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AmeriCymru spoke to Welsh crime fiction writer and roving guitarist Andrew Peters:-
" I was born in beautiful Barry on June 21st many years ago. That''s the longest day of the year ("Bloody felt like it too" Mrs GE Peters) so I have always yearned for the sun. After looking for it in vain in the UK, I toured the world as a guitarist and finally settled in Spain in 2004. "
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AmeriCymru: Hi Andrew and many thanks for agreeing to be interviewed by AmeriCymru. Can you tell us a little about your Welsh background and how you came to be living in the wilds of central Spain?
Andrew: I was born in beautiful Barry on June 21st many years ago. That''s the longest day of the year ("Bloody felt like it too" Mrs GE Peters) so I have always yearned for the sun. After looking for it in vain in the UK, I toured the world as a guitarist and finally settled in Spain in 2004.
My parents left Wales when I was 10 and insisted I accompany them, but I have returned often, since my mother''s family are landed gentry in the millionaire''s playground of Aberdare, and Mother now lives in upmarket Saundersfoot.
AmeriCymru: At what point did you take up writing crime fiction? Would you describe your work as crime fiction?
Andrew: I never wrote anything at all until June 2012, when I wrote a story about murdering my ex (every boy''s dream) in response to some banter with Facebook friends. Inside two months, I had forty short stories written, all brilliant, and probably dictated by aliens.
Most of my stuff is crime related, and definitely fiction, though I am not one for the meticulously researched police procedural, and there will be no ritual serial killers sending cryptic clues to drunk policemen with unsupportive bosses and troubled marriages.
Most of my stuff has a Welsh connection and my puerile humour, but I did write two "straight" crime novels (JOE SOAP & SUBTRACTION) from which all Welshness and every joke was carefully removed. People still claimed to laugh at them.
AmeriCymru: Can you tell us a little about Otis King, Memphis'' Number One Welsh Blues detective?
Andrew: Well, The Blues Detective started out as just one short story in a collection, but has now expanded to twenty short stories, three Kindle novellas and two novels.
Otis K 
AmeriCymru: Care to introduce your character Retired Chief Superintendent Williams (the semi-legendary "Williams Of The Yard") for our readers?
Yes, I know...very far-fetched.
AmeriCymru: We learn from your bio that you share your place with two gorgeous local cats, more guitars than you can count and a fridge full of wine. Can you tell us a little about your guitar collection?
Andrew: Well.....one picture is worth 1000 words...
AmeriCymru: And,.... the all important question, are you a red or white wine drinker?
Andrew: Yes! But only to excess.
AmeriCymru: What are you reading at the moment? Any recommendations?
Andrew: I don''t read much at all these days, much prefer the guitars and getting outside in the real world. I recommend Robert B Parker, Damon Runyon, Dylan Thomas & PG Wodehouse...all of whom are too dead to sue me for blatant plagiarism.
AmeriCymru: What''s next for Andrew Peters? What are you working on at the moment?
Andrew: I think my oeuvre is complete now, ten books seems a nice round number, and nobody''s offering me millions to churn out any more. Not written a word since August and have no ideas.
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the readers and members of AmeriCymru?
Andrew: Awfully nice of you to chat to me, everyone please buy all my books immediately and make me stinking rich, famous and more attractive to women. Failing that, never forget you''re Welsh and if you ever have any Blues-related cases that need solving, call Otis King 634-5789
As Dana Scully peered into the thick conifer forest , she tried to rationalise the events leading up to the phone call.
The scene before her included an empty black ‘Son of Sam’s’ Taxi Cab with all doors and boot open wide. The Car keys were still in the ignition and the ‘For Hire’ sign was still illuminated.
Scully had concluded that someone had left in a hurry.
Fox Mulder had already made his mind up .
To him the answer was staring them in the face.
The empty cab, the reports of unusual sequences of flashing lights, the severed conifer branches and the huge felled pine tree blocking the sole entrance and exit to the Garw Nant layby could mean only one thing……
“ Loggers!” cried Scully suddenly.
Looking down at the discarded laptop in the back seat, Mulder replied. “ Well Scully there is DNA evidence of someone logging on in this layby but this crap circle has only possible explanation ……..alien abduction.
Scully, didn’t agree ….her examination of the cab interior found a blob of ectoplasm and a referee’s whistle on the passenger side seat.
Strange indeed….the most remarkable discovery was that of a gold chain hanging from a severed branch bearing a faded inscription….weathered and exposed to great heat and smoke.
Solicitor Ferrari Armani leaned back in his leather chair.
His latest client reminded him of the Sharon Stone character Catherine Trammell in the Basic Instinct in the way she crossed her legs .
The thought made him shudder as he remembered his former assistant ‘Jane Scampi Fries’ Davies and her own basic instink.
The brief had his own share of briefs over the years and had become accustomed to predatory women in his job as the Premier Valleys Divorce Lawyer but lately even he was becoming disturbed by the growing number of divorces.
His Ex-Files had reached stellar proportions as a growing number of Welsh women were citing that there men were being abducted by alien women.
It wasn’t the three- breasted kind from Venus …….but the two breasted kind from Vilnius and Bratislava who had flooded in to replace the Portuguese and Eastern European migrant workers from the local meat factory.
Tales of the unexpected turned to tales of complaints that their men had grown cold towards them ….brought on by ‘VWF’.
‘Vilnius white fallus’ was a disease known to affect the nether regions of Eastern European men due to long periods in the sub-zero meat factory.
Attempts by Armani to claim for the workers condition had failed to stand up in court.
The ‘knock –on’ (or knocking off ) effect was that the red-blooded Portuguese and Eastern European women became the ‘other woman’ in the Divorce Petitions.
All too common they were blaming the breakdown of the relationship on a certain pulling in place at Garw Nant as the scene of their infidelity.
Adjusting his ballpoint, Armani winced and sat forward intently fingers crossed.
“ So please tell me all the sordid details…….with diagrams if possible!!!!!”
Fox Mulder knelt by the side of the reservoir carefully scooping up another sample of ectoplasm that had dripped off the gold chain.
He could make out some of the letters….. M …OR ….but the rest of the letters were blurred ….it was no good .
The liquid slid down the glass phail like Louise Armstrong starting life.
Soon it would be in a test tube in a FBI laboratory in Washington.
Footprints leading into and away from the taxi-cab had been accompanied by various animal tracks….some canine…some part-human leading into the forest and surrounding Cwm Cadlan reservoir.
The Fox was foxed…..he was stumped…..witnesses had heard weathergirl Ulrika Johnsson announce on CB radio that the coast was clear on Dogger Bank followed by reports of unexplained flashing lights, cars arriving on mass at the various lay-bys……followed by reports of strange mooning creatures …then empty vehicles…with the only sign of life wriggling on the floor ….like celebrity come dancing.
He needed to get to the bottom of the mystery and he felt that the gold chain with the inscribed lettering was the key to the enigma.
As he entered his flexi-card into the Council work clock Mikey ‘One-Peeper’ Orwell had a wry smile on his uneven face.
Thursday Night he thought…..realising that he could see more dogging than White City at it’s prime…..he loved his job as CCT camera-man and his regular bonus of the goings on at Garw Nant meant that his minimum wage pay was compensated by his ‘win-a-lot’ on the dogs on Thursday night.
His sideline of blackmailing the local businessmen had kept him happy as he sat down to cut letters out from the Merthyr Depress for his next victim.
The Mayor passed by his camera booth busily looking for his missing ceremonial gold chain.
Ferrari Armani had done some digging , his investigation of the missing husband’s mobile phone had led him to the dilapidated Pontmorlais area of Merthyr Tydfil.
The telephone directory had given him a PO BOX registered to a disused listed building in the area…but which one there was so many…….
He was so engrossed that he failed to notice the whirr and click of the CCT camera overhead watching his every move.
His hunch led him to the old Dole Office partly ravaged by fire with water pouring out on to the once proud promenade.
During it’s 1980’s heyday the Dole Office was Merthyr’s biggest employer as Yehoudi Menuhin and other fiddlers signed on with cement and gloss-covered hands.
