Blogs
New Music Scheme Launches to Support Young Artists In Wales APPLICATIONS OPEN!
By Ceri Shaw, 2021-10-05
Nationwide talent development scheme, Forté Project is giving young artists in their early music careers the opportunity to receive professional industry support and career progression opportunities through its 2021/22 programme. Applications are now open until 18th October.
Ten Wales-based acts between the ages of 16-25 will be selected for the twelve-month programme.
They will work closely with Forté Project and its impressive roster of music industry talent through a series of masterclasses in live performances, 1-2-1 mentoring, recording opportunities, career and business guidance plus professional well-being support.
Now in its seventh year, the prestigious talent development model has a track record of success with young artists in Wales...
Past success stories include BBC Radio Two darling, Otto, who recently supported music legend, Tom Jones. Public Order from Merthyr, who have been chosen to appear on the soundtrack to the best-selling video game, FIFA 22. Pop starlet, Hana Lili, who has recently been tipped on Spotify's 'Radar First Listen' playlist, and her song featured on Love Island 2021 and many more.
Spike Griffiths, project development officer says “We’re so pleased to be bringing the Forté Project back for its seventh year and we’re ready to uncover, support and celebrate a new group of upcoming artists in Wales over the next twelve months.”
Jac from Public Order from Merthyr says, “Forté helped us to buckle down and start making music seriously. That’s when we gave ourselves a name and an identity.”
Pontypridd band CHROMA said, “It’s difficult as an artist starting out, to navigate all the elements that are at play in the music industry. Forte supported our goals and believed in us as artists when we needed to believe in ourselves. Over the pandemic, we have been working on our debut album. We wouldn’t have been able to get the album to the standard that it is at without the early support from the Forte Project.”
Applications for the project are now open via www.forteproject.co.uk until Monday 18 October.
This project has been made possible by the support from the PRS Foundation and Arts Council of Wales.
forteproject.co.uk facebook.com/forteproject10 twitter.com/forteproject10 instagram.com/forteproject10
'A Human Being is the Best Disguise’ is a reworking of Ritual Cloak’s self-titled, largely instrumental debut release, except now with added lyrics and vocals by writer, comedian and spoken word performer Autumn Juvenile. The resultant hybrid takes the glacial electronica of the original album, before injecting it with a cocktail of dark narratives, observational detail and social commentary.
Autumn Juvenile describes the process:
“All lyrics are a mix of real-life lies, workplace gossip, online flirtations and (most unforgivably) pure imagination. They were written on stifling summer nights working in secure mental health units across Cardiff, in between rolling cigarettes for rapists. This is music you can smugly share on your social media; working class fictions for middle class listeners”
The album was recorded at Kings Road Studios, Cardiff, produced by Ritual Cloak and Autumn Juvenile and mastered by Charlie Francis. It also features vocals from Jemma Roper, as well as Ritual Cloak’s Daniel and Andrew. The cover photography is by Daniel Barnett.
Ritual Cloak is comprised of Daniel Barnett, formerly of the band Samoans, and drummer / producer Andrew Sanders. The duo met in 2013 after Daniel answered an ad for a guitarist to join the backing band for singer Jemma Roper. An instant kinship was struck, with both Daniel and Andrew embracing experimentation and a shared love of electronic music. After the split of Samoans in 2018, the pair began playing around with instrumental textures and piano-led ambient soundscapes, all resulting in their well-received self-titled debut in 2019. They followed this with their second album, ‘Divine Invasions’, released on Bubblewrap Records in 2021.
Bandicoot return with new single 'Life Death and Other Things' out via Libertino 08.10.21
By Ceri Shaw, 2021-10-01
It feels fantastic to have Bandicoot back with a brand new single, ‘Life Death and Other Things’ after a summer of re-establishing themselves as one of Wales’s most exciting live bands. Taking its influence from Randy Newman, Bowie’s ‘Station to Station’ and Scott Walker, ‘Life Death and Other Things’ is yet another bold move from a band who are steadily building an envious back catalogue on their journey towards a remarkable debut album.
