AmeriCymru: Hi Lleuwen and many thanks for agreeing to talk to AmeriCymru. Your new album 'Tan' was released on April 4th. Care to tell us a little more about it?

Lleuwen: Of course! Tan is basically what I've been working on this past year with Breton genius musician and producer, Vincent Guerin. I first came to Brittany to perform at the Lorient Interceltic Festival 2008 and once I immediately fell in love with the atmosphere and language because I think, in a way, I felt great empathy with the Breton people. Then in 2009 I was fortunate to win the Creative Wales Award by Arts Council Wales. I had agreed with the arts council that I'd write songs, record an album and then come back to Wales to perform this new material. I feel blessed to have received that award, and "Tan" would not have happened without it. We'll be performing at festivals in Brittany and Wales in the summer and it's great to have my new music out there at last.

AmeriCymru: You are currently living between Wales and Brittany. How strong is the Breton influence on the album and upon your life and music generally at the moment?

Lleuwen: It's pretty nuts spending so much time on a boat or plane but, to be honest, I don't really like to be settled in one place so I suppose this life suits me well. I live far from the city here in Brittany and this is a huge influence on my work. I would say that this new disc has an anti-urban sound to it almost. The production is rough and gritty and it was important for me to have it that way. It sounds quite wild too - lots of made-up weird open guitar tunings which I have grown to adore. I also play drums and zither on it and various pots and pans from the kitchen. I wanted sounds that the listener doesn't recognise as "instruments" . . . that way nothing comes between the listener and the music itself. I wanted to get to the core of it.

AmeriCymru: I read somewhere that you were learning Breton. How is that going? How does it differ from Welsh?

Lleuwen: Breton is a delicious language, close to nature and so interestingly similar to my own mother tounge . It s been one of the greatest adventures of my life to explore and learn this language and I continue to do so. I began leaning the language in the pubs of course and just by generally hanging out. When I first go t here I spent some time camping out in the garden of "Tavern Ty Elise" in Plouie. This pub has since burned down but will be reopening shortly and I can't wait. I need it's inspiration. It s a legendary bar, run by Merthyr Tudfil boy, Byn Walters. Anyway, I learned a lot of Breton there, just by listening, just by being. I then decided to study more seriously by doing a six month course with an association called Roudour. It was here I began to write a few Breton songs too . . .as well as my Welsh ones. Please check out Roudour's site if you can : www.roudour.com . Their courses are the best. A real mind-opener.

AmeriCymru: Can you tell our members a bit about your career, how you developed as a vocalist?

Lleuwen: My father is singer/songwriter Steve Eaves and so I don't remember a time where music, musicians and instruments were not around me. I suppose it's fair to say that I had a blesssed childhood in that way. I never really gave much thought to singing or making music. . . it just happend. It's just something I do. One of the uncomplicated things in life! I went on to study music and theatre and, through my studies, I got to go to Central College Iowa for six months. I loved it and met so many interesting people who were crazy about jazz (like myself!) I returned to Wales inspired to do do Welsh language jazz . . .something new to the scene. I joined jazz trio Acoustique and we released "Cyfnos" (which, translated means "Dusk") on Sain Records. I have since released three solo albums, all being different but at the same time, I still have the same goal, and that is to make NEW music. That is what I have, what I am and what I will always search for in life.

AmeriCymru: Can you explain something of the background and inspiration for the 'Duw a Wyr' album for our readers?

Lleuwen: It was 2004, a century after Evan Roberts's Welsh religious revival and I became interested in the hymns that were sung at the time. I met pianist Huw Warren that same year and we realized that we shared the same interest in these revivalist hymns and began to dig deeper into the project. I spent months and months researching into the hymns that were sung in the Bethesda area and was amazed by some the jewels I found - long lost tunes and mind-blowing poetry! My mother passed away the previous year and, looking back, I see that, through my research, I was also searching for answers. My mother introduced me to the Welsh hymns and I heard them from her radio set as I fell asleep every sunday night throughout my childhood. I find it difficult to listen back to "Duw a Wyr" because I hear my grief in the music. And although I cant' isten to it, I am proud of the record because I still receive letters today, from people who have been touched by the music.