Today it stood empty….a Listed memory of Thatcher’s legacy.
He dialled the last recorded number on the mobile phone.
In the distance beyond the locked gates he could make out the sound of telephone ringing in tandem with the mobile.
The phone was answered by a female voice which sounded like the voice of an Angel.
The Charlotte Church sound-a-like enquired as to what service he required.
Cleaning the window-pane with his 9 carat gold embroidered handkerchief he could just make out the woman of his dreams on the other end of the mobile.
Reading from the caller display on the phone Armani asked in his best George Clooney voice “Is this East Romanian Prostitute Escort Services?”
“ Yes,….you have ERPES came the call-girl reply….pushing the top set of her false teeth out with her tongue sexily.
Repulsed Armani realised the Granny Sex Line based in the old dole office he had just connected to had his former Mother-in Law “Bubbles” sat amongst it’s recruits.
UB 40 he thought…..you be sixty if you’re a day!!!!
Feigning an excited response he stammered out a question to the toothless telephonist.
“ What’s got 52 teeth and a monster behind it?” he posed.
“ Que?” asked the gummy granny…wasting another £1.50 of call time.
“ My zip….!!!!!” He chuckled in character “ Where can I get a layby in a layby?” he quizzed the former all in wrestler with more chins than a chinese phonebook.
Without dropping her pipe , the bearded lady replied “ Try Garw Nant …what celebrity look-a-like do you want?”
Looking through the panes at the OAP sweat-shop the brief replied.
“ Tina Turner comes to mind….for some steamy windows”
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The Mayor looked here, the Mayor looked there but his Goldie looking Chain was missing.
Think ….where did I have it last……he checked his desk…his ermine robe…even the Chamber….no sign and he was due to meet some important Arab clients who wished to invest in Pontmorlais .
He couldn’t go to the meeting without his chain… he would feel naked…
A sudden image returned to his brain like a sudden morning after flashback.
His mouth opened with horror as he suddenly remembered where he had left it hanging.
In through the chamber door came the Faisal brothers who having seen the state of the buildings in Pontmorlais wanted to twin Merthyr with Baghdad.
Burping and farting his way through the buffet the cultural ambassador for Merthyr told his guests that we have many similar customs and third world conditions.
After sloshing down his sherry, the Chainless Mayor and the Iraqi Shiites were both well oiled!!!!!!
Forestry Commissioner Philip Mad doc Jones had seen some sights over the years in the Cwm Cadlan woods…some good…some as scary as in his Doctor Who days and more recently downright bizarre.
Tonight was to be no exception.
He sat silently as a well to do Solicitor pulled into the Garw Nant lay-by in his Silver Mercedes .
Ever since his fall from grace the former actor had left behind the stressful life of the big screen to follow his first love of nature and the wildlife that surrounded the Garw Nant visitor centre and reservoirs of Cwm Cadlan.
Many thought that the former ‘Magua’ had already ‘pined away’ but the lure of the heron, fishing and the clean ozone had preserved this former celebrity.
But lately the wildlife had been wilder than he had imagined and he had asked the Council to place CCT cameras at the entrance of the lay-bys to record footage of the Un-welcome visitors to this sacred haven.
The change of occupation had also helped avoid his ex-wife Ruth who was keen on a reconciliation and kept popping into his studio just to say “ Hi-De-Hi”.
This “ Ruth of all evil” drove him to distraction and the phrase still made his skin crawl.
He lie motionless in the carpet of pine cones as one by one the cars arrived for their dusk trysts.
The Silver Mercedes had been joined by a Black Taxi, a red BMW convertible, a Discovery Range Rover, a Pink Cadillac and more bizarrely three red ford escorts.
The Solicitor had been joined in the Mercedes by two women from one of the ford cars.
Inside the car the former actor could see two rubenseque shaped women who were Doppelgangers for Tina Turner and Native Red Indian comedienne Rosanne Barr.
In the Cadillac, Madoc could make out the shape of an Elvis look-a-like ‘rubbernecking’ and cavorting with Paris Hilton.
Inside the Range Rover sat a weird bearded man who was sat in a giant nappy reading a copy of the Financial Times.
The most sickening sight of all a Catherine Zeta Jones look-a-like was snogging passionately with an old dimpled man twice her own age.
Wriggling on his belly the former Dad’s Army U Boat Captain noticed a number of ‘Up periscopes’ on display as he reached the tree line.
“ Gott in Himmler!” he exclaimed as he realised that a number of real minor celebrities had gathered around the cars. .
Through the half-light he could just make out the shapes of Stanley Collimore, Jimmy Saville , his old pal Jim Bowen and darts announcer Tony Green.
And the Swedish woman naked bar for a shiner must be Ulrika Johnsson.
Most fearful of all was the sight of a yellow jacketed female camp hostess with luminous red lipstick
His Ex-wife was still looking to stalk him.
“ Now that’s what you call an Escort Service!” chuckled Mikey ‘One Peeper’ Orwellas the troop of look-a-like prostitutes left the red ford vehicles.
He couldn’t believe his eye as he began to witness images of celebrities over and undereach other the likes of which had not been seen since celebrity squares finished.
His ‘match of the day’ camera had caught a premiership referee being blown offside.
“ Bullseye….. ” he squealed in delight as he zoomed in on Tony Green and Jim Bowen pimping through the Mercedes at the Solicitor being straddled by a Private Dancer nearing his Nut-bush City Limits and a naked Red Indian woman in nearing his lap-top.
Looking at the Elvis figure….he trained his blackmail device squarely on this ‘You ain’tnothing but a Hound Dogger….followed by -a teddy boys picnic-“ If you go down in thewoods today…he hummed as he pressed the record button on the camera.
Listen here: Under Milk Wood
The National Museum in Cardiff currently (until 16 March) has an extraordinary exhibition by Peter Blake of his illustrations for Under Milk Wood . See it!
Every afternoon they play the recording by George Martin from 1988 which features a great deal of music and performances by 40 Welsh actors including Sir Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce as 1st and 2nd Voice.
Musical performances from Sir Geraint Evans , Mary Hopkin , Tom Jones, Bonnie Tyler create a unique experience with music specially written, including by Elton John.
I have strung together this musical selection for todays Radio Glamorgan show with as little interruption as possible. (Sadly there was a microphone malfunction and rather more post production than is good - but the music is fine!)
When you enjoy it seek out the album and hear the whole story of Llareggub. ( CD EMI 7243 5 85157 2 5 ) I do not get referral for the record and I would prefer you to buy from your local record shop 
In all his fifty years of farming on the Gurnos, Farmer Oates had never seen a sight quite like it. One minute he was rounding up his straying sheep and the next he'd found a stray that just didn't belong.
Clinging for dear life to the rock face of the Morlais Castle was the fat, balding, Gerry Mander. Despite the Autumn mist there could be no mistaking his local representative, the Portcullis emblazoned on his vest clashing with polka dotted pink jockey shorts. Gerry never had any taste! he thought as he gazed up, some hundred feet above his head.
"Well goodness me, Gerry. What are you doing up there?"
"I'm practising my next public address at Speaker's Comer... . What the hell do you think I’m doing?"
Oates remembered then why he didn't vote for him the last time.
"My life is in ruins. I feel as if I've lost the winning lottery ticket... I'm going to jump!" "Your life's in ruins? What about us poor farmers? I'm down to my last £300,000! What with the EC quotas and the BSE crisis ...."
"But you're a sheep farmer!" Gerry interrupted. "What has BSE got to do with you?"
"They've stopped using my infected sheep in the cattle feed, that's what. But look at you, you've got the lot! Big house, good job, plenty of money. Why do you want to end it all?!"
"You'll read it all in the Merthyr Express this week! It's all down to a chance meeting with a total stranger on the Bryniau Common. Offered me Welsh Rarebit at his place. I was curious, see. I'd never had Welsh Rarebit, Caribbean style!"
Farmer Oates looked surprised and said
"A man of your education! I'm surprised you didn't use a bit of'common'." "Well, that's why I'm here, in this predicament!"
