Aberdeenshire folksinger, Iona Fyfe, has become one of Scotland’s finest young ballad singers, rooted deeply in the singing traditions of the North East of Scotland. Winner of Scots Singer of the Year at the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards 2023 and 2018, and Musician of the year 2021, Iona has been described as “one of the best Scotland has to offer.” (Global-Music.de) Iona has toured throughout the UK, Europe,, Canada and Australia, and performed with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra as part of the World Premiere of Disney Pixar’s Brave in Concert at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. Iona’s debut album "Away From My Window" was held to critical acclaim and received nationwide airplay on programmes such as BBC Radio 2 The Folk Show with Mark Radcliffe, BBC Radio Scotland’s Travelling Folk, Take The Floor and BBC Radio Nan Gaidheal, and premiered at a sold-out Celtic Connections performance. Released in 2019, her follow up CD "Dark Turn of Mind" is Iona’s first EP entirely in English and features six ballads and songs found in both Appalachia and Aberdeenshire and has been described as “a new interpretation to the country genre” – Maverick. ” Rolling Stone, France, called her a "Scottish folksinger, magical and charismatic." She was nominated for “One to Watch” and “Best Live Performance” at the Sunday Herald Scottish Culture Awards 2018.
A finalist in the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2017 and 2021, Iona graduated from The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland with a first-class honours degree in Traditional Music, and holds an FLCM in Traditional Voice from London College of Music. She is a fierce advocate for the official recognition of the Scots Language and is a fine exponent of the Doric dialect, winning the title of Performer of the Year at the Scots Language Awards 2020. Also In 2020, Iona was invited to be an Official Showcase Artist at Folk Alliance International held in New Orleans, resulting in an invitation to perform for the Library of Congress's Homegrown series
Outside of the music, Iona serves on several traditional musicians' organizations, and is a National Director of the Traditional Music and Song Association of Scotland. She has gotten music giant Spotify to add Scots to their language list, and has done interviews with the BBC and others on how Brexit has affected performing artists trying to tour.
Press:
“When it comes to folk music, she has one of the most stunning voices on the circuit today.” – Artree
“Poignant and well delivered. Singing well within herself, Iona’s voice, at times reminiscent of Cara Dillon, is well suited to the ballads recorded on this album.” – "Away From My Window," Scottish Field
“Describing Iona Fyfe as a Scottish folksinger is probably doing her an injustice, as the versatility displayed on her new, EP release, Dark Turn of Mind, reflects her grasp and understanding of jazz, Americana and much more.” – RnR Magazine
“Absolutely stunning” – Mike Harding
“A major young voice in the continuous skein of the ballad tradition. Iona is a folksinger’s delight; the tradition needs more people like Iona” – Nicky Rossiter, Irish Music Magazine
Media: Awards:
Website Scots Singer of the Year - MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards 2023 /2018
Facebook Musician of the Year – MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards 2021
Twitter BBC Radio Scotland Young Trad Musician of the Year 2021 / 2017 Finalist Instagram Scots Performer of the Year (winner) – Scots Language Awards 2020
YouTube Young Scots Speaker of the Year (winner) – Scots Language Awards 2019
Spotify Trip to Birmingham Irish Trad Fest Molloy Award Winner 2017
Bandcamp
Selected Appearances:
Videos Celtic Connections, Scotland
Swing and Turn Austin Irish Festival
The Swan Swims The Burren, Boston
Away From My window Freight and Salvage, Berkeley
Baltic Street Library of Congress
Bonnie Lass O' Fyvie Lorient Festival, France
Edinburgh Fringe Festival
