EXCLUSIVE - ChielMeister talks to SLC

Nae Mince in Moray has been this year’s surprise Scots language hit on youtube. Writer and singer, The Chielmesiter, talks exclusively to the Scots Language Centre about mince, rowies, French cooking and his plans for a collaboration with X Factor star, Susan Boyle. The Chielmeister’s latest food related song, Oatcakes 'n' Cheese is on youtube now at. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gLC4h0_C1Q




SLC

Ay ay, ChielMeister, fit like?


ChielMeister

"Nae bad, flike yersel?"


SLC

Yer video, Nae Mince in Moray, haes haed ower 85,000 hits on youtube? Are ye surprised?


ChielMeister

"Aye min, a wee bit. Ah thocht ah'd stick ma video on the web for ma pals an ma fowks jist fur a bit o craic like. Next thing ah ken...ah'm famous! There wis blethers aboot the video "gaan viral" or fitiver an at gied me a richt fleg. 85 thoosan gies me a fear noo an again but ah'm kinna chuffed that it's got fowk interestit."


SLC

Fan ye read the comments section that follaes the video ye can see that a lot o fowk hiv been really excited aboot the sang? Fou dae ye feel fan ye read fit they’re sayin?


ChielMeister

"Ach aye min, it's affa bra. Maist fowk think it's a guid bit o dafferie lyke sae ah'm fair blythe. Ah'v hid some richt couthie private messages an aa. It seems like the sang brichtens up some fowk’s day. Lyke the Glesgae boys that tellt me they wir singin "far's ma mince?" on holidays in Amsterdam an the wifey fit took a photae wi her mobile phone o an affa wee bittie mince she peyed dear fur. She sent it tae her man wi the message "far's ma mince?" an they hid a richt guid giggle. Hings lyke yon mak me hink it‘s aa been worthwile."


SLC

Ither than rap fit dae ye like music-wise?


ChielMeister

"Och weel, ah potter aboot on the guitar. Ah've been playin awa fur a guid ten year oniewey. Ah sing an aa but nae very weel, lyke a pous lockit in a ludge. Ah listen tae aa sorts. Funny eneuch, rap is nae really somethin ah listen tae but fur ma video it wis jist richt. Ah lyke rock, metal an plenty o stuff that canna be categorised. Ah lyke traditional stuff an aa an some o the new-fangled fusions o Celtic and warld music is bra tae. I’m a big fan o “Shooglenifty". Ah saw them live at Findhorn an it wis a crackin gig. Fowk shakkin a hoof aa ower the place. Onyhin wi cloods o reek bellowin oot o fiddles canna be wrang."


SLC

Ye’re obviously a braa Scots spikker - fit ither languages dae ye ken?


ChielMeister

"Weel, ah nivver learnt as muckle Scots as ah wad hae likit but wi languages ye’re nivver deen learnin, are ye? Ah suppose ah cuid mak a claim tae spikk English but at wid depend if ah'm necessitatit lyke! At asides, ah spik French, an it's jist as weel since if ah didna bidin here in France wid hae me scunnered! Ah spik a fair bit Spanish an aa. Aince ye hiv ane ye can git the ither wi’oot major swink. Ah hiv Spanish pals ah can practise wi an that helps. Jist noo ah'm learnin German an ah've haed a wee keek at Russian, Norwegian, Portuguese an Scots Gaelic. Ah'll mebbe hae a go at ane o them ae day but ah've eneuch on ma plate the noo. Ah luv languages lyke. It's affa interestin fan ah finn words in ither languages fit look an soon affa lyke oor ain anes in Scots. Ah hink learnin Dutch wid be fascinatin an aa. Ah wish mair fowk wid spik Scots."



SLC

We ken nou that ye bide in France – is there onythin ither than mince that ye miss aboot Scotland? Rowies, for example?


ChielMeister

"Aye, ah've been here aboot a year noo. Rowies, aye min. Ah mind back hame, every mornin ah wid ate a rowie an a wee bittie cheddar wi ma coffee. Thir's sacrifices tae be made fan ye flit awa fae Scotland. Ma girlfriend is French an fan we bade up yonder she fair got hookit on the butteries. Even she's missin them! Ah miss pies an aa. An oatcakes! Some hings is jist nae the same. France haes the finest cuisine o ony country...except Scotland. Ah hink here that they get maist hings richt but thir's ither stuff they jist dinna hae ony clue aboot. Soups fur wan. They hiv affa wattery hings bein in a warmer place than us. We hiv bra soups in comparison. It's fine haein crème fraîche mixed throu aathin but sometimes ah’d like some richt gravy, here it's jist nae richt at aa'!! Ither than scran ah miss the scenery. In France they hiv ahing, mountains, braes, glens, burns, jist lyke we hae, bit it's affa spreid oot an the sites are far awa fae ane inither. In Scotland ye hiv aa that in twa-three square miles. It's mair interestin that wye back hame. Ah've still nae seen heid nor hide o Hielan League coverage on the telly. Ah wis hopin tae see Forres Mechanics against Ross County pre-season but Sarkozy must hae pulled some funds oot the TV channels tae buy a ton o foie gras an anither vintage bottle o champers, I dout."


SLC

Ivver thocht that there’s mibbe a career for ye writing sangs an singin?


ChielMeister

"Och, ah dinna ken. If ah get a wee bit mair inspiration ah cuid lykly scribe a few sangs fur lachs. Haet oan the heels o' "Nae mince..." ah cuid dae "Nae lard..." Fit wi fowks tryin tae get rowies banned an fillin the shelves wi omega this an low cholesterol that, the humble block o lard cuid mak a stormin rise fae the esh! Or a cuid gae fur "Far's ma (gait's) cheese?". An accoont o the toil involved tryin tae get ma hauns on a decent bittie goat's cheese for ma crackers. Ah dinna ken tae tell ye the truth. Ah dinna hink that Michael Jackson sales wid be muckle affectit but mebbe ah can poach ane or twa o his fans an mak a bob or twa."


SLC

Ony plans for mair youtube performances? Dae ye think if ye get the richt sang that ye cuid mibbe get mair hits than SuBo?


ChielMeister

"Haha, ah'm nae gaun tae grapple wi SuBo. She's warld class lyke, a richt singer, nae lyk me. Mebbe ah cuid ask her tae feature on ma new effort. The ChielMeister feat. SuBO wi "Nae square sassidge in America". Ah'm nae sure if there's international appeal wi a SuBo/CheilMeister mix or no. Ah cuid pose the question an see fit she hinks. Seriously tho, there micht be a follae up in the makkin sometime suin but ah canna say ony mair the noo!"


SLC

Ivver tried vegetarian mince?


ChielMeister

"Fit?!! Fit kinda caper's this lyke? Ah hink the closest ah've gotten is sookin oot the dregs o a beef an tomatae Pot Noodle. Maist o yon stuff is reconstituted soya protein. Nae affa keen lyke. Nithing wrang wi it but jist nae tasty at aa. Ye're better wi the real deal an gettin yersel doon the butcher's. Widna quite be the same if ah'd sung "Far's ma Quorn?" , wid it?"


SLC

Wad ye like tae tell us far ye’re fae?


ChielMeister

" Weel, if it maks a difference ah'm fae Forres. Jist dinna tell aabodie and dinna ca me by ma birth name in public.”


There is no English version of this interview.