"Don't worry, I'll dash back to the farm house and get a tow rope. Soon have you down from there."
"Tow rope! Oh God! I remember. They've pinched my car! The despatch box! All my bits and pieces! Now there's real trouble."
"Losing the Dispatch Box ? Perhaps you'll lose the Whip!" "That WAS part of my bits and pieces."
"Sentimental value then?"
*****
Meanwhile, to the rear of The Gumos Tavern, a Rastaman, dreadlocks waving in the night wind, jemmied open the boot of a gold coloured Ford Granada.
"It's Christmas again," said one of his interested apprentices, peering into the boot. "Almost as much drugs as they found in Elvis, I'll bet!"
"Hush up and open the box," said the Rasta. "We could be putting a lot of bread on the table with what's in there!"
As the apprentice opened the red box, inflation took over! Looking up at the Rasta he said
"I don't know about bread, man, but can you get mutton from a blow-up sheep?"
"Hello! Merthyr Express? Farmer Oates here, speaking from Pontsam. Got an exclusive for you. Bring a photographer and the usual twenty pieces of silver to Morlais Castle Quarry. If it's a cheque, make it payable to 'Public Spirited Citizen' - I'd prefer my good works to be anonymous. Income tax, you know!"
Meanwhile, Gerry Mander wondered if finding his way on to the quarry ledge was another 'Error of Judgement'. Yesterday, he was a happy, thriving, thrusting member of the Labour Taffia. Today the world was literally at his feet but he was without car, mobile phone, pride and his dignity. Even his'R Mahoney' suits were all gone. His panic drove him to hallucinate. From his left shoulder someone said
"Go on, jump. What are you waiting for?"
He turned to see a little creature in a red suit holding a mini pitchfork. The face seemed familiar.
"I know you," said Gerry, "You're that Old Devil Horace Charles Jones, Poet Esq."
"You public servants are all the same ... two brains and no balls. Go on, make the world a better place - jump," snarled the imp.
"Why are you tormenting me?" sobbed Mander
"Well I couldn't find any other druid at this time in the morning and besides I hate ALL Public figures, especially bent ones."
"Don't listen to him!" From his right shoulder came a second voice.
"Think of your family man. Put your wife and children first. Sit down and wait for the Fire Brigade."
The voice belonged to another familiar figure, this time dressed in white. Peering, Mander could make out the face of the second voice.
"God forgive you. You're Ironmaster William Crawshay ... . I recognise you from the painting I stole from my Castle School ... surely you didn't come from Heaven?" "Cefn, actually! Short for Catholic Heaven.. and my God did forgive me ... he told me so in the 'Vatican', that well known public house on my way to Cefn." "Ignore him, mun!" interjected the Imp. "He's been on the Holy Water again. You've got life insurance haven't you ... jump and we can all enter the 'spirit' world."
Gerry's head flashed to and fro, Wimbledon style, between his two Faustly companions.
"He's right!" moaned Gerry. "I deserve to die. I've committed too many sins ... ."
"There's no such thing as too many sins. Look at me, I've got my wings!" said Crawshay, sounding rather like Father Ted.
"Hark at the Angel; sermonising from the Mount ... and that's enough verse ... I'm the Dead Poet remember," waxed Jones the Red, lyrically.
"Confess and you shall be saved my son, "Whispered the Seraph.
"Well, it started in 1997 after my landslide victory by two votes from Keir Hardie Junior Junior Junior... a small town boy arriving in Westminster. Fresh from my Cyfarthfa Gramma' School H'education I was easy prey for the Chief Rod and Black Whips!" confessed Mander. "Don't you mean the Black Rod and Chief Whips?" enquired the Cherub. He meant what he said," roared Jones in a demonic voice. "After that, I was introduced to Mandy and his Millennium Dome and my life has been a sordid existence of Kinky Sex, Drink and Niagara since," continued Mander. "You mean Viagra," queried the Imp.
"Niagara ... mine falls after the stuff. I've gone from being a chapel-going unionist son of a miner to a Red in the Bed Trouser Pocket Socialist with a libido to match my IQ." "See, you haven't changed that much then," suggested Crawshay. "Look at me. I changed when I came to Wales. I had more than my share of chambermaids, serving wenches, even the odd Pandy pit pony when I was desperate. But I was saved from eternal damnation and came back as a higher life form. There's hope for anyone."
"I've often wished to come back in a higher life form," mused Gerry.
From the quarry top came the sound of a hunting horn and hooves.
"I say old boy ... you in the polka dot shorts ... who are you talking to down there?" The Head of the Taf-Fechan Hunt peered down from his steed.
"Yoiks it's Gerry! I nearly didn't recognise you without your apron and lederhosen. Remember me? Paul from the Lodge on Tuesday nights!"
"Oh thank God ... it's a brother. Pull me up old chap, I've changed my mind .., er I'll never sleep walk again." said Gerry turning round, uncovering his face. "No can do old chap ... remember the Anti Hunting Bill you proposed ... well how can I put it ... as far as the Hunt is concerned you're well and truly foxed ... Tally Ho ... Soho.. hohoho!!!" "I'll table an amendment to exclude Vaynor!" But Gerry's voice disappeared into the lifting mist.
Soho he thought, that place had contributed to his downfall and THAT local land deal.
"What local land deal?" asked Crawshay, reading his thoughts. "Don't you read the Express?" asked Jones.
"Who does?" replied Crawshay.
"Well it was your land they sold. Ask him about him being slagged off for his measly £1.00 tip?" stirred the homed one moving his pitchfork in a circle and then into Gerry's back. Gerry winced, not with pain but with embarrassment.
"Look at him complaining about back stabbing ... that would've cost you £30.00 at your usual Club!" sneered the Devil.
Looking down Gerry could see the Firemen and Police racing past the burning Granada towards the quarry along the Cart track adjoining Gumos Farm. Screeching to a halt, out jumped an overweight Policeman who, having run some ten yards, arrived exhausted.
"Don't jump Minister. The BBC Wales cameras haven't arrived yet!!!"
"Stand back!" shouted Farmer Oates, powering his way to the front of the crowd, waving his camcorder. "If anybody's getting a tape to Mandy Dingle for the £500 it's me."
"Is there one or two "Rs" in Gerry?" shouted up the Express Reporter who was acting on (and with) a hunch. "Only we want to get the obituary column to read proper."
Gerry was oblivious to the remark. Gazing down with unseeing eyes he failed to notice the Elvis impersonator collecting for Children in Need from the gathering crowd. Nor did he see the local Fire Brigade repairing their safety nets with sticky tape. His mind drifted back to the back benches of Westminster and the Maastricht debating that had taken up so much time.
The static and the raucous tones of the 'Mouth of Merthyr' filling the quarry brought him back to reality. "Live on Valley's Radio we will hold a Jack Straw Poll to determine Mr Mander's successor. But first, we have a special DEADication from your loyal Local Labour Party ... Van Halen's'JUMP'." The sound of heavy metal music wailed into the morning sky, gently replacing the whiff of Trecatti No 9
Gerry could hardly believe his ears and eyes. Word gets around so quickly in Merthyr, he mused as he gazed at the three ice-cream and potato vans illegally parked on the Sanatorium Hill. His eyes began to fill with moisture as his life flashed before his eyes. If I die this way I'll become a Martyr he thought. Raising his right foot, he felt like Dic Penderyn ready to face his accusers. Loyalty, Trust and Party Politics meant nothing, he sighed.
Suddenly, the voice of his faithful under-secretary John Thomas boomed into the quarry from above. "Grab this R A Bush roller pole ... I'll pull you up. You may be out of the Cabinet, the closet and politics but you can always lead the Welch Assembly" cried his aide. "The Welch Assembly! You voted for that shower" cried Crawshay. "You've buggered Wales worse than I ever did. Listen to the Imp and jump NOW!!!"
Grasping the greasy pole, Mander climbed to the top, smiling as only the hopeful driver of a future gravy train does.
