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‘Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau’ (Land of My Fathers) reaches the four corners of the world.
By Ceri Shaw, 2020-04-21
Golwg article. Translation by Gwenno Dafydd. Read the article yn Cymraeg here .
The efforts to encourage people to sing ‘Hen Wales fy Nhadau’ (Land of my Fathers – Welsh National Anthem) to thank not only the NHS, but also everyone who has played their part in fighting the Coronavirus was ‘a huge success’ according to Gwenno Dafydd, one of the organisers of the ‘Sing for Wales’ project. (Editor – And our very own Americymru Saint David’s Day World Ambassador)
She talked to golwg 360 after seeing that videos of people who sang on Monday night (April the 13th) had arrived in the Facebook ‘Sing for Wales’ group as far away as Jamaica, America, South Africa, Australia, Cambodia, Cyprus, Bulgaria and Spain.
And the Facebook group ‘Sing for Wales’ has attracted more than 120,000 members in a very short time.
After seeing a Facebook message by Sarah Evans from Gwent, just a few hours after Sarah established the group on March the 29th, Gwenno Dafydd was inspired to join the campaign, and they are both now two out of the five organisers, who include Scott Evans, Sarah’s husband, Plaid Cymru Councillor Rhys Mills and song writer Gavin Clifton
“On the Friday before this I was out on the pavement myself singing the anthem to thank the people working for National Health System (NHS)”, said the performer, author and public speaking coach to golwg 360.
“On the following Sunday, I saw that someone called Sarah Evans had established the group ‘Sing for Wales’ and I thought ‘Wow!’.
“She wanted to sing to thank everyone who had been supporting us during this time. So I contacted her and offered to help.
“It was a huge honour to lead the singing during this really special event and to be one of the five very hard working and active members of the organising Steering Committee,” said a message at the bottom of a video on Youtube.
“I would like to thank Rhys Mills, Gavin Clifton, Scott Evans but especially Sarah Evans who had the idea, and also latterly the BBC and Wynne Evans for their support, and of course, lastly and more important than anything, thanks to over 120,000 (hashtag)Welshies and (hashtag)WorldwideWelshies for their support for the group. We made an amazing team!”
Teaching people to enunciate the words
Having been responsible in the past for helping to create an Iphone App to help people learn how to enunciate the Welsh National Anthem, Gwenno Dafydd – author of ‘Stand up and Sock it to them Sister. Funny Feisty Females’, a book about female stand-up comics, decided to take advantage of the resources she had from the time of the App.
“Although the app is no longer available, I still had the resources and one of those was a video of me clearly enunciating the words with sub-titles of the words beneath”.
“I offered these to Sarah, and I said I would also record myself singing and she could put these up on the group, and that’s what happened.”
Radio Cymru and Radio Wales backing the campaign
Apart from this, she has also been helping to raise the profile of the campaign by being responsible for drawing the attention of the media, including Radio Cymru and Radio Wales, who both broadcast the anthem live at eight o clock on the Monday night.
“I got in touch with Radio Cymru and spoke to Rhuanedd Richards, Head of Radio Cymru, a few days before the event and told her what was happening, and at that time the BBC really came fully ‘on board’.
“We needed to get a backing track that everyone could use and the two most important issues, in my opinion, was to put it up on the group so that people could have a practice before the event, and the other issue was that we needed to have a ‘lead in’, so that we had an introduction.
“I was in discussion with Gareth Iwan Jones at the BBC Radio Cymru Music Department and we decided together that we would use a track of Morriston Orpheus Male Voice Choir singing and that’s what happened. Then Wynne Evans also made a video of himself in his kitchen teaching people how to sing the anthem, which proved popular
“Between everything, it came together just like that really, truth be known.”
Raising awareness of a medical condition
And Sarah Evans had an even better reason for setting up the campaign – by seeing an opportunity to raise awareness of her son’s very rare condition.
“Sarah and Scott have two children and the eldest, Harri, has a very rare condition called Williams Syndrome and Rhys Mills, as their local Plaid Cymru councillor has been very supportive to them with his condition.
“Sarah was very keen to raise awareness of this condition whilst running this campaign."
All the Steering Committee have various connections, and one of the groups I contacted was ‘Corona’ (Welsh medium Facebook group dedicated to singing – with over 40,000 members) and we had people from the four corners of the world literally contacting us.
