The Scottish Highlands are rugged and shrouded in mist. There is something primal and unique about this landscape, but also mystical. Above all, however, it produces great musicians who carry a wildly blazing fire in their hearts. What makes Mànran so extraordinary is the fusion of Scottish culture with modernity. Bagpipe sounds meet Gaelic singing and a firework of rhythm. The focus is on the voices of Kim Carnie and Ewen Henderson and the unique duet between Irish uilléan and Scottish bagpipes. It is fiendishly difficult to play two bagpipes with two different pitches in harmony. This creates a sound that no other band has to offer as a brass section. The singing is in both Gaelic and English, with the famous tip of the scales leaning more towards Gaelic. Even when it comes to balancing rock and tradition, it remains hovering in the golden mean. The artists are masters when it comes to a fine balance of pipes, fiddle, accordion with drums, guitar and electric bass. After four albums, several singles, one of them for charity, which raised £2 million, Mànran has established itself as one of the bands that form the foundation of the Scottish and Irish music scene. The band is produced by Colum Malcolm (Simple Minds, Wet Wet Wet and Runrig) and Scottish folk legend Phil Cunningham. They have also received an accolade from Runrig, who engaged Mànran as the support act for their 40th anniversary, where they rocked 17,000 Scots and folk rock fans from all over the world. The collective received several awards worldwide such as: INTERNATIONAL ARTIST OF THE YEAR, Australian Celtic Music Awards, TRADITIONAL ARTS, SCOTS AND GAELIC AWARD, Creative Scotland Awards and ALBUM OF THE YEAR & GAELIC SINGER OF THE YEAR, MG Alba Scots Trad Music Awards. Mànran sweep over their audience like a storm. This has earned them the reputation of being one of the best Celtic rock bands in the world. In Germany they have proven this at the Irish Folk Festival Poyenberg, Loreley Festival, Ulmer Zelt and several tours. But the septet also cleaned up at the Guinness Folk Festival Sion and Zeltik Dudelange. At the end of 2021, the band released the new album "Úrar. The press raved: "A tremendous album, their best yet, and one that should cement their pole position in the current renaissance of Scottish roots music" (At the Barrier Reviews). In December 2022, they rented Scotland's biggest arena - the Hydro - in Glasgow and fans flocked not only from Scotland but from all over the world. In addition, Kim Carnie's solo album was awarded the German Record Critics' Award in 2022.
We leave the closing words to the Scottish Daily Record: "If you want a party, call Mànran!" There's nothing to add to that...