Vocalist Rhys Underdown explains the story of ‘Life, Death and Other Things’ creation:
“Life, Death and Other Things is a song about songwriting. It captures the frustrations that come with compressing the whole world and all living experience into three minutes and a few words. It describes the surreality of waking up in unrecognisable nightmarish places, and the impossibility of really saying what you mean. It tries to bridge the overwhelming feeling of distance separating yourself from the world around you, an attempt to understand life, death, and everything in between”
Swansea Folk-pop aficionados ‘Lost Tuesday Society’ have announced a brand new album entitled ‘Bee Skin Rug’ which will be released independently on Friday 22nd of October.
‘Lights’ the first single to be taken from the ‘Bee Skin Rug’ album is a terrific uplifting burst of energy that works as a fantastic preview of what we can expect from their new works. Harmony flooded and certainly becoming a real automatic-earworm, ‘Lights’ really excels and shows off ‘Lost Tuesday Society’s new material to a T, and accompanied with the production of acclaimed long-time friend and producer Joe Gibb, LTS are kitted out to establish themselves as a tour de force in their respected genres.
‘Lights’ will be released on Friday 1st of October.
Lost Tuesday Society are Jay Browning (bass) Alfie Scheinman (guitar, flute, vocals) Sarah Birch (guitar, vocals) Darran Browning (guitar, vocals) Simon Jones (drums) Kate Ronconi (violin, vocals)
Lost Tuesday Society are a 6 piece band who have collectively come from a variety of differing musical backgrounds and therefore bring with them a range of personal influences; from traditional and alternative folk, grunge and shoe-gaze, funk, psychedelia and rock.
The result is a unique blend of music with intricate compositions, strong hooks and melody lines combining in a huge dynamic sound that has people up on their feet.
With four vocalists (Sarah, Kate, Darran and Alfie) in the band the harmonies are interesting, beautiful and an important element to the Lost Tuesday Society sound. With a heavier back line and driving rhythm section ( Jay and Simon) and two accomplished guitarists (in Alfie and Darran) the new material presented today has a maturity and edge which is beautifully enhanced by weaving strings (Kate),flute(Alfie) and melodica (Sarah).
HISTORICALLY
In around 2011 Darran and Sarah formed the first murmurings of Lost Tuesday Society with a different line up of excellent musicians joining and contributing over a period of years. ( Darren Beynon, Ian Coote, Julian Clark and Simon Parsons) Alfie Scheinman joined around the time of writing and recording the first self titled album and adding an extra layer of flute, guitar, vocals and songwriting that gave the album it’s own uniqueness. The first album was very well received being more in the style of an alternative folk album with elements of blues and rock thrown in. However the LTS ‘sound’ was well and truly born from this.
In 2019 The final song on this debut album ‘Universe’ was used in a Crime drama in Russia called Maxop. The result was a large following in that part of the world, many Russian messages ( google translated) and shazam and you tube viewings going through the roof.
A few years after the first album, members Simon Jones, Jay Browning and Kate Ronconi joined Lost Tuesday Society and the final lineup was complete; With Kate's incredible violin playing and a much heavier, technical back line (Jay and Simon); the sound has progressed to another level again. The band write collaboratively together as well as individually yet all 6 members contribute to the arrangements and over all flavour of the tracks. With this the second album “Bee Skin Rug’; many of theses songs have already been gigged live far and wide.
LTS have secured their status as festival stalwarts playing Green Man, Shambala and Kendell Calling as well as regular headliners at The Swansea Fringe Festival. To date, the band have graced the stage with the likes of Paolo Nutini, Lianne LaHavas, Pete Doherty, Sister Sledge, Alabama 3, Moulettes, Big Sir, The Real Thing and Mica Paris, Fairport Convention to name but a few. They have played the Acoustic Festival of Britain, Nozstock, Big Cwtch, Kaya Festival and in venues all over south Wales as well as Cardiff, Devon and The Paimpol Festival in Brittany.
Bee Skin Rug is the new album release from Lost Tuesday Society and this album is a far cry from the gentle musings of the first one.
‘Devil in a B and B’ was the first single from the album. Accompanied by the usual self made video. This one was filmed in The Elysium Gallery in Swansea with a ‘talent show’ theme and a queue of volunteers. It is a small taster of the albums direction and is perhaps the most playful and surreal.
The next single to be released is called ‘Lights’ and is perhaps the most fitting song to be released in these strange times. It is up beat and harmony driven (“Haven’t seen light in a while”) and endlessly positive. Something we all need at the moment.