As he reached the rim of the quarry, he mentally saluted his rescuer. But Gerry's glee was short lived. He hadn't seen the magnificent shot played from the 13th tee of the nearby golf course. As the golfball struck the back of his head, he teetered on the brink for a second before plunging to his death on the quarry floor.
A moment's silence was replaced by a rapturous, spontaneous applause from the gathered throng below.
John Thomas tried to work out the sudden increase in volume until he realised that Gerry had landed on the Express Reporter.
As the Council Leader replaced his nine iron he knew he played a masterstroke.
"Book me a season ticket for Cardiff Bay" he said to his Director of Golf and Fairway Services.
Unnoticed by the pair, two flies left the quarry floor heading in the direction of the Vatican. Gerry had got his wish!!!
He had translated to a higher life form.!
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To coincide with headlining her first Celtic festival at Los Angeles St. Davids Day Celebrations in Hollywood, Meinir Gwilym will be releasing her North American debut album. Featuring duets with world famous opera star Bryn Terfel, the album is a mix of celtic, folk and pop, and aims to introduce Meinirs brand of Welsh music from the traditional to the modern Celtic to a new audience.
The Album
- Will be released on March 1 st , Wales Patron Saints Day
- Titled Celt it will be available in record shops, and online
- Features some of Meinirs favourite Welsh folk songs, previously unreleased English tracks written by Meinir, and classic duets with the best bass-baritone in the world.
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A quote from Meinirs management- Were very excited to be showcasing Meinirs music in North America. Since releasing her first work in 2002, shes built up a massive following in Wales and throughout Europe. Weve been receiving a lot of enquiries from North America,so now is a great time to be releasing an album out there.
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The Festival
- Welsh descendants and Welsh ex-pats will all converge on the Cinefamily Silent Movie Theater in Hollywood, California on March 1 st for the 2014 Los Angeles St. Davids Day Festival-Grand Concert. The festival promises to be a smashing hit with headliner Meinir Gwilym (Llangristiolus, Anglesey) making her North American debut.
- Also included in the Concert - Christopher D. Lewis, Welsh Choir of Southern California, Aedan MacDonnell, Welsh language workshops, Welsh food, gifts, book releases, and kids crafts.
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"Im very excited to see the reaction of attendees when Meinir Gwilym takes the stage." Festival Curator Lorin Morgan-Richards states, "There is no greater musician right now that has yet to perform in the states. Meinir will be performing songs from her new album. The Cinefamily Silent Movie Theater is a historic venue that has seen many famous faces grace its stage, and being in Hollywood, weve also had generous support from Welsh stars like Michael Sheen, Ioan Gruffudd, Henry Thomas, and Richard Burtons and Frank Lloyd Wrights families."
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For more information about the festival visit: www.aravenabovepress.com
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Meinir Gwilym
Born and raised in the heart of Ynys Mon (the Isle of Anglesey), singer-songwriter Meinir Gwilym has established herself as one of the best selling Welsh language artists ever. Her first release Smcs, Coffi a Fodca Rhad (Cigarrettes, Coffee and Cheap Vodka) in 2002 met with phenomenal response with her unique voice and punchy lyrics, Celtic/acoustic/folk-rock/pop being hailed as one of the most original and inspired compilations to come out of Wales in years. The follow-up album Dim ond Clwydda (Nothing but Lies) sold thousands within the first few months of release in November 2003. Meinir Gwilym has appeared at all major festivals in Wales, and performs either with her multicultural band in larger venues or on her own, acoustically at small events.
With her no-gimmicks image, she gets inspiration from everyday life, locally and worldwide and composes all her own songs.
Meinir is endorsed by Yahama, and has received numerous awards for her music and her songwriting.
www.facebook.com/meinirgwilym1
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An Interview With Meurig Williams - Author Of 'Perspectives Of A Gay American Immigrant Scientist'
By AmeriCymru, 2014-02-20
Meurig: Yes, this was published by Amazon as a paperback in December, 2013. A Kindle online version is also available.
AmeriCymru: Tell us a little about your Welsh background.
Meurig: Over the generations my family members have been involved in a very wide range of occupations, including farmers, coal miners, small shopkeepers, paramedics, running a small betting organization, paratrooper who landed in Normandy on D-Day, policeman, many teachers at schools and universities, an uncle who died at the age of 107 and whose funeral was attended by many of his college students from far afield including European countries, consulting Forensic Engineer, Foreign Office professional, Chairman of British Beer festivals, human rights lawyer in Africa, Mayor of a town, County Council member, Associate Director of Education, escort for social events to an unmarried Conservative Lord Mayor of London, CEO of a chain of retirement homes, CEO of the Welsh TV station S4C, TV host (on S4C) of a Welsh cultural affairs programme together with Owen Edwards, managing directors at large banks and other companies, an MBE and a CBE. The free secondary education afforded by state-funded grammar schools, founded in the 1944 Education Act, and State Scholarships to universities which were based on merit, were strongly instrumental in the career success of recent generations. By emigrating to the United States in 1962 I lost touch with many of these interesting and colorful people so, in that sense, it was a double edged sword.
It is a matter of significance and pride to me that almost of these family members are or were fluent in the Welsh language, mostly for the purpose of everyday discourse. Others, I am proud to point out (I was not among these) are/were experts in Welsh to high academic standards. In fact, one of these, was the first woman president of the Dafydd Ap Gwilym Society at Oxford University, to which I also briefly belonged, until it quickly became evident that my ability to express thoughts beyond those required for everyday existence was just not there. In the last few decades there has been strong resurgence in Welsh pride in general, and the Welsh Assembly, created in 1998, must have contributed to this, as did the fine St David’s Hall, built in 1982, where concerts and other events of international stature are held, perhaps the most prestigious being the Cardiff “Singer of the World” competition for opera singers from all over the world. It is notable that this building was highly praised by The New York Times architectural correspondent. Ability to speak the Welsh language is a big part of this pride and today, for most public jobs in Wales, such as teaching and representation in local government, applicants are required to demonstrate their proficiency in the language, whether purely verbal or in written form. What a change from the days of “Welsh Not” when pupils were punished for speaking Welsh in schools in the late 19th and early 20 century, and this apparently persisted in some schools in North Wales until the 1940s.
AmeriCymru: How about your education?
Meurig: After Llandeilo Grammar school, I entered Jesus College, Oxford with a Meyricke Exhibition in 1955, interestingly (to me at least) the same award that was held by T E Lawrence (of Arabia). I received a first class honors degree in chemistry, followed by a DPhil (that is the Oxford fancy version of PhD) in peptide chemistry. You may have noticed that amino-acids always have the letter L preceding their names. This is because amino-acids can exist in two forms, L and D, which are identical except that they are mirror images of each other, just like our hands are. L and D stand for Laevo (left) and Dextro (right). A string of several amino-acids joined together form peptides, which constitute many naturally occurring substances in the human body, for example OXYTOCIN, a well-known pituary hormone affecting human reproduction. Proteins are simply very long strings of amino-acids joined together. One of the mysteries of nature is that almost all of the amino acids in naturally occurring peptides and proteins are of the L configuration. On account of their physiological importance, laboratory synthesis of peptides is of huge importance to pharmaceutical companies. Such synthesis is complicated by many factors, not the least being that, in most cases, some of the L form is converted to the D form during the synthesis, like an umbrella turning inside-out in the wind. The D form is then an impurity, so it is important to minimize its formation. That requires understanding how and why it occurs. Generating that understanding was my task in order to get a DPhil degree under the guidance of Dr G T Young, who had also been my undergraduate tutor. Sometimes luck does come one’s way, and I was able to solve that problem quantitativelyI was offered a Fulbright scholarship by Professor Sir Ewart Jones, a fellow Welshman who was born in the small town Rhostyllen, near to Wrexham, and was described as the most influential British scientist of his generation on account of his contributions to government committees, etc. The Fulbright would have provided very generous financial support over 2 years for continued studies at a university of my choice.
AmeriCymru: When and why did you emigrate to the United States?