AmeriCymru: Your album, 'Penmon,' was inspired by your home on Ynys Mon/Anglesey. can you tell us a little about the album?

Lleuwen: "Penmon" was my first adventure with the acoustic guitar! My first record as a songwriter and guitarist as well as singing. There was a sense of freedom in this and I continue along that road.

AmeriCymru: Where can people hear/buy your music online? Any live appearances in the near future?

Lleuwen: to buy the music, put my name into the search on www.sainwales.com and for live appearances, check out www.myspace.com/lleuwen

AmeriCymru: Any plans to visit the States?

Lleuwen: I hope. I wish.

AmeriCymru: Any final message for the members and readers of Americymru?

Lleuwen: thanks for listening. spread the love.

Interview by Ceri Shaw Email

Once again we are proud to offer, as part of our Eisteddfod competitions, the David G. Morris Memorial Competition for Solo Voice. This is our signature competition, with the opportunity to win a cash scholarship ($3,500 US) for travel to compete in the 2017 National Eisteddfod of Wales.

This year’s David Morris Competition will be held Saturday, September 3 , at the Westin Calgary. It is open to singers (residents of the Americas) with some professional training, but whose income is derived only partially from performing. Several David Morris winners have gone on to great success in competing in Wales, including a first-place winner at the 2012 National Eisteddfod in Vale of Glamorgan.

Each competitor is required to sing two pieces from memory (contrasted selections drawn from art song, oratorio or operatic repertoire), at least one of which must be in Welsh. (Competitors should note that participation in the National Eisteddfod of Wales will involve singing in Welsh.)

The NAFOW Eisteddfod entry form, including further details on the David Morris competition, is available here: http://www.nafow.org/WNAA_ NAFOW/PDFs/Forms/forms2016/ eisteddfod_2016.pdf . Entries must be recieved by August 20, 2016 .

For further information on this extraordinary opportunity, please contact us directly (email: eisteddfod@nafow.org ; phone: 412-215-9161 ).

AmeriCymru: Your latest novel - Uncharted has been described as:- "a tale of Tango, unfathomable mysteries, and two ancient lovers who will not be parted". How would you describe it for an intending reader.

Jon: A friend said that it "mythologizes an Argentine woman's journey around the world" and that pretty much sums it up. The woman, Flavia, is in a sort of purgatory, neither alive nor dead. Her story becomes a myth which becomes a religion, a case of global Chinese whispers.

I tried to write about a character much as Dickens' writes about Little Nell, and wanted people to be moved by her death. To make me care a lot about her I modelled the central character, Flavia on my wife Sarah but when I came to killing her off I couldn't because it seemed too much like wishing my wife harm, so I kept her alive. Or seemingly alive!

AmeriCymru: The story is set partly in Buenos Aries, partly in Oakland and partly in Cardiff ( including a wonderful description of Caroline St, the hub of Cardiff's sophisticated nightlife ). What made you choose these locations?

Jon: I've been lucky enough to travel a lot in Latin America but hadn't visited Buenos Aires. When I did I fell completely in love with the place and came back to Wales on fire with a need to write about it. The competition for the prose medal at the Eisteddfod the following year required an urban theme, so I found myself writing about B.A and after some 10,000 words thought where else can I go? I decided to write about other ports I knew well, so plumped for Oakland, California, my wife's home town and as the Eisteddfod was in Cardiff I thought I'd write a judge-pleasing ending and set it in my own home. So it's a tale of three cities.

AmeriCymru: The book is adapted from Dalar Llanw ( Catching The Tide ) which is the first book you have written in the Welsh language. Is writing in a second language ( or perhaps i should say first ) a problematic or an enriching experience?

Jon: I usually try to write prose that has a melody and found writing the English translation difficult at first as I was trying to impose the Welsh "music" on the English version, that is until I decided to go with the English music. Adapting the book also gave me a chance to winnow out some weaknesses, and to alter the ending. The current archdruid James Jones said he didn't like the ending of Dala'r Llanw and I agreed with him, so I tacked on a new conclusion, which is less Hollywood ending and much more lyrical.

