2011 at the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards, she released her debut album Dùsgadh / Awakening in 2010 to great acclaim, winning the Scottish New Music Award's "Roots Recording of the Year" and numerous other accolades, including a 4 star review in the Scotsman' & being named "Album of the Month" in The Scots Magazine. She released the collaborative album, Fiere in 2012 with Scottish fiddle and harp duo Twelfth Day, touring the album around the UK and Ireland. In 2013, Dunlop launched her second solo album, Faileasan (Reflections) which was wholly created from her native home of Argyll. This received international airplay and glowing reviews worldwide, including being described as, "The rare disc that will fly with both the Gaelic scholar and the modern music fan" by the Huffington Post.

A familiar face on the Scottish music scene, Dunlop has performed at numerous international festivals including Celtic Colours, Nova Scotia, Schotland Festival, Holland and Celtic Connections, Scotland. She has performed in the past with Scottish Harp player Rachel Hair and recorded two songs on her new album The Lucky Smile.

A regular Gaelic singing competitor, Dunlop won the prestigious Gold Medal at the Royal National Mòd in 2010, the Oban Times Gold medal and Puirt-a-Beul competitions 2006 amongst others, and was the lead singer of winning traditional groups at the Pan Celtic Festival in 2003, 2004, and 2005. She was also crowned runner up in the Pan Celtic International Traditional Song competition in 2005.

Dunlop is also heavily involved in Gaelic choral music as the conductor of Còisir Ceann an Tuirc, Argyll's male voice Gaelic choir who won Gold at the 2008 Royal National Mòd under her directorship. She is also Gaelic tutor & member of multi-award winning Argyll ladies' choir Atomic Piseag (Esme Smyth Winners in 2005, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 6 times Pan Celtic champions) and was Gaelic tutor for and member of Taynuilt Gaelic Choir who also swept the boards in the Sheriff Macmaster competition under her tutelage. She is also a founding member of Dealrach, an Argyll-based female a cappalla quartet who won National Mòd Gold at their first-ever outing in 2008.

Dance

A trained ballet dancer; Dunlop started stepdancing as a teenager and in 2006, was crowned the Inter-Celtic Dance Champion. She has danced at festivals throughout the UK and Ireland, in addition to researching stepdancing in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. In 2015, she was named the Traditional Dancer of the Year at the International Pan Celtic Festival 2015.

Media

Dunlop has appeared on numerous television programmes in both a presenting and performing capacity, including music programmes Horo Gheallaidh, Guthan nan Gàidheal, Sorcha nan Reul and Ar n-Aran Làitheil. (which she also presented) She was a featured speaker on Cunntas, Craic and Barail Bhoireannach debating current issues and starred in the popular series Leadaidh 's Breacaist for BBC Alba. She also made her acting debut in 2007 as a character in the popular Gaelic comedy PC Alasdair Stiùbhaird for BBC. Joy has also been named as the new presenter for the popular Bainnsean (Weddings) series produced by purpleTV for BBC Alba.

Dunlop also wrote a monthly column in the now defunct Gaelic newspaper "An Gàidheal Ùr" and was highly commended in the first-ever Gaelic Journalist section at the 2008 Highlands and Islands Media Awards. She was also shortlisted in the Gaelic Journalist of the Year section in the 2008 Scottish Press Awards and more recently was announced as the new Gaelic television critic for The Scotsman. Dunlop has also written for The Oban Times and Cothrom magazine produced by Clì Gàidhlig.

Gaelic development work

She held the full-time post of Gaelic development officer in Argyll, Bute and the Islands for An Comunn Gaidhealach from 2004–2010 but has also worked as Gaelic Instructor in residence for Fèis Mhàbu in Cape Breton and with communities in New Zealand promoting and developing Gaelic language and song. Dunlop has taught courses for numerous organisations including Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, Clì Gàidhlig, CNSA and is both a written and simultaneous translator, guest speaker and MC for events and conferences in the UK and further a field. She is also a popular local and Royal National Mòd adjudicator for both Gaelic and music.

Solo recordings

Collaborative albums

With others

Awards and nominations