Intertwining violin, flute and guitar with the occasional synth thrown in gives all the music a cinematic, atmospheric landscape; with a darker more foreboding edge in songs like DMT and Propane. ‘Knowing what you are’ and ‘Spaniard’ fuse elements of almost jazz with what can only really be described as Russian Choir-esque.
I suppose giving pertinence to describe LTS as having psychedelic leanings. Subtleties and dynamics play a part in the first track ‘Bee Skin Rug’ where after the huge introduction vocals are simple and delicate leading seamlessly into the second song (the afore mentioned Knowing what you are).
While it sounds on paper like this album shouldn’t work it’s actually very cleverly composed, well played, well sung beautiful music. Often times the lead vocal being taken by different members of the band however still maintaining its very distinct sound. You know you are listening to Lost Tuesday Society!
Recorded and produced by Joe Gibb (David Bowie, The Kinks, Catatonia, Leftfield, Moulettes) at Mwnci Studios (Joe also produced the first self titled album). Joe is basically the 7th band member; knowing the sound and songwriting so well and understanding it. The whole bands efforts and Joe Gibb's production and input has been a huge part of the writing process and the band are hugely proud and excited about people hearing this album.
www.losttuesdaysociety.com
Available for weddings, divorces, births and funerals.
Social Links & Websites
https://twitter.com/losttuesday?lang=en
https://www.instagram.com/losttuesdaysociety/?hl=en
https://www.facebook.com/ltslosttuesday/
https://losttuesdaysociety.bandcamp.com/
https://soundcloud.com/lost-tuesday-society
John MOuse celebrates almost a year since The Goat was released by offering the final single, Buy to Let Industry Expert, up on all streaming sites with an accompanying T Shirt, designed by Welsh International Artist Bedwyr Williams .
A fitting collaboration on the artwork for the single and T Shirt as the lyrical content for the track was inspired by Bedwyr’s Instagram posts at the time, which went onto be part of the MILQUETOAST touring exhibitions.
John MOuse will also finally get to promote the 2020 album live this Autumn at: Clwb Ifor Bach , Cardiff, Oct 28th - Full band and solo sets
And then solo sets supporting Piroshka at
Chalk , Brighton, Nov 2nd
Brudenell Social Club , Leeds, Nov 3rd
Deaf Institute , Manchester, Nov 5th
Brudenell Social Club , Leeds, Nov 3rd
Garage , London, Nov 6th
FOLK POP AFICIONADOS 'LOST TUESDAY SOCIETY' ANNOUNCE BRAND NEW 'BEE SKIN RUG' ALBUM AND ARE SET TO UNVEIL THEIR NEW UPLIFTING SINGLE 'LIGHTS'
By Ceri Shaw, 2021-09-24
Swansea Folk-pop aficionados ‘Lost Tuesday Society’ have announced a brand new album entitled ‘Bee Skin Rug’ which will be released independently on Friday 22nd of October.
‘Lights’ the first single to be taken from the ‘Bee Skin Rug’ album is a terrific uplifting burst of energy that works as a fantastic preview of what we can expect from their new works. Harmony flooded and certainly becoming a real automatic-earworm, ‘Lights’ really excels and shows off ‘Lost Tuesday Society’s new material to a T, and accompanied with the production of acclaimed long-time friend and producer Joe Gibb, LTS are kitted out to establish themselves as a tour de force in their respected genres.
‘Lights’ will be released on Friday 1st of October.
Lost Tuesday Society are Jay Browning (bass) Alfie Scheinman (guitar, flute, vocals) Sarah Birch (guitar, vocals) Darran Browning (guitar, vocals) Simon Jones (drums) Kate Ronconi (violin, vocals)
Lost Tuesday Society are a 6 piece band who have collectively come from a variety of differing musical backgrounds and therefore bring with them a range of personal influences; from traditional and alternative folk, grunge and shoe-gaze, funk, psychedelia and rock.
The result is a unique blend of music with intricate compositions, strong hooks and melody lines combining in a huge dynamic sound that has people up on their feet.
With four vocalists (Sarah, Kate, Darran and Alfie) in the band the harmonies are interesting, beautiful and an important element to the Lost Tuesday Society sound. With a heavier back line and driving rhythm section ( Jay and Simon) and two accomplished guitarists (in Alfie and Darran) the new material presented today has a maturity and edge which is beautifully enhanced by weaving strings (Kate),flute(Alfie) and melodica (Sarah).