AmeriCymru: This is not the first time that your writing has featured an American location. In An Island Called Smith you presented an account of your stay on Smith Island in Chesapeake Bay. Care to tell us a little more about that experience and about the book?

Jon: I was intrigued to read a tiny little newspaper article about the Welsh and Cornish settlers of Smith Island and kept the piece of paper. Years later I was lucky enough to win the John Morgan travel writing prize which funded two trips to Smith Island, a disappearing island because of sea level rise. Here crab fishing is the mainstay of the economy and it was a rare opportunity for me, as a naturalist, to spend time with people who understand the richness and complexity of the natural world in an instinctive way. It's also a Methodist island, and gave me a glimpse of what parts of Wales were like when it was one of the most religious countries on earth.

AmeriCymru: You have also written short stories, some of which are anthologised in a collection titled Big Fish Care to tell us more about this volume?

Jon: I see myself as a short story writer above all else, although it's a form that doesn't sell. I still find this surprising when you consider reduced attention span, the pace of life, etc: it should be conducive to people's lives nowadays. 'Big Fish' mashes up Welsh themes with my take on American style, reflecting the fact I've always read a lot of American fiction, especially John Updike, Annie Proulx and Alice Hoffman. People found the stories zany, and I like that.

AmeriCymru: What is your working routine?

Jon: I have two daughters, Onwy who is twenty months old and Elena, who is five and a half years old I have to write around them, so it's a case of trying to get up before them to write, or doing so after they've gone to bed. Luckily, owing to years of news journalism I can write quickly in the time available. Though they often hear me getting up early and see it as a cue to get up themselves. Anyway 1000 words a day assuages enough guilt to allow me to enjoy the rest of life, and them. They're great kids.

AmeriCymru: Where do you get your ideas?

Jon: If I'm really stuck I deal a card from the Oblique Strategies website. The musician and record producer Brian Eno used to write post it notes in the studio with tips he and his engineer Peter Schmidt culled from their working day. They turned into a physical pack of cards and now you can generate one at random on the website. Even though they're about music they can usually get you out of a corner, or spark something off.

AmeriCymru: How did you become a writer?

Jon: I've always enjoyed writing, but writing books is an offshoot of earning a living as a journalist and trading words in that way. Gradually I've moved away from non fiction to fiction and like the freedoms of lyricism and imaginative flight.

AmeriCymru: Which of your own books do you like the best?

Jon: I'm genuinely proud of 'Uncharted' and like the fact that many people who've read it have enjoyed doing so. Not that it'll be everyone's cup of tea, of course.

AmeriCymru: Where can people order copies of 'Uncharted' and your other works online?

Jon: In the U.S you can get it through the Big Beast, Amazon.com. You have to hunt for some of the others, but Powells is a good place to start.

AmeriCymru: What's next for Jon Gower?

Jon: There's a new Welsh language novel out next year, when I finish it! It draws heavily on my own life and I spend a lot of time trying to protect the innocent! That will be followed by collections of stories in both Welsh and English ('Too Cold for Snow') in 2012 and then, in 2013 or 2014, I'm hoping that my "deep map" of Y Wladfa, the Welsh settlement in Patagonia will see the light of day, ahead of the 150th anniversary of its establishment in 2015. It's inspired by William Least Heat-Moon's wonderful book about Chase County in Kansas.

AmeriCymru: Any final message for the members and readers of AmeriCymru?

Jon: Do check out the books on the long list for next year's Wales Book of the Year, due out in March. I'm one of the judges and even though we've yet to reach year's end it strikes me that there will be some wonderful books on the list, a very strong year seemingly and hopefully a good snapshot of the variety and confidence of Welsh writing at the moment.

