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The Flag in the Wind
Features - Gaelic Column
March 2004

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Colbh Gàidhlig

Fàilte oirbh air ais. Ciamar a bha an sneachd? Feumaidh mi ràdh nach robh e idir dona far a bheil mise. Theirinn gu bheil i fiadhaich blàth son an àm den bhliadhna, ged a tha latha no dhà ann a bhitheadh toirt nar cuimhne gur e geamhradh a th’ann fhathast. Chan eil teagamh sam bith agam gu bheil an saoghal a’ fàs nas blàithe, agus ged a bhios e èibhinn a’ magadh air na Sasannaich (ha ha, tha bhur dùthaich dol a bhith fon fhairge) chan e deagh naidheachd a bhios ann dhuinne nas motha. ‘S e a’ cheist – an e rud eigin a bhios sinne a’ deanamh as coireach? Is cinnteach gu bheil Seòras W. Bush a’ cumail a-mach nach e. Ach chum esan a-mach gun robh beanntan mòra WMD ann an Iraq.

Co-dhiù, chan ann air sin a bhios mi a-mach a’ mhìos seo. Bha mi leughadh an Scotland on Sunday agus chunnaic mi pìos a sgrìobh Murchadh MacLeòid air ceòl. Tha fios agam dè tha sibh a’ smaointinn – leisgeul sam bith a bhith toirt Runrig air ais don cholbh – ach tha sibh ceàrr an uair seo. B’ ann air còmhlan Gàidhlig punk a bha e a-mach. A-reir coltais thòisich buidheann anns na Stàitean Aonaichte ris an canar ‘Mill a h-uile rud’. Aidh, dìreach sin a bhalachaibh. Chuala mi air Rèidio nan Gàidheal gun robh còmhlan rock ann, ach punk? Ceart gu leòr bha mise rud beag sean son punk, ach cuiridh e ìongnadh orm gu bràth gun do dh’èist daoine ri balaich mholach à Lunnainn a’ seinn ‘Wo-king on the bye-chiz, louking at the pye-chiz’. Saoil cò ris a bhios sgudal mar sin coltach ann an Gàidhlig?

Air an làimh eile, feumaidh ceòl ùr a bhith ann no bidh Gàidhlig marbh. Cha bhi againn gu bràth ach ceòl a’ Mhòid, agus ged nach eil mi idir ag iarraidh a chur sìos air sin cha rachadh aig neach sam bith a ràdh gun robh e ùr no fiadhaich innleachdach. Nuair a bha mise san sgoil bha mi ann an còisir na sgoile – creid e no nach creid! – agus rinn sinn ‘A’ Chuthag’. Còig bliadhna air fhichead an dèidh sin bha còisir òg a’ bhaile a’ deanamh ‘A’ Chuthag’. A’ coimhead air ais ann an leabhraichean a bha aig piuthar mo sheanar dè chunnaic mi ach ‘A’ Chuthag’. Creidibh e, cha robh e cho math sin a’ chiad uair. Bidh sinn a’ faighinn ‘Griogal Crìdhe’ ann an sia pàirtean ged is e òran do aon bhoireannach a th’ ann; port-a-beul le daoine tighinn a-mach ‘s a-steach le pìosan beaga fhad’s a bhios daoine eile a’ gabhail a’ phuirt; agus tàlaidhean cho briste gun cuireadh iad eagal air leanabh. Tha mi cinnteach gu bheil e math san dòigh aige fhèin agus uaireannan bidh e a’ còrdadh rium, ach bidh e rud beag fada air falbh bhon dòigh anns an robh e sgrìobhte. Cuideachd chan eil an seòrsa rud sin ùr, dìreach air ath-chuartachadh. Bidh punk nas ùire gun teagamh, ach chan eil an aon chumhachd aig ‘Iain Grod’ ‘s a bha ‘Johnny Rotten’, a bheil? Ach cò aig a bheil fios? Le blas Aimeirigeanach dh’fhaodadh e a bhith gu math inntinneach.

B’ e rock a chòrd rium daonnan. A bheil cuimhne agaibh air Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, The Doors, agus Thin Lizzy? Fhuair sibh ceòl son bhur n-airgead aig an àm sin cuideachd - mhar ‘Riders on the Storm’ fad seachd mionaidean, agus cha robh ‘Stairway to Heaven’ goirid. Gus an d’fhuair Rolf Harris grèim air co-dhiù. Bha seinneadairean eile mar Leonard Cohen gu math aimneil aig an àm. Ceòl leis an cuireadh tu às dhut fèin a charaidean. Chan eil facal Gàidhlig ann airson ‘exciting’ – carson a bhitheadh? – agus chan eil mi creidsinn gu bheil facal aig na Iudaich airson ‘sona’ – a-rithist, carson a bhitheadh?

Tha mi’n dòchas gum bi na còmhlain ùra soirbheachail, agus gun tig daoine eile as an dèidh. Ma bhios feum sam bith aca air seinneadair . . . nì iad nas fheàrr as m’ aonais. Mus tèid mi, b’ e droch naidheachd a bh’ ann mu Rikki Fulton. Cò bheir abairtean dhomh a-nis?

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