N'FAMADY KOUYATÉ - SENGL 'AROS I FI YNA' FT LISA JEN BROWN ALLAN NAWR AR LIBERTINO / N'FAMADY KOUYATÉ - SINGLE 'AROS I FI YNA' OUT NOW ON LIBERTINO
By Ceri Shaw, 2021-09-22
Mae'r brif sengl oddi ar EP cyntaf N'famady Koyaté ‘Aros i Fi Yna’ yn teimlo fel heulwen braf yr haf bach mihangel yn ein cofleidio. Yn un o uchafbwyntiau cerddorol perfformiadau hwylus a llwyddiannus y band mewn sawl gŵyl o Dyn Gwyrdd i Ganolfan Mileniwm Cymru, i enwi ond ychydig.
Mae 'Aros i Fi Yna' yn cynnwys perfformiad gan Lisa Jên Brown (9Bach), yn gân serch sy'n estyn dros gyfandiroedd ac sy'n cael ei fynegi drwy gerddoriaeth afieithus a chywrain N'famady. Mae ei gerddoriaeth wedi'i wreiddio yn nhraddodiad Mandingue o'i famwlad yng Ngorllewin Affrica gydag ysbrydoliaeth gan gerddoriaeth indi, pop a jazz o'i gartref newydd yng Nghymru. "Esblygodd 'Aros i Fi Yna' o fy nghân wreiddiol ‘Dianamô’, yna addaswyd i'r Gymraeg.
Mae'n gân serch am hiraeth a gwahanu; wedi'i ysbrydoli gan yr amser y bûm i'n byw mewn cyfandir gwahanol i'm nghariad, fe drefnon ni gwrdd â'n gilydd hanner ffordd" - N'famady Kouyaté. Mae N'famady wrthi'n teithio gyda Gruff Rhys ar ei daith albym 'Seeking New Gods'. Bydd 'Aros i Fi Yna' yn cael ei ryddhau fel sengl ar 17 Medi ar Recordiau Libertino.
The title track from N’famady Kouyaté's debut EP 'Aros I Fi Yna' feels like the last rays of summer’s golden sun washing over us. It’s a song that became a key musical highlight in N’famady’s joyous and successful performances during this years festival season ….. from Green Man to Cardiff’s Mileniwm Centre, to name just two.
'Aros I Fi Yna' features a guest performance by Lisa Jên Brown (9Bach). It's a love song stretching across continents and expressed through N’famady’s exuberant and intricate music…..Music that’s rooted in the Mandingue tradition of his West African homeland with inspiration from indie, pop, and jazz of his new home in Wales. “Aros I fi Yna evolved from my original song "Dianamô" which means 'your one' and was adapted into Welsh.
It is a song of love, separation, and longing; inspired by the time when I was living in a different continent to my love, and we arranged to meet each other half way.” - N’famady Kouyaté N’famady is now out on the road playing with Gruff Rhys on his Seeking New Gods album tour. 'Aros i Fi Yna' will be released as a single on 17 September on Libertino Records.
Social Links:
https://m.facebook.com/
https://twitter.com/nfamady_
Tapestri, the Americana band fronted by Lowri Evans and Sera Zyborska simultaneously release a Welsh and English version of the same song, Save your Love/Arbed dy gariad.
By Ceri Shaw, 2021-09-17
***English below
Artist: TAPESTRI Title:Save your love Format: Single Label: Shimi Distribution: PYST Digital Release Date: October 8th 2021 Genre: Americana / Folk |
Artist: TAPESTRI Teitl: Arbed dy gariad Fformat: Single Label: Shimi Dosbarthu: PYST Dyddiad Ryddhau Digidol: Hydref 8fed 2021 Genre: Americana / Gwerin |
Mae Tapestri, band Americana Lowri Evans a Sera Zyborska yn rhyddhau fersiwn Gymraeg a Saesneg o'r un gân, Arbed Dy Gariad / Save your Love. Gellir gwrando ar y ddwy gân trwy'r linciau uchod.