Interview by Ceri Shaw Email

Julie McGowan is a Welsh writer, living in Usk, south Wales. Her first novel, ''The Mountains Between'' was a regional best-seller on its first release and is now in its third edition, having received much acclaim in Wales (including promotion on BBC Wales radio). ''Don''t Pass Me By'' is also set in S. Wales. It was released in 2014 and has achieved great sales and reviews.'' Buy ''Don''t Pass Me By'' here

In this article Julie talks about nicknames in Wales:- " It’s a ‘gift’ which we here in Wales have had for generations - the adaptation of people’s names, derived either from a notable physical feature, or their personal habits, jobs, or pastimes. All done completely without malice, and with mutual appreciation of wit at its best, or silliness at its worst. In fact for many years receiving a nickname from one’s work colleagues and friends was a mark of social inclusion and a sign of popularity. "

Her latest publication is an anthology of short stories - 'Close To You'. Buy 'Close To You' here

Have you noticed how, in recent years, people in the public eye have been given nicknames simply by shortening their surnames or adding ‘ers’ to the end? So we have Sir Paul ‘Macca’ McCartney, and David ‘The Hoff’ Hasselhoff. Or couples’ names are blended together, as in ‘Brangelina’ or ‘Posh & Becks’.

The boringness of these names is due possibly to our much more politically correct society, or else it could simply be that none of these people have Welsh families, because, if so, they would have been given much more inventive names.

It’s a ‘gift’ which we here in Wales have had for generations - the adaptation of people’s names, derived either from a notable physical feature, or their personal habits, jobs, or pastimes. All done completely without malice, and with mutual appreciation of wit at its best, or silliness at its worst. In fact for many years receiving a nickname from one’s work colleagues and friends was a mark of social inclusion and a sign of popularity.

My parents’ generation were past masters of the genre, with friends who included ‘Basketass’ – no explanation needed, really; ‘Morgan Bucket’, the origin of which I think had something to do with the shape of his head, and ‘Organ Morgan’ (no relation to Bucket), whose nickname derived not from a reference to any anatomical attribute, but from his musical performances at Sunday chapel.

Best of all, though, was ‘Titty’ Lewis. This chap went through his whole life with this moniker because it was claimed that he was breastfed until he started school. I’ve no idea what his real name was, but there is no evidence to suggest he ever minded this nickname, and, eventually, he was so universally known by it that no-one actually took any notice of its origin or its connotations.

Then there was ‘Gobby’ Davies – not, as one might think, a slangy reference to him talking a lot, but because he started so many sentences with ‘I go’be honest’, while his mate was known as ‘taters n’ gravy’ as he always said that potatoes and gravy was his favourite meal. Yet another friend was called ‘Bonar’ Thomas because apparently, like Bonar Law, the political contemporary of Lloyd George, he talked a lot. For many years my parents referred to a neighbour only as ‘The Widow’, as she moved to the area on the death of her first husband. They continued to call her this even after she re-married, so that her new spouse became confusingly known as ‘The Widow’s husband’.

The local greengrocer was known as ‘Up-and-down Mike’ because his prices varied so much from week to week, and, in my present town, an undertaker was called ‘Ted the Box’, while one of our best known publicans is referred to as ‘Fatty Keys’.

Many of these people are long gone, and with them, possibly, the ability to laugh at each other and themselves and the knowledge that to be given a nickname within the community was a badge of affection and inclusivity rather than the reverse.

My children, however, seem to have inherited the habit from their grandparents. One daughter always calls her younger brother ‘Fatman’, even though he is now very slim, because, as a toddler in a nappy, he resembled a sumo wrestler. He, on the other hand, calls her ‘Gimli’ as her small stature and wild curly hair reminds him, he claims, of the dwarf character in ‘Lord of the Rings’, and our youngest is known to everyone as ‘Titch’ just because she was the last in the line.

A life-long friend of my son is known as ‘The Ginge’ because of his auburn locks, and another is called ‘Dodgy Dave’ because he wheels and deals, even though his real name is Joe. Meanwhile, one of my daughter’s circle is known as ‘Chainsaw Rhys’ to differentiate him from the other Rhys whose skull didn’t have an unfortunate collision with a piece of machinery.

They are already passing the habit on, too. Younger daughter, convinced her sister was expecting a large boy, nicknamed him ‘Tank’. When scans confirmed a girl was on the way, she became ‘Tankini’, although we are all hoping a more regular feminine name will stick once she’s here.

It would be a shame if affectionate nicknames, bestowed with no malice and received as such, were to be sacrificed on the altar of correctness. After all, they haven’t hurt the likes of Twiggy or Whoopi Goldberg, have they?

Julie McGowan