Meurig: The Fulbright offer came with a caveat – I had to commit to returning to the UK after its completion. To the big surprise of Professor Jones, I declined and told him that I wanted more flexibility, but I did not tell him that the reason for that was primarily to escape from the horrendous homophobia which was prevalent in England at that time. Some will remember the notorious Lord Montagu case. Words like “monstrous perversion” were newspaper headlines for months on end. Murder was a crime against society, but homosexuality was a crime against nature.
Several times during the course of my career, I received letters from Professor Jones enquiring about my well-being and career, and mentioned that he occasionally ran into Dr Young. It was much later that it occurred to me what he may have been getting at. Dr Young’s wife had become Baroness Young of Farnworth, the Conservative leader of the House of Lords. Her main claim to fame, or should I say notoriety, was her adamant stance against giving any kind of equal rights to homosexuals. She ranted and raved on that subject as if she was in some way personally impaired, to the extent that she lost favor with Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. London gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell correctly declared that “she had poisoned society with prejudice and intolerance, and future historians will rank her alongside the defenders of apartheid”. I believe that, in view of my close relationship with Baroness Young’s husband, Professor Jones had figured out the reason for my flight from the UK and was concerned about that.
I knew that I was gay from a very early age and always considered homosexuality to be a perfectly normal and healthy part of the human condition, so the opportunity to escape from that hostility was very appealing. My solution was to accept a post doctorate position that the University of California, Berkeley in 1962, where I was tasked with isolating and characterizing the world’s first plant sex hormone, Sirenin. Here is a brief description.
Sirenin was the first fungal sex hormone to have its structure determined. It is produced by female gametangia and gametes of the chytridiomycete genus Allomyces and attracts male gametes of the genus. It was discovered in 1958 by Leonard Machlis and, with the help of organic chemists, was purified and had its structure determined by 1968. Machlis's success is attributable to his association at Berkeley with the world authority on the genus, Ralph Emerson, to his meticulous physiological work on the genus in the 1950s, to his skill in devising bioassays and to his organising ability and drive.
Put simply, Allomyces is a filament-like water-mold plant. Female parts discharge tiny amounts of a chemical substance to which the sperm generated by the male parts is attracted, and this results in fusion. I was presented with a large jar of brown water and told that this contains minute amounts of Sirenin. Using standard chemistry techniques, combined with a very clever method developed by Professor Machlis to assay its concentration, I was able to isolate it in pure form and start the complex process of structure determination (1). This was completed a few years later by a successor of mine.
AmeriCymru: How did your career develop after that?
Meurig: I joined the DuPont Corporation in Wilmington Delaware and stayed for 5 years in spite of a high degree of incompatibility. I will pass over this experience here in order to describe my later experiences at Xerox where the events which led to my recent book originated.
I joined the Xerox Webster Research Center in suburban Rochester, New York in 1970. Its appeal to me was twofold. It was a rapidly growing company with an exciting new product, the copier, which was of surging demand, and also that copier technology was based on sciences that were not well understood, which provided an opportunity for leading edge research. The success of Xerox represents one of the greatest technological triumphs in history, on account of the extraordinary complexity of the process combined with that lack of scientific foundation in two areas. One of these is called triboelectricity or simply contact charging. Whenever two materials touch and separate, an electric charge is generated. Buildup of such electrical potential can lead to electrostatic discharge with consequences that can range from discomfort, such as the mild jolt we experience by touching a doorknob after walking across a carpet, to disaster such as the fiery crash of the Hindenburg. Until recently, there was extremely little understanding of how and why such charges are generated, one of the main reasons for this being the assumption that it was a physics problem. I pointed this out in a cover page article in the July-August 2012 issue of The American Scientist, entitled: “What Creates Static Electricity? Traditionally considered a physics problem, the answer is beginning to emerge from chemistry and other sciences" (2). In addition, I published a detailed review of this subject in AIP (American Institute of Physics) Advances in February, 2012 (3), so I am well positioned to provide the following elementary explanation of this phenomenon.
When two metals touch and separate, it is well established that it results from the simple exchange of electrons from one to the other, a straightforward phenomenon in physics. When both materials are electrical insulators, such as most polymers, the mechanism is complex and is currently being unravelled in brilliant research by two groups, headed respectively by Professors Grzybowski at Northwestern University and Galembeck, Director of the National Nanotechnology Laboratory, Brazil. When two polymers make contact, some degree of entanglement occurs between the polymer chains at the surfaces, so that separation is accompanied by polymer chain scission and the transfer of material of nanoscopic dimensions between the surfaces. This chain scission is accompanied by the formation of free radicals at the ends of each chain. As is well known, free radicals are highly reactive and are converted to positive and negative ionic charges either by reaction with ambient water or exchange of electrons. Use of advanced high resolution analytical techniques revealed that each surface, after separation, supports a random mosaic of oppositely charged regions of nanoscopic dimensions, and the net charge on each surface is the arithmetic sum of the individual domain charges. So it is the mechanical forces causing bond cleavage of the polymers that is the driving force for charge generation, and this takes future studies into the realm of mechanochemistry, an obscure and complicated field. Grzybowski et al took this understanding a step further by explaining that the surface charges are stabilized by intimate association between the polymer radicals and the ionic charges. They pointed out in a recent paper in SCIENCE that, if the polymers contain materials that act as radical scavengers, the stability of the surface charges is lost and the charges fail to build up or dissipate rapidly. I explain this here on account of its extraordinary importance to the electronics industry. Damage to electronic equipment by static discharges accounts for the loss of billions of dollars each year. And the continued miniaturization of electronic equipment renders it even more susceptible to low voltage discharges. Gross reduction or elimination of such discharges by the above process discovered by Grzybowski et al would go a long way to the prevention of such losses. It is my opinion that this work by Grzybowski et al may well result in a Nobel Prize on account of its combination of scientific brilliance and enormous economic importance.
The third case, of course, is contact between a metal and a polymer, and it is believed that both of the above mechanisms, electron and material exchange, occur. I have been the first to recently propose an approach for determining the degree to which each occurs in any given contact event (4).
AmeriCymru: How is this related to your book?
Meurig: My book was not originally a planned event. I have now been retired for 13 years, and is not uncommon to reflect upon the past in retirement! Such reflections on my early career led to a discovery only a few years ago of some shockingly unprofessional behavior by my colleagues at Xerox several decades ago. I thought that a description of these events, together with an analysis of cultural factors pertaining to them, made a good story that would be of interest to some readers.
It was my response to that shocking discovery that led to a process of self-reinvention resulting in my book. I described this process in the following comments I recently contributed to an article “American Voices on Reinvention” in The Huffington Post (5):
"The driving force for self-reinvention can evolve and change as the process takes place, so that one reinvention leads to another. Well into retirement, I recently discovered that my scientific publications from 35 years ago had been treated by corporate colleagues in ways that could be considered misrepresentation and plagiarism. Addressing those injustices after such a long time required a reinvention of myself by returning to the world of scientific journals and research after an absence of over 30 years. Thanks to the online availability of scientific journals, I brought myself up to date on the recent developments in the field, and integrated them with my early work. This resulted in a series of successes - several publications in peer-reviewed journals, a cover page article in The American Scientist in 2012, an invitation to be a keynote speaker at a major conference hosted by NASA in 2013, and a job offer. On further reflection, I wondered if there could have been a connection between the way I was treated and the corporate culture of those times. Being both a relatively openly gay man and an immigrant (from the UK) was a combination which made me a socially acceptable target for homophobic and other forms of abuse. Such thoughts propelled me into a second reinvention. I wrote a book entitled "Perspectives of a Gay American Immigrant Scientist," which explored and expanded upon these considerations, including a discussion of experiences and cultures at Oxford University, UC Berkeley, DuPont, and Xerox.
AmeriCymru: Do you think homophobia is any more or less prevalent then it was half a century ago?