“Absolutely captivating” Janice Long, BBC Radio Wales
Bydd Sera Zyborska (o Gaernarfon) a Lowri Evans (o Drefdraeth Sir Benfro) yn gyfarwydd i gynulleidfaoedd miwsig Cymru fel artistiaid dwyieithog sydd wedi bod yn ysgrifennu, perfformio a recordio yn unigol ers amser. Rhyngddynt maent wedi cael eu hyrwyddo ar BBC 6 Music, Radio 2, wedi perfformio ym mhobman o ŵyl y Dyn Gwyrdd i Gŵyl Rhif 6, o King Tut’s yn Glasgow i’r Union Chapel; O Gymru i America i Ffrainc, sydd fel mae'n digwydd, lle bu’r ddwy yn cyfarfod am y tro cyntaf, wrth berfformio ym mhafiliwn Cymru yng ngŵyl Lorient yn Awst 2019.
Sbardunodd y cyfarfod cyntaf hwn syniad i ffurfio band gyda merched ar y blaen, a chreu eu brand eu hunain o ‘Americana’; band â all berfformio ar lwyfannau mawr a chynrychioli lleisiau menywod. Wedi’i ysbrydoli gan The Highwomen, ‘supergroup’ o’r Unol Daleithiau sy’n cynnwys Brandi Carlile ac Amanda Shires, a ffurfiodd fel ymateb i ddiffyg cynrychiolaeth artistiaid benywaidd ar radio a gwyliau canu gwlad.
Mae ei caneuon yn cymryd eu lliwiau cerddorol o balet eang sy'n cynnwys Americana, ‘Roots’, Gwerin a Gwlad.
Roedd eu sengl cyntaf, Open Flame, ar Rhestr Chwarae BBC Radio Wales am sawl wythnos, gyda'r fersiwn Gymraeg yn 'Trac yr Wythnos’' ar Radio Cymru. Fe wnaethant gynrychioli Cymru yn y Global Music Match gyntaf erioed y llynedd ac maent yn edrych ymlaen at chwarae yn FOCUS Wales i gyd-fynd â'r datganiad sengl. Fe fydd Tapestri yn Eglwys St Giles ar Dydd Sadwrn Hydref 8fed FOCUS Wales 2021 » Shows » Sat @ St Giles
Mae ‘Arbed dy gariad’ yn gân am gariad digwestiwn a pha mor hawdd y mae cariadon yn cael eu twyllo i gredu bod hoffter ac agosatrwydd yn cyfateb i ddefosiwn tragwyddol. Daw'r sengl o'u EP a fydd yn cael ei ryddhau yn 2022.
Tapestri, the Americana band fronted by Lowri Evans and Sera Zyborska simultaneously release a Welsh and English version of the same song, Save your Love/Arbed dy gariad.
“Absolutely captivating” Janice Long, BBC Radio Wales
Sera (from Caernarfon) and Lowri (from Newport Pembs) will be especially familiar to Welsh music audiences as two bilingual singer-songwriters that have been writing, performing and recording as solo artists for some time. Between them they have been championed on BBC 6 Music, Radio 2, performed everywhere from Greenman, Festival Number 6, from King Tut’s to the Union Chapel; From Wales to America to France, which is as it happens, where the two met for the first time, performing at the Welsh Pavilion at the Lorient Celtic festival in August 2019.
This first meeting sparked an idea to form a female fronted band and to create their own brand of Americana; an act that could headline and represent women’s voices. Inspired by The Highwomen , a US ‘supergroup’ featuring Brandi Carlile and Amanda Shires, who formed as a response to the lack of representation of women artists on country music radio and festivals.
Their songs take their musical colours from a broad palette that includes Americana, Roots, Folk and Country, all beautifully knitted together through their innate musicality and heartfelt delivery.
Their first release, Open Flame, was on the Welsh A list on BBC Radio Wales for several weeks, with the Welsh language version 'Track of the Week' on Radio Cymru. They represented Wales in the first ever Global Music Match last year and are looking forward to playing at FOCUS Wales to coincide with the single release. Catch Tapestri at St Giles' Church on Saturday October 8th FOCUS Wales 2021 » Shows » Sat @ St Giles
‘Save your love’ is a song about unrequited love and how easily lovers are fooled into believing that affection and intimacy equals everlasting devotion. The single is from their forthcoming EP which will be released in 2022.
