HebCelt stage awaits Calmac music winner

The 20-year-old multi-instrumentalist from the Highland village of Cromarty in the Black Isle, was one of the winners of the 2017 CalMac Culture Music contest, run by ferry company Caledonian MacBrayne and aimed at finding the best emerging singers and musicians.

Each act submitted a YouTube video to the competition website with the chance to play at different summer festivals in Scotland.

Tamzene will now play at the renowned HebCelt festival, which will be held from 19-22 July in Stornoway in the island of Lewis, and will be headlined by The Waterboys, Imelda May, Dougie MacLean and Lucy Spraggan.

She said: “I’m really looking forward to seeing Stornoway, and being part of another great Scottish festival. I hope to be playing to some familiar faces too.”

Tamzene started her musical career aged eight, learning piano and violin, and at 14 she took up the guitar and began writing her own material.

She later attended Gordonstoun School and honed her skills busking on the streets of Inverness to raise funds for a school project to build water tanks in Thailand. She is currently a full-time student at Leeds College of Music.

After a long period writing songs on her own, Tamzene recently started collaborating with Scottish songwriter Joe McAlinden at his studio in Argyll.

Her debut single, ‘Lullaby’, recorded and produced by McAlinden and mixed by Grammy award-winner David Donaldson, was released in April by Belladrum Records.

Tamzene was the first artist signed to the label, set up by the Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival.

She was one of the showcase artists at the music business convention MUSExpo in Los Angeles from 30 April - 2 May.

Previous showcase artists at the event, which focuses on A&R and talent scouting, include Katy Perry, Jessie J and LMFAO.

Caroline Maclennan, HebCelt’s director, said: “We are delighted to welcome Tamzene to the festival where she will be performing to our international audience. She is a real talent and someone we are very excited about bringing to HebCelt.

“Providing a platform for young musicians like Tamzene fits well with our philosophy to encourage and promote emerging artists.”

CalMac Ferries is a long-time supporter of HebCelt and has confirmed it is to sponsor the event again later this year.

Peter Griffiths, CalMac marketing manager, said: “HebCelt is a very unique and special festival and we are sure that Tamzene will enjoy playing and be well received on Lewis.”