Help yourself to a free Welsh language digital album. Download from "Dan Y Cownter/Under The Counter". The album features tracks from Fleur Dafydd, MC Mabon and Dr Huw amongst others. Just click on the banner above or HERE to be taken to the download site.

From the site:- "Following the overwhelming popularity of Dan y Cownter (Under the Counter) and Dan y Cownter 2 - two previously released CDs featuring the best and latest music from Wales, distributed for free in order to promote Welsh language music; Welsh Music Foundation is proud to present this brand new website - the third edition in the series: "Dan Y Cownter 3" (more...) "

As noted in a recent review on the Welsh American Bookstore ( 'From The Ashes' read here ):-

Following Cardiff City's historic promotion to the Premier league it is only to be expected that the team will attract more international attention and publicity. Indeed. this season both Cardiff City and their local arch rivals, Swansea City ( promoted in 2011), will be enjoying a bonanza of promotion courtesy of NBC who are broadcasting 380 live matches after securing Premier League broadcasting rights from ESPN and Fox Sports. Premier league sides have been allocated areas in New York and NY Taxis are sporting the teams colors and logos in a bid to increase viewing figures. Cardiff City got Brooklyn and The Swans got the Upper West Side. For more details of the area allocations see this pic:-

NBC bus stop ad

With both teams in the Premier League the 2013-2014 season promises to be 'lively' Follow developments on AmeriCymru! Join our:-

Swansea City AFC Supporters Group or our

Cardiff City FC Supporters Group

or both!!!!!

September sees the third annual PENfro Book Festival held at Rhosygilwen and this year it will run over four days, with two evenings of events before the weekend starts.

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Hollywood and music legends unite for charity single in aid of the Welsh National Coal Mining Memorial. Rugby fans will be given an exclusive first look as the music video is launched ahead of the Wales v England game at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

The single, which so far has been kept strictly under wraps, will feature the singing talents of: Aled Jones, Caroline Sheen, Daniel and Laura Curtis, Dennis O'Neill, Darren Parry , Ioan Gruffudd, Iris Williams, Jamie Pugh , John Owen Jones, Jonathan Pryce, JP Jones , Mark Llewelyn Evans , Matthew Rhys, Paul Child , Paul Potts, Rebecca Evans, Rhys Meirion , Samantha Link , Sian Phillips, Tom Lukas, Wynne Evans . With special spoken contributions by Michael Sheen, Boyd Clack, Joe Calzaghe and the late Richard Burton with the kind permission of the Dick Cavett Show. The song also features over three hundred local musicians, choirs and bands from around South Wales including BTM Brass Band, The Gentlemen Songsters Choir, The Richard Williams Singers, The Aber Valley Male Choir and one hundred and twenty school children. The bass guitar on the song is played by World renowned musician Pino Palladino.

The recording of the song has taken place at locations all over the World. Co-producer and composer Laura Curtis said We wanted to reach out to Welsh artists across the world and invite them to take part. Many of these artists have hectic schedules due to them being in the middle of filming TV series or films. Going into a recording studio wasnt an option for them, so we came up with the idea of using iPads and iPhones for them to record their lines. The quality once mixed into the song is really high and the results have been brilliant.

The song has been written and produced by Daniel and Laura Curtis from Caerphilly. This is not their first mining related project, in September 2012 they organised an underground concert in a mine to honour those who lost their lives in mining disasters. The concert involved lowering a piano 300 ft underground for the first time.

After being made redundant in 2011, Daniel Curtis made the decision to follow his life-time passion and become a self-employed professional musician and project manager, specialising in music events. Due to close family ties with coal mining he decided to put his efforts into a project that would raise money for a cause that was very important to him.

Daniel Curtis said My two great grandfathers died in mines and after the emotional experience of performing the concert underground last year I wanted to create a song that paid tribute to the legacy of coal mining. The response that we have received has been amazing and we have tried to involve everybody who has wanted to take part. Each artist has added their own personal style to the recording and made the song something very special. We are delighted with the way that it has turned out.