Cyfryngau Cymdeithasol/Social Media www.facebook.com/tapestrimusic Twitter @tapestrimusic Instagram @tapestrimusic |
Cysylltu/Contact Bookings: tapestrimusic@gmail.com Label: Shimi Records Cyfryngau/Media: kev@pyst.cymru / Nannon@pyst.cymru |
Once in a lifetime opportunity to join Welsh youth choir heading stateside - Cyfle unwaith mewn oes i ymuno â chôr ieuenctid ar daith i Alabama
By Ceri Shaw, 2021-09-16
Wales’ largest youth movement, Urdd Gobaith Cymru is pleased to announce that applications are now open for its brand-new choir – Côr yr Urdd – which will travel to Alabama in 2022.
The choir will be formed to mark the Urdd’s centenary in 2022 and offer a once in a lifetime opportunity for young people across Wales to come together and perform in Alabama.
Any individuals between the ages of 18 and 25 can apply to be part of the choir and grab a seat on the exclusive trip. There is no need to be a member of a choir already or have previous experience of singing in a choir. Applicants are required to complete an online form and submit a short recording by the 14th of October 2021.
16 winners of this year’s Eisteddfod T digital festival have already been offered the opportunity to join the choir.
The opportunity comes following the transatlantic partnership between the Urdd and UAB, the University of Alabama at Birmingham. As well as organising for the Urdd Choir members to perform at concerts in Alabama, to learn more about the gospel singing tradition and the Civil Rights Movement and history in Alabama, the aim is to invite UAB Gospel Choir to perform at the Urdd Eisteddfod in Denbighshire in 2022.
The relationship between the Welsh and the Afro-American community in Birmingham, Alabama was formed over fifty years ago following a terrorist attack by the Klu Klux Klan on the 16th Street Baptist Church. As a sign of support and solidarity, the people of Wales donated a stained-glass window, and to this day, it is known as the Wales Window.
Siân Lewis, the Urdd’s Chief Executive, and the then Welsh Education Minister Kirsty Williams’s official visit to the church and the young people of Birmingham, Alabama in 2019 strengthened that relationship. As a result, final arrangements for the UAB Gospel Choir’s visit to Wales and the Urdd Eisteddfod in Denbighshire were halted by the global spread of Covid-19.
In light of the pandemic’s challenges, a virtual gospel choir was formed between some Urdd members and UAB students, and to celebrate Thanksgiving in November 2020, they joined forces to sing in Welsh for the first time, to release a cover of Every Praise by Hezekiah Walker, called ‘ Canwn Glod .’
As the Urdd approaches its centenary in 2022 it has ambitious plans to ensure Wales makes a positive impact, to ensure that more people know about Wales, offer international experiences for young people, and celebrate the cultural richness of Wales as well as share good practice with international contacts in the success of increasing confidence, use and enjoyment of a minority language.
Mae Urdd Gobaith Cymru bellach yn gwahodd ymgeiswyr i ymuno â chôr ieuenctid newydd sbon – Côr yr Urdd – fydd yn teithio i Alabama yn 2022.
I nodi canmlwyddiant y mudiad yn 2022 mi fydd Côr yr Urdd yn cael ei ffurfio er mwyn cynnig cyfle unwaith mewn oes i griw o bobl ifanc ddod at ei gilydd a pherfformio yn Alabama.
Mae Côr yr Urdd yn agored i bob unigolyn rhwng 18 a 25 oed. Nid oes angen bod yn aelod o gôr ar hyn o bryd, nac ychwaith i fod â phrofiad blaenorol o ganu mewn côr. Yr oll sydd angen i ymgeiswyr wneud ydi llenwi ffurflen gais ar-lein a chyflwyno recordiad byr erbyn y 14eg o Hydref 2021.
Cyhoeddwyd eisoes bod 16 o fuddugwyr gŵyl ddigidol Eisteddfod T eleni yn cael y cyfle i ymuno â’r côr.
Daw’r cyfle yn sgil partneriaeth drawsatlantig yr Urdd gyda Phrifysgol Alabama ym Mirmingham (University of Alabama at Birmingham). Yn ogystal â threfnu fod Côr yr Urdd yn cael perfformio mewn cyngherddau yn Alabama ac yn dysgu mwy am y traddodiad canu gospel a hanes hawliau sifil yn Alabama, y bwriad yw i Côr Gospel UAB i berfformio yn ystod Eisteddfod yr Urdd Sir Ddinbych 2022.