“Although some people were too shy to record themselves, they did sing the anthem to thank all those who had been looking after us during this worrying time, not only those in the NHS but also those who work in the supermarkets, garages, cross country lorry drivers, refuse workers, those who have lost their businesses, children who stayed at home…….”
‘ Worth the effort’
“To those people who were not in the front line, that was Sarah’s intention, and that’s what I liked, was that we were doing something small to thank everyone for doing their bit.”
“Although I worked day and night on this for two weeks (as did all the others in the Steering Committee) I think it was worth the effort.
Article by Alun Rhys Chivers. Translation by Gwenno Dafydd.
Additional information
Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/557557901860425/
Twitter https://twitter.com/SingWales
The group will be singing for Wales once again at 8.00pm Monday 4th May. Whether we are singing because we will celebrate coming out of lockdown or because we need to knuckle down again. We will sing!
Please retweet!!!!
‘Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau’ (Land Of My Fathers) Reaches 4 Corners Of The World - group will be sing for Wales again 8.00pm Monday 4th May. https://t.co/6kKRV069Yw pic.twitter.com/OTSIwM6byR
— americymru (@americymru) April 21, 2020
My plan is to curate a documentary covering the electronic music scene in Wales during the 1980’s and 1990’s. The aim is to focus on contextualising the era in relation to the music coming out during the period and to understand the how, when and why of it all. By extension, we hope to explore the identity held by the people of Wales during the 1980/1990’s all the way through to today’s notions.
Having played some of the music out in Bristol, and knowing that many of the global underground DJ’s have recently taken an interest in our bit of the world I wanted to give the music and the people behind it their deserved screen time. I also want to look at the way it's being perceived today by listeners outside of Wales, and to better understand this search for ‘the exotic’ in the underground music scene today.
However, to make this the best documentary it possibly can be we need the stories of those who were there to experience it all. This goes full circle, from artist to label to booker to listener. We need to hear the stories from everyone involved at the time. In addition, we are desperately trying to get hold of the vinyl / cassettes / CD’s from the era for use in the documentary. So if you or anyone you know might have some of the listed releases please get in contact.
Here's the list of relevant releases for people to look through: Cerddoriaeth Electronig Cymraeg
Please contact kiernanabb@gmail.com
A multi-dimensional sound that traipses across hitherto unexplored regions of sound - Clash
HMS Morris’ knowledge and creativity within the electronic-psych genre is expansive and satisfying - Jill Goyeau, Get In Her Ears
Hot on the heels of the well-received Babanod, released in early February, HMS Morris are now pleased to present Poetry. It’s the second in a series of singles due for release in 2020, and will be available from April 1st on Bubblewrap Records.
The song reflects the sliding scale of madness that results from unreciprocated obsessive love. Beginning with some light-hearted hypothetical quasi-stalking, singer Heledd Watkins then moves through self-criticism, recrimination, and finally a full-on banshee-wail of desperation. Structurally the music is indebted to Ravel’s Bolero, a repeating ostinato rising steadily from very quiet to very loud – although in Poetry, HMS cover twice the volume in half the time, in acknowledgement of the limited attention span of the snapchat generation.
Poetry will be available digitally from all the usual platforms.
This film shows the inspiration of Harri Webb’s life and poetry on the people of Merthyr. Those who knew him,read his verse and admired his politics. Children from three schools wrote poems in workshops inspired by his work for a competition. Locals at a monthly Open Mic at the Imperial Hotel read his poetry, sing songs and read their own poems based on Webb’s verse. Featuring ‘Colli Iaith’ music track with the vocals of Erin Lancaster and produced by Gwyncy Jones . Harri Webb lives on through all of them...
Mae'r ffilm hon yn dangos ysbrydoliaeth bywyd a farddoniaeth Harri Webb ar bobl Merthyr : y rhai oedd yn ei adnabod, yn darllen ei bennill ac yn edmygu ei wleidyddiaeth. Ysgrifennodd plant o dair ysgol gerddi a ysbrydolwyd gan ei waith ar gyfer cystadleuaeth. Pobl leol mewn Meic Agored misol yn darllen ei gerddi, yn canu chaneuon ac yn perfformio cerddi a ysbrydolwyd ganddo. Yn cynnwys y dôn thema 'Colli Iaith' chanu gan Erin Lancaster a'i chynhyrchu gan Gwyncy Jones. Mae Harri Webb yn byw trwy bob un ohonyn nhw...