Dan and Laura with Michael Sheen

Michael Sheen OBE said I want to lend my support to this incredibly worthy cause that is part of our history and our heritage. I hope that everyone will get behind this and give it the boost it deserves."

The Prime Minister, David Cameron has also expressed his support saying; We owe a great debt to those who were, and continue to be, involved in the industry. We cannot forget those who lost their lives in mining related disasters over the years, including Senghenydd. I wish the single every success.

The National Coal Mining Memorial will be unveiled on the 100th anniversary of the Senghenydd disaster where 440 people died in the UKs worst ever coal mining disaster. The National Memorial will be a national monument to remember the over 8,000 people who have died in Welsh coal mines. The memorial is costing over 220,000 and will contain a walk of remembrance, monument and garden.

The song will be available to buy from the 16 ^th March in Tesco on iTunes, Amazon and many other outlets nationally. The song can be pre-ordered from www.nationalminingmemorial.co.uk

The production of the single has been sponsored by a number of local businesses. The two primary sponsors are Giovannis Restaurant in Cardiff and Foy Wealth.

In response to the recent White House.gov petition for the USA to build a Death Star I would like to point out that there is a bloke in North Wales who works for the council who has considerable experience driving one of these contraptions. He used to drive a double decker until he got upgraded.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57564261-1/the-empire-gloats-over-white-house-death-

star-petition/

People in Wales are urged to celebrate a real, forgotten Welsh Prince rather than the wedding of an English royal later this month. Y Lolfa publishers will not publish a souvenir book celebrating William and Kates wedding, but instead are publishing a book celebrating the life of Dafydd ap Llywelyn , a seemingly forgotten royal sovereign of Wales whose brief, but kaleidoscopic life heralded fraternal strife, ambitious politics and bloody conflict.

Y Lolfa have decided to publish the book at the same time as the royal wedding, urging the Welsh to make the most of their own heritage and princes and to ignore the wedding of a future English king.

Lefi Gruffudd said: I cant see any point in celebrating this wedding it has no relevance to us in Wales. We should make the most of our own royal families including the Gwynedd dynasty, and especially Dafydd ap Llywelyn, who was the first prince to proclaim himself Prince of Wales.

Dafydd was the favourite son of legendary Welsh prince Llywelyn the Great and although Dafydds life was cruelly cut short, he succeeded in cementing a respected legacy that has thankfully survived eight centuries. His life, during the first half of the 13th century, is vividly portrayed in this refreshing account.

Dafydd was born around 1215 at a Welsh royal court called Castell Hen Blas which was situated in the medieval manor of Coleshill, near Flint. Dafydd ruled as Prince of Gwynedd and Wales between the years 124046 and he became the first Welsh prince to officially use the prestigious title of Prince of Wales. During the period of his brief reign he fought two wars of defence against the kingdom of England.

As the author states, Dafydd ap Llywelyn deserves to be placed alongside those other great Welsh rulers of the Mediaeval age, including Hywel Dda, Rhodri Mawr, the two Llywelyns and Owain Glyndr and this account shall hopefully encourage such a defining prospect, aiding the campaign for his seemingly obscure name to be finally included within the realm of the modern-day Welsh psyche.

Steve Griffiths, who lives in Flintshire, is a tireless pioneer for the cause of Welsh history. He played a prominent role in the successful implementation of commemorative plaques recounting the history of Ewloe and Bagillt. He has recently staged a month long exhibition at Buckley Library entitled A Chronicle of Welsh Princes.

The book which contains over 60 photographs of sites important in the life of Dafydd ap Llywelyn, and has been reviewed and commentated upon by local Welsh Assembly Member Carl Sargeant, Minsiter for Social Justice and Local Government.

The book is published by Y Lolfa in April and retails at 5.95.