Donald Black
Ged a tha am “moothie” air fear de na h-ionnstramaidean as cumanta anns an t-saoghal, cha robh e air a chluinntinn gu tric ann an ceòl traidiseanta na h-Alba – agus gu h-àraid ceòl na Gàidhealtachd – gus an do nochd Dòmhnall Black!
’S ann air sgàth Dhòmhnaill agus an stoidhle shònraichte aige a tha an harmonica (agus gu h-àraid an seòrsa air a bheil “tremolo”) air ainm a chosnadh mar ionnstramaid a tha airidh air èisteachd ris. ’S urrainn dha ceòl luath, toinnte a chluich, ach – leis na sgilean air leth aige – thig aige air na faireachdainnean ann an ceòl nas socaire a chur an cèill cuideachd.
Tha Dòmhnall air a bhith a’ toirt toileachadh do luchd-èisteachd ann an Alba, ann am Breatainn, tron Roinn Eòrpa agus bho Moscow gu Kansas City.
Tha Dòmhnall gu math moiteil às gur e esan an t-aon Albannach a tha air cluiche còmhla ri sàr-chluicheadairean harmonica ann an 2005 aig SPAH (Society for the Advancement and Preservation of the Harmonica) ann an Kansas City, Ameireagaidh, agus an-uiridh chluich e airson am British National Harmonica League ann am Bristol.
Although the humble “moothie” is the world’s biggest selling musical instrument, it has seldom hitherto been seriously regarded in the world of traditional music – and certainly never in the music of the Celtic regions of our native Scotland; that is until Donald Black arrived on the scene!
With his own unique style, Donald has almost single-handedly been responsible for the promotion of the mouthorgan (particularly the tremolo model) as a serious musical instrument, capable of accommodating all the challenges of fast intricate pieces but also of evocatively producing all that is required in the slower more reflective works.
Donald Black’s performances have delighted audiences from the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, UK-wide, through Europe - and from Moscow to Kansas City. He has enjoyed extensive radio play both in Scotland and abroad and has made several TV appearances in Scotland as well as Russia, Lithuania and Germany.
He is very proud to have been the only Scot so far to have been invited to perform alongside many of the world’s top harmonica players in 2005 at SPAH (Society for the Advancement and Preservation of the Harmonica) in Kansas City, USA, and last year he received a very warm welcome in Bristol, England where he performed to an audience of the British National Harmonica League.