Maggie MacInnes: The Kalokerinos Tapes

Flora MacNeil MBE from the island of Barra was renowned for preserving and performing an extensive oral repertoire of ancient songs inherited from her family and other islanders. A true carrier of our living oral tradition, Flora took her songs to stages around the world. As well as her commercial albums, she recorded for The School of Scottish Studies, the BBC and legendary USA song collector Alan Lomax to name a few. However, until recently, recordings of Flora made between 1955 and 1961 by Australian-born Dr James Kalokerinos had never been heard. The Kalokerinos Tapes featured many songs which Flora was well-known for and some which are seldom, if ever, heard today.

Flora’s daughter, Gaelic singer and harp player, Maggie MacInnes, felt that the world should hear these recordings and thus began a passion project. Maggie joins Anna to talk about bringing these tapes and songs to life, ensuring Flora’s legacy will continue for future generations.