Ffurfiwyd perthynas rhwng Cymru a’r gymuned Affro Americanaidd ym Mirmingham, Alabama dros hanner canrif yn ôl yn dilyn ymosodiad terfysgol gan y Klu Klux Klan ar Eglwys y Bedyddwyr, 16th Street. Fel arwydd o gefnogaeth ac undod rhoddwyd ffenestr lliw i’r eglwys gan bobl Cymru, a hyd heddiw caiff ei hadnabod fel y ‘Wales Window’.
Bu i ymweliad swyddogol Siân Lewis, Prif Weithredwr yr Urdd, a Gweinidog Addysg Cymru ar y pryd Kirsty Williams â’r eglwys a phobl ifanc Birmingham, Alabama yn 2019 gryfhau’r berthynas hon. O ganlyniad, roedd trefniadau taith Côr Gospel Prifysgol Alabama i ymweld â Chymru ac Eisteddfod yr Urdd Sir Ddinbych 2020 yn cael eu cwblhau pan fu’n rhaid gohirio’r cyfan wrth i Covid-19 ledaenu ar draws y byd.
Ond yn wyneb heriau’r pandemig, ffurfiwyd côr gospel rhithiol ar y cyd rhwng rai o aelodau’r Urdd a myfyrwyr UAB, ac i ddathlu Diolchgarwch ym mis Tachwedd 2020 daethant at ei gilydd i ganu yn y Gymraeg am y tro cyntaf, er mwyn rhyddhau addasiad o ‘Every Praise’ gan Hezekiah Walker, sef ‘ Canwn Glod .’
Wrth i'r Urdd nesáu at ei chanmlwyddiant yn 2022 mae gan y mudiad gynlluniau uchelgeisiol i sicrhau bod Cymru’n cael effaith gadarnhaol a chodi ymwybyddiaeth mwy o bobl am Gymru, i gynnig profiadau rhyngwladol i bobl ifanc, i ddathlu cyfoeth diwylliannol Cymru yn ogystal â rhannu arfer da gyda chysylltiadau rhyngwladol yn sgil llwyddiant cynyddu’r defnydd, hyder a mwynhad o iaith leiafrifol.
Ritual Cloak + Autumn Juvenile to release the powerful new 'National Anthem' Single via Bubblewrap Collective
By Ceri Shaw, 2021-09-08
Following on from lead single ‘You’re The Summer’, ‘National Anthem’ is the next offering from the collaboration between the Cardiff electronic post-rock duo Ritual Cloak, and writer, comedian and spoken word performer Autumn Juvenile. The track is taken from: 'A Human Being is the Best Disguise’, which is a reworking of Ritual Cloak’s self-titled debut release, with new lyrics and vocals by Autumn Juvenile.
Autumn Juvenile outlines the thinking behind ‘National Anthem’:
“This is about Cardiff and the UK becoming a building site. It is about a vision of the high street becoming a shanty town for spice addicts. It is about the bureaucrats who wave the dragon flag with shit-eating grins as they turn our homes into dormitories for students and hoteliers.
I vividly remember writing this in my manager’s office at work, looking out over the well-kept back gardens of Pontcanna. Two unused lines: ‘For the uncle who called me a faggot/I’m happy being a maggot in the apple’; ‘I would say I have a massive chip on my shoulder, but I don’t want to lean into the stereotype that all Welsh people eat is chips’”
National Anthem is set to Unearthed from the album, Ritual Cloak.
The album was recorded at Kings Road Studios, Cardiff, produced by Ritual Cloak and Autumn Juvenile and mastered by Charlie Francis. It also features vocals from Jemma Roper, as well as Ritual Cloak’s Daniel and Andrew. The cover photography is by Daniel Barnett.
Ritual Cloak is comprised of Daniel Barnett, formerly of the band Samoans, and drummer / producer Andrew Sanders. The duo met in 2013 after Daniel answered an ad for a guitarist to join the backing band for singer Jemma Roper. An instant kinship was struck, with both Daniel and Andrew embracing experimentation and a shared love of electronic music. After the split of Samoans in 2018, the pair began playing around with instrumental textures and piano-led ambient soundscapes, all resulting in their well-received self-titled debut in 2019. They followed this with their second album, ‘Divine Invasions’, released on Bubblewrap Records in 2021.