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Looking Up England's Arsehole - Harri Webb Many of Harri's titles are still available though some have become collectors items and this fact is sadly reflected in the prices. Harri Webb on Amazon For first time readers, looking to acquaint themselves with Harri's patriotic and boozy ballads, we recommend the excellent Y Lolfa reprint of his collection - Looking Up England's Arsehole |
Harri Webb on Wikipedia:- Harri Webb
Ffred Ffransis, a prominent Welsh language campaigner has been featured in the news recently courtesy of bone headed BBC TV presenter Dan Walker. This character, in the course of reporting on Ffred's current dangerous predicament, thought it most important to mock the spelling of his name (see this news report ). Ffred and his wife Meinir are currently, ".... stuck in Peru and have no way of coming home. They are in the city of Cusco which is at 11,200 feet above sea level. Ffred suffers from Left Ventricular Systolic Disorder which affects the heart, and has to take medication and have regular blood tests. The disease also makes it difficult for him to breathe and with Cusco's altitude, it’s having a big impact on him, and his health is deteriorating. Both are also in their 70s and therefore in the high-risk category for the Covid-19."
Under the circumstances we have no hesitation in:
1 Asking the Senedd to devote emergency funds to the repatriation of Ffred and Meinir. A couple of plane tickets wont break the bank!
2 Calling on Dan Walker to resign! ( UPDATE: It should be noted in mitigation that Dan Walker has apologised for his absurd remarks and has taken a lead in alerting the world to Ffred's situation via his Twitter feed:- https://twitter.com/mrdanwalker/status/1240974016174788610 )
3 Asking our readers to spread the following message as widely and as quickly as possible.
Llythyr Ffred a Meinir - Peru
Annwyl
Ysgrifennaf atoch ynglŷn ag achos Meinir a Ffred Ffransis sy’n sownd ym Mheriw, a heb unrhyw ffordd o ddychwelyd adref. Mae Meinir a Ffred yn ninas Cusco sydd 11,200 troedfedd uwch lefel y môr. Mae Ffred yn dioddef o Left Ventricular Systolic Disorder sy’n effeithio ar y galon, ac mae’n gorfod cymryd meddyginiaeth a chael profion gwaed yn rheolaidd. Mae’r afiechyd hefyd yn ei gwneud hi’n anodd iddo anadlu oherwydd bod Cusco yn uchel yn yr Andes, yr aer yn dennau, ac mae’n cael effaith fawr arno a’i iechyd yn dirywio. Mae’r ddau hefyd yn eu 70au ac felly yn y categori risg uchel i’r Covid-19. Pryderwn yn fawr beth fyddai’n digwydd pe byddent yn dal y firws allan ym Mheriw.
Ar Fawrth 15 fe wnaeth Periw gau'r holl ffiniau gyda dim ond 24awr o rybudd, doedd hyn ddim yn ddigon o amser i drefnu ffordd allan gan fod pob hedfaniad yn llawn. Golygai hyn fod miloedd o bobl wedi’u gadael yno heb ffordd allan.
Mae llywodraethau Israel, UDA, Ffrainc, Yr Almaen, Gwlad Pwyl a Sbaen wedi trefnu hedfaniadau i ddod â’u dinasyddion yn ôl adref. Lle mae’r cymorth gan y DU? Mae’r llysgenhadaeth ym Mheriw wedi bod yn aneffeithiol hefyd, pan gyhoeddwyd bod y ffiniau yn cau fe wnaeth y swyddfa gau ac felly doedd dim modd mynd yno am gymorth nac arweiniad.
Mae’r sefyllfa yn Cusco yn dirywio’n sydyn; mae’r fyddin ar y strydoedd yn atal pobl rhag gadael eu gwestai, mae curfew rhwng 1pm-8am, does dim llawer o fwyd ar ôl yn yr archfarchnadoedd ac mae tensiwn yn cynyddu rhwng y twristiaid a’r bobl sy’n byw yno. Mae wir yn mynd yn waeth bob dydd.
Rydym yn erfyn ar y llywodraeth i drefnu hedfaniad adref i Meinir a Ffred a’r 400 arall sydd ym Mheriw, mae angen i hyn ddigwydd cyn bod hi’n rhy hwyr.