Meurig: In general, homophobia in most developed countries is far less than half a century ago, but there is still a very long way to go before we are well integrated into society. The clearest indicator of progress is the advances made in legalization of gay marriage. The most pronounced generalization remains the correlation between progressive attitudes on homosexuality and the general standard of living in a country. Scandinavia and Holland have long been at the leading edge, and African and some Caribbean countries at the other. I have not yet heard an explanation for Putin’s retrogressive attitude.
A very important development for scientists and engineers was the establishment in 1983 of the major and thriving organization NOGLSTP (National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals, Inc.), based in Pasadena, CA. This is a non-profit organization that educates and advocates for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer students and professionals in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
In addition, the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) announced in January 2014 a change to their code of ethics to include language prohibiting discrimination on account of sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. The importance of these changes cannot be overstated. With nearly 400,000 members in 160 countries, the IEEE is the world's largest professional organization. Now, electrical engineers and computer scientists around the world, including those in countries like Russia and Saudi Arabia, know that their professional organization stands for non-discrimination against LGBT individuals both as practice and as rule.
A very surprising event was the recent position taken by Pope Francis that he would not pass judgment on gay people. Whether this is true leadership or political positioning remains to be seen. Wouldn’t it now be time for the British Royal family to show leadership on this issue? Are we to believe that they are the only family in Britain not to have any gay members? We know better of course and, the Queen being the head of the Church of England makes it a bit sticky for them. Both the Church of England and the Catholic Church have in common large numbers of gay clerics as most people know, but this still needs to be unspoken. A prominent gay Welsh Bishop was a personal friend of mine at Oxford, as was the chaplain of one of the older colleges.
Several gay athletes are now coming out of the closet, as they say, and this is clearly just the beginning of a trend. Very recently, 24 year old University of Missouri's star football player Michael Sam announced that he is gay. Unlike many athletes, Sam chose to come out at the start of his career, which will represent a test for the readiness of the NFL (National Football League) which he is expected to join later this year. His name is added to the growing list of prominent sportsmen and women who have come out: Gareth Thomas, Wales's former rugby union captain; retired Aston Villa midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger; Surrey cricketer Steven Davies; Orlando Cruz, the Puerto Rican featherweight boxer; and basketball star Jason Collins. Sam was personally congratulated by President Obama and his wife Michelle. Sam’s timing is also opportune. With gay rights issues overshadowing the Sochi Winter Olympics and Casey Stoney, the captain of England's women's football team, declaring herself gay, the sports world has found it can no longer confine the debate about the sexuality of its stars to the margins.
AmeriCymru: Where do you go from here?
Meurig: I am considering writing another book. Now why would I want to do that? The process of writing is addictive and it is a satisfying experience when one can put forth thoughts and ideas hopefully in a clear and logical manner. Then, my published book could have been a bit less terse, and I could have smoothly elaborated on many of my points. But above all, it is this. In the book I have made comparisons between Britain and the United States and Scandinavia, but none between England and Wales. And yet, I have long been of the opinion that the acceptance of homosexuals was very different in these countries. I have described that “of all of the world’s developed nations, Britain stood alone in its extreme attitudes towards, and heavy penalties for, homosexual acts”. I used the word Britain loosely here when I should have used the word England. I do have some ideas on why Wales was far kinder to homosexuals than England several decades ago and, if I am able to research and develop a persuasive case for this, then another book will be in order.
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the readers and members of AmeriCymru?
Meurig: Whereas I state that “my purpose in writing this (book) is to make a small contribution to the furtherance of progress by throwing light on some personal experiences”, I have also introduced some provocative ideas and hypotheses which may be debatable. It is my hope that a discussion on these can be stimulated.
References
1. Production, Isolation and Characterization of Sirenin, L. Machlis, W H Nutting, M W Williams and H Rapoport, Biochemistry, Vol 5, No 7, July 11, 1966
2. What Creates Static Electricity? Traditionally considered a physics problem, the answer is beginning to emerge from chemistry and other sciences. Meurig W Williams, The American Scientist, July-August 2012
3. Triboelectric Charging of Insulating Polymers, Meurig W Williams, AIP Advances, Feb 8, 2012
4. Triboelectric charging in metal-polymer contacts – How to distinguish between electron and material transfer mechanisms, Meurig W Williams, Journal Electrostatics, Feb 1, 2013
5. American Voices on Reinvention, The Huffington Post 2/12/2014. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/russell-c-smith/american-voices-on-reinve_1_b_4777992.html
Amazon - Knight In Shining Armour or Emissary of the Dark Side?
By philip stephen rowlands, 2014-02-20
Back to Welsh Literature page >
Okay so Im not the greatest author in the world. Maybe I
will never make the best seller lists but thats no excuse for ripping me off.
As Indie authors we know how difficult and time consuming it
can be promoting our books. Sometimes I feel like Hansel lost in a forest of
social media never able to find my way out with new trees being planted around
me all the time. HELP!!! Then one day I discovered a clearing in the wood. It
wasnt a house made of candy but an enormous edifice called Amazon - pretty appropriate
for an empire in the forest!
I was enticed inside with the promise of self publishing on
Amazons incredible electronic device called the Kindle. Amazon dangled before
my eyes a dazzling array of world wide distribution rights and sales channels.
I was tempted. Well more than tempted actually. I didnt think twice. No more
submitting work to publishing houses who just werent interested or agents who
were even less so. The publishing dragon had been slain, or so I thought.
At the moment I am wondering if Amazon is my Knight In
Shining Armour or an Emissary of the Dark Side.
WHY the sudden change of heart?
Its all down to personal experience.
My first published book on Amazons Kindle was a novella
entitled A Christmas Carol Revisited. It had received an excellent review on BBC
Radio Wales and in December 2012 the New York City Bar Association adapted it
for a concert in the City Bar
Building in Manhattan
that proved a great success. I duly got some sales on Amazon.
So far so good, with Christmas fast approaching I bombarded
my Twitter (4,000+) account with promotional tweets courtesy of Social Oomph. APOLOGIES TO ALL MY TWITTER FOLLOWERS I BOMBARDED!!!! Guest bloggers promoted it on their sites and my Google+ groups also got the
full treatment! While I wasnt expecting to top the best seller list I was
expecting some sales. Some hope, NADA, NOTHING, NOWT!!! Not one measly sale
showed up in my reports for November or December. I had more sales on Create Space and I hadn't done any promotion for any of them.
Okay, youre probably thinking this is the case of another
deluded would be writer with no talent and less hope having a gripe. You may be
right but unfortunately my experience is not unique. John R Clark, Managing Editor at Age View
Press wrote on this very issue under the title:
Alright! Seems like there might just be a wicked witch
lurking in them thar woods. So, what to do?
As I see it we can sit back and hope things improve OR do
something about it ourselves.
BUT WHAT - How can we possible influence the LEVIATHAN that
AMAZON has become?
What I propose is that we set up our own AUTHORS LOTTERY
using the free widget (see sidebar).
Instead of winning money everybody who opts in would have to
agree to buy or download the winning authors book (reasonably priced or free!)
either from Amazon or from the Authors website.
At least this way the winner each week would know for
certain that their book had been downloaded x number of times and could check
with their Amazon Sales Reports. It would also give most Authors a much needed
boost as well as a little income. Everything would of course be based on TRUST.
HOW IT WOULD WORK
Every Friday at 11.00 GMT
I would click the Pick a new Lotto Number button on this blog.
The author whose number was drawn would be notified. His/her
name and details of where to download his/her book would be publicized on this
blog.
TO MAKE IT WORTHWHILE WE WOULD ONLY START ONCE WE HAVE 50
AUTHORS SUBSCRIBED.
To show your commitment all you need do is enter your email
address and name in the subscription box . Once you have done this I will
allocate a number. Mine for example is 1.
I will set up another page on the blog with each others
name next to their allocated number.
I am using a free version of GET
RESPONSE software for the simple reason if not enough interest is shown after
posting this blog I will abandon the idea. I dont intend wasting money
pointlessly also. . .
AS A WRITER YOU ALL KNOW
HOW PRECIOUS TIME IS! None of us can afford to waste it.
Hopefully enough of us will grasp the potential of what
authors can do if we decide to stand together and help each other.
To make it worth your while subscribing I plan to run a number of courses designed to help you promote your books using social media. These will be delivered by email and the first course focuses on Twitter. It's called The Twitter Authors Marketing Crash Course. Some of the things you will learn about include:
- The man who has made it his business to help authors build their readership on Twitter.
- Free tools that will make your Twitter marketing extremely effective.
- Integrating Twitter tools in Wordpress.
- How to chat in 'real time' with your followers.
- How to schedule regular postings using free or paid tools.
- The basic rule you MUST follow.
- Mistakes to avoid at all cost.
Please email me if you have any thoughts or suggestions at
philiprowlands@ymail.com
WARNING: I am a married man and therefore impervious to abuse.
I think its's time for us Kindle authors to circle the wagons! What about you?
Next Week
Expand Your Literary Horizons.
Also - update on the Author's Lottery.
Fireworks In The USA September - November 2014
AmeriCymru spoke to Welsh singer songwriter Sarah Louise Owen ( Sera ) about her new EP, 'Fireworks' and her plans for a US tour in September - November this year.
AmeriCymru: Hi Sera and many thanks for agreeing to be interviewed by AmeriCymru. When did you first become interested in Music? How did you develop as a singer/songwriter?
Sera: I have always loved music, since a little girl. I started piano lessons when I was about 8 and I was hooked! I loved the possibilities of it...a whole row of keys that all sounded different, and how you could make up something completely your own! I was an only child, so spent a lot of time in my own world, writing and playing music. I developed a love of writing and poems and somehow I got to the point of combining those words, with the melodies I would be writing on the piano and making songs.
AmeriCymru: You recently released an EP. Care to introduce it for our readers?
Sera: I self-released an album at the end of 2012 called Dream Catcher. That album got some airplay on BBC Radio Wales and in turn got me noticed by managers in Cardiff, and I have been working with them for nearly a year now. They have helped me make my career more focused and we re-released some of those album songs as an EP called SERA.
It was released in October last year and launched at the London Welsh Centre. Fireworks has probably been the most played song from the EP and there is a nice video on Youtube that I a really clever mix of live action and animation.
AmeriCymru: You have also released several successful Welsh language records via SAIN Records including Tir na Nog and the Creithiau EP . What can you tell us about these? Any plans for future Welsh language recordings?
Sera: I released Tir Na Nog with Sain in 2005, followed by the Creithiau EP which was a collabaration between myself, Martin Allcock and Canadian songwriter team Tia McGraff and Tommy Parham. I then stepped away from Sain in order to focus a little on my English language music. I then also recorded another Welsh album on my own label, called Ar Goll. I like being able to work bilingually, reaching different audiences and introducing the language to people and countries that know very little about Wales, and especially the language. I am currently working on a new Welsh language EP which will be a collection of co-writes and duets with other Welsh artists.
AmeriCymru: You have toured America in the past. Care to tell us a little about your experiences in the US? Any plans for future visits? .
Sera: I've been over twice now and loved it. Apparently over 70% of my download sales are from the US! So that tells me that people over there are liking what I do and it seems right that I come over and do a proper tour this year with the next album. And so, I have that planned for September-November this year. In the process of booking now, so if anyone has suggestions or can offer me gigs, radio sessions, anything like that, please get in touch! It all really helps. What I love about the US audience is their enthusiasm for music and how they embrace it. That sort of atmosphere is great for a singer-songwriter and I think brings out a better performance.
AmeriCymru: Where can people go online to buy 'Fireworks' and your other albums?
Sera: All my releases are available to download from iTunes or Amazon. You can also get physical copies from Amazon and my website.
AmeriCymru: What's next for Sera? Any new recordings in the works?
Sera: I'm working on a new album, currently haf way through recording it. I'm recording it in Cardiff, but I'm based in Caernarfon, so it's taking a bit longer to record due to distance and other commitments. But I aim to get t done in the next few months. As I mentioned before I also am working on the Welsh EP of co-writes too. Just very busy this year with music and events. All kinds of things happening - I'm writing a blog on my website so I can let people know what's going on.
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the readers and members of AmeriCymru?
Sera: We're getting close to Dydd Gwyl Dewi / St David's Day. Hope you all enjoy the day, in whichever was you celebrate it! I'll be doing two gigs. One in Bala on the Friday then down to Pembroke on the Saturday . Can't wait! I look forward to coming over to the US this year and hope to see some AmeriCymru members and readers at gigs and to hear my new material. Thanks for supporting Welsh artists! Would love to hear from anyone so do contact me on Facebook.com/serasongs or twitter.com/serasongs . .
Links:
AmeriCymru: Hi Meghan and many thanks for agreeing to be interviewed by AmeriCymru. Can I first ask you, what is your Welsh background and how did you become involved with the Welsh Lacrosse team?
Meghan: Hello Ceri! Thank you so much for this opportunity. It really is a pleasure to become a part of such a great organization as AmeriCymru. My Maternal Grandfather, John Probert was born and raised in the very small town of Pontblyddyn in Northern Wales, just outside of Mold. To make a long story short, he relocated here to the US after WWII and started a family. When I was the age of 7 or 8 years old, he moved here to Houston, Texas to live with our family where he stayed until his passing in 2003. This made him somewhat of a third parent to me. He was never boastful about Wales nor did he speak Welsh in the home (even though he was fluent) but was always on hand to answer questions and tell stories for geography of history projects for school.
We also kept in touch with his relatives who remained in Wales and continue to do so to this day. After he passed in 2003, our family of 8 travelled together to Wales to spread his ashes. We spent almost 2 weeks there and immediately felt right at home with the extended family, the way of life, and the big personalities! I suppose that trip is what initially sparked our desire to connect to our "roots" that were never really a forefront in our home growing up.
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 | .....it was a large feat to get over there (Thanks Dad!) but it was one of the best "Workcations" I've ever had. |  |
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As per the second part of the question, my younger brother Trey was playing lacrosse for a small university. My father (non-Welsh but has adopted the heritage) contacted the team in 2009 to see if there was any interest in having him tryout for the squad, in hopes to make the Senior Men's Team for the FIL World Lacrosse Championships which were being held in Manchester July, 2010. Management agreed to have him come participate in the August 2009 Celtic Cup and again in May 2010 for the British National Championships.
Trey made the squad! We were all very excited for him as it is such an accomplishment. Once he made the squad, my qualifications as an Athletic Trainer working collegiate women's lacrosse came up and management ended up extending an invitation to join the team for the Worlds. Needless to say, it was a large feat to get over there (Thanks Dad!) but it was one of the best "Workcations" I've ever had. Since that time, I have kept in touch with most, if not all, of the squad through social media, e-mails, and the team online forum. When it came time for the team to start planning for Denver, I reached out to one of the Captains, Paul Simpson to inquire if they would be interested in having me on staff again. Needless to say, they jumped on the chance to have the help and we began preparing.
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The Welsh team makes its entrance at the European Championships in Amsterdam 2012The follow up question most people ask is "What is an Athletic Trainer exactly"? Here in the US, an Athletic Trainer is a healthcare professional who has completed a Bachelor program (at minimum) at an accredited university. I am board certified as well as licensed to practice in Texas. We specialize in all aspects of sports medicine which include but are not limited to: injury prevention, management of emergencies, assessment, evaluation, and treatment of injuries and conditions, rehabilitation, environmental factors such as weather, altitude, playing conditions, sport performance, nutrition, organization and administration in regards to providing medical care. More information on Athletic Trainers can be found at athletictrainers.org
AmeriCymru: What is the challenge facing the team in preparation for their appearance at the FIL Championships in Denver this year?
Meghan: There are many great challenges facing the team as they prepare for this summers endeavor at the World Championships. As a whole, the final team roster was finalized this past January. Now that the final roster is in place, they really have to come together as a unit on the playing field while only having a handful of weekend training sessions together and a few games prior to the trip in July. Every last person on the team from player, to coaches, to myself have a day job. So making the commitment to train in the gym, on the lacrosse field, watching video, going over play books, as well as healing any injuries along the way (right now there are several) just shows the character and determination of everyone involved.
In addition, I feel the biggest monster is funding. The team is in no way sponsored by Wales Sport and is coming up with ALL of our funding on our own through personal donations and sponsorships. It is a high undertaking to say the least. Finally, logistics are a big task as well. Team management has to coordinate the 30+ official travel party, all of the equipment, medical supplies, etc. It surely is a huge undertaking.
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| | The team is in no way sponsored by Wales Sport and is coming up with ALL of our funding on our own through personal donations and sponsorships. | |
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Team Picture from theWorld Championship in Manchester - 2010AmeriCymru: What fund raising initiatives are in place already? Where can people go to help?
Meghan: There are many fundraising initiatives already in place. The major one is that the website is set-up to receive donations electronically. The website is www.waleslacrosse.com If a person wished to donate, they can do so from either the donations tab (and choose which persons portion of funding they would like to contribute it to) or from that persons individual biography page, which are listed under "the squad" tab. Individually, we are all doing whatever we can to create PR, seek donations and sponsorships, and save money ourselves.
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AmeriCymru: How has the Welsh team fared in previous championships?
Meghan: The Welsh team has progressively gotten better in each showing of the Worlds and we hope to continue to improve in this years endeavor. The teams rank for the overall tournament in the 1998 games held in Baltimore, Maryland, US was 11th... out of 11. The next Worlds in 2002, held in Perth, Australia showed slight improvement with a final standing of 12th out of a pool of 15 nations.
In 2006 in London, Ontario, Canada the team held a rank of 13th our of a whopping 21 nations. The 2010 World Championships held in Manchester, UK was an even better showing. The team won their division 3-0 and ended the tournament 11th out of a record 29 nations. I was a part of that squad and I can say that each game was a tough fight with many close scores and one overtime loss. It was a grueling 2 weeks of competition and practices with only 1 day completely off.
AmeriCymru: The Denver 2014 Team has already been announced. Care to tell us a little about the players?
Meghan: The final roster for the Dragons (the Men's Senior Squad) is composed of 23 fine men. Over half of these players were one the 2010 squad, while others are from the U19 team, University teams, and players who have been on various squads and clubs associated with Wales Lacrosse for many years. As a group, they come from all over Wales, some residing there still and others residing in other parts of the UK.
The team has a lot of experience mixed in with the new players to hopefully bring their best to the competition. They are striving for solid work in all aspects form attack to goal tending. I think we have a rather strong squad this year even though I was sad to see some familiar players from the last Worlds not making the final roster this time. I know it was a tough decision for the coaching staff but the team is confident that they are putting their best on the pitch in Denver.
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| | At the last World's endeavors I believe I recall 2 of the players doing an amazing version of Tom Jones Karaoke! I also know there are many practical jokes as my brother had to eat an entire leek! | |
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My personal impression of this group from my experience with them in 2010 is that they are extremely talented in lacrosse, passionate, and quite full of personality. While they work to no end to better their game individually as players, whether in defense, mid-field, attack or in goal they also provide the much needed comic relief to the experience of the Worlds. For example, they have an elected Fine Master (Andrew Hopkins) to collect fines of $1 for various infractions some valid to others decided by players and coaches on the fly. A valid fine is being tardy to a team meeting or being late to pay your fine which are due within the 24hour period.
An example of the more comical is my fine for having a shamrock tattoo (in honor of the Irish side of my family and our reunion in 2005)! All fine money is collected throughout the games and is used to buy our beers for an end-of-championships team party. At the last World's endeavors I believe I recall 2 of the players doing an amazing version of Tom Jones Karaoke! I also know there are many practical jokes as my brother (along with 3 other rookies) had to eat an entire leek! All in all, they are en eclectic group of individuals full of personality and talent, but most of all very driven to do their best on and off the pitch as we represent Wales in Denver.
AmeriCymru: Can you tell us a little about the competition itself. Over how many days is it played? What sort of attendance will it attract? Will it be covered by major sporting channels internationally?
Meghan: The competition itself is one of the most amazing experiences I've been a part of. In 2010, all of the Senior teams stayed at Manchester University in the dormitories, ate in the dining halls, and played at their fields. We built relationships with people from other teams/countries, had quite a few funny experiences (the team ended up being featured on a lacrosse website for the Boat Race they competed in against the German team after the last day of competition), as well as witnessed the best lacrosse in the world.
We shared a dormitory with Team Bermuda, I had breakfast in the dining hall with arguably the most famous and talented lacrosse player in the world, Paul Rabil, and we shared pints in the pubs with players, coaches, staff, and fans from all over the globe on occasion. I would imagine it is much like staying in an Olympic Village and participating in the Olympics. I have no doubt Denver will be an even better experience and on a much larger scale!
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| | We .... had quite a few funny experiences the team ended up being featured on a lacrosse website for the Boat Race they competed in against the German team after the last day of competition. | |
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Welsh Lacrosse team v Germany - Boat race!As for 2014? The team will be arriving a week prior to competition to do an acclimatization program due to the high altitude. Denver is literally the Mile High City being 1mile above sea level and that can pose a formidable challenge to ones fitness and performance abilities. The tournament itself is a 2 week long competition which includes practices as well as competitions. The teams will be staying at Denver University and playing at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Denver, Colorado which features an 18,000 seat stadium and is surrounded by 24 playing fields.
The competition itself will begin with Opening Ceremonies on July 10 and end with the Championship Game and Closing Ceremonies on July 19, 2014 . ESPN has already announced that it will be airing unprecedented coverage of the games. Coverage will include 60 games on all of its ESPN channels as well as ESPN3, which is online.
While the official Worlds is being played, there will also be the World Lacrosse Festival. The Festival is open to club, amateur, and university teams from all over the world. The festival is aiming for 220 teams to register and range in ages 11 to 60+! Needless to say it will be an extremely busy time with Denver expecting 20,000 out-of-town visitors in addition to the 5-7,000 in-town participants and spectators.
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Meghan McKay doing a sideline injury evaluation and taping during a match in 2010.
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the readers and members of AmeriCymru?
Meghan: I suppose to wrap up, I'd like to express what a massive this commitment is to each one of us individually. For myself, I will be taking over 3 weeks off of work (some of it unpaid) in order to work for this squad. I'm not intending to whine as this is completely my choice but it is definitely an experience that while it cannot be beaten, also takes a lot out of a person. In 2010, I worked along side the team for 2 weeks providing my sports medicine expertise to these men. In 2014, I have my work cut out for me as they may not have another AT or Physio traveling with the squad and will have a few players coming off of massive injuries (one is currently recovering from an Achilles Tendon Repair) .
This will put me in charge of all aspects of the squads medical needs which can range from my usual taping, stretching, on-field acute care, injury evaluation and assessment, daily pre- and post-game treatments to the unexpected such as coordinating any trips to urgent care facilities managing those who may come down with the flu, food poisoning, etc. I hope we do not have to deal with any of that, but I have to be ready for anything! All of that is just me! The coaches will be charged with scouting teams, practice plans, game strategy, etc. The players put their heart, souls, and bodies physically out there day in and day out for the duration.
We need all the help we can get whether it is financial donations and sponsorships to support for the squad as we represent Wales on this grand stage! Even the smallest commitment from the members of AmeriCymru (a $20 donation to letters of encouragement) is GREATLY appreciated. Wales is a small, yet amazing place and we often stick together like family. We need that family now as we try make new history for Wales Lacrosse.
Ceri, again I cannot thank you enough for this opportunity to speak to you regarding this. In the lacrosse community we often have a saying of "Lax for Life" as it describes how passionate we each are about the sport. Once you begin a life in lacrosse, it never stops. This has been an amazing opportunity to allow your readers and members to enter this world and learn a little bit of how Wales is a part of it! Thank you!
Cymru am Byth!
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Eoin Dragon: This is Eoin Dunne. The team votes a "Man of the Match" following each game and he has to don the Dragon outfit the remainder of the day! This was Eoin in 2010 and he definitely wore it with pride!