Dear
I write to you regarding the case of Meinir and Ffred Ffransis who are stuck in Peru and have no way of coming home. Meinir and Ffred are in the city of Cusco which is at 11,200 feet above sea level. Ffred suffers from Left Ventricular Systolic Disorder which affects the heart, and has to take medication and have regular blood tests. The disease also makes it difficult for him to breathe and with Cusco's altitude, it’s having a big impact on him, and his health is deteriorating. Both are also in their 70s and therefore in the high-risk category for the Covid-19. We are very concerned about what would happen if they caught the virus out in Peru.
On March 15 Peru closed all borders with only 24 hours’ notice, this was not enough time to arrange an exit as all flights were full. This left thousands of people stranded.
The governments of Israel, the USA, France, Germany, Poland and Spain have all organised flights to return their citizens. Where is the Uk’s response? The embassy in Peru has also proved ineffective, when they announced that the borders were closing, the office also shut its doors and it was therefore impossible to go there for guidance and advice.
The situation in Cusco is deteriorating rapidly; the army on the streets are preventing people from leaving their hotels, there is a curfew between 1pm-8am, there is not much food left in the supermarkets and tension is increasing between the tourists and the people who live there. It really is getting worse every day.
We urge the government to organise a flight home for Meinir and Ffred , this needs to happen before it’s too late.
Cysylltiadau pwysig / Important contacts:
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs:
Dominic Raab MP
fcocorrespondence@fco.gov.uk
dominic.raab@esherwalton.com
Secretary of State for Wales:
Simon Hart MP
simon.hart.mp@parliament.uk
correspondence@ukgovwales.gov.uk
Prif Weinidog Cymru:
Mark Drakeford AC
PS.FirstMinister@gov.wales
correspondence.fm@gov.wales
A Message From St David's Day Ambassador to the World - Gwenno Dafydd: St David's Day Banners 2020
By Ceri Shaw, 2020-03-13
ENGLISH
BUY THE ST DAVID'S DAY SONG HERE
CYMRAEG
Ani Glass releases debut album 'MIRORES' this week! "A triumph from one of the leading figures in the Welsh language music boom"
By Ceri Shaw, 2020-03-05
Ani Glass Releases Debut Album MIRORES on 6th March 2020 via Recordiau Neb
In 2020, Ani Glass 's debut album MIRORES finally sees the light of day. The follow up to her debut EP FFRWYDRAD TAWEL (2017, Recordiau Neb) is the culmination of over four years developing her own sound and visionary artistry. With its tapestry of electronic sounds, elliptical melodies and samples threaded into a song cycle, MIRORES is based around the idea of movement and progress - one which takes us on a journey around her hometown of Cardiff. You can hear Ani’s recorded sounds of the urban landscape throughout; the movement of traffic and people and the magical yet infrequent sounds of nature coming together to create the score of a city’s symphony.
The title is taken from Ani’s bardic name - created when she joined the Cornish Gorsedh in 2013. The Gorsedh itself is a celebration of the Celtic spirit of Cornwall and Bardship is awarded to people who contribute to its cultural and linguistic heritage. MIRORES delves into the wider impacts of urbanisation and development and touches on ideas around culture and identity - themes that came to the fore whilst she studied for a Masters in Urban and Regional Development at Cardiff University in 2018 and continues to explore through her Doctorate. The songs are a reflection of the language and landscape of Cardiff but also represent a reaction to the values of capitalism and development which often prioritise the wants and needs of society’s most fortunate.
MIRORES also represents Ani’s first foray into production. Having been inspired by her experience of working with Martin Rushent during her time as member of indie pop group The Pipettes , Glass has spent the past few years teaching herself the art of recording and production.
‘Before starting this project, I had little to no experience of making or producing electronic music - even the simple task of connecting the machines seemed pretty arduous at first’ remembers Glass, who has struck a singular and independent path as an artist. ‘From the offset I felt empowered by the freedom and democracy of producing and performing electronic music - it opened doors to a world of possibilities and allowed me to develop my own soundscape as a solo artist.’
Glass' sound is inspired by many leading electronic and avant-garde artists and producers of the 1980s including Martin Rushent, Giorgio Moroder, Vangelis, Jean-Michel Jarre and Arthur Russell whilst the album’s wider themes are inspired in part by the works of abstract painter Agnes Martin and the author and activist Jane Jacobs. Despite some of the album’s heavier themes, Ani maintains a strong pop sensibility throughout, most certainly cemented during her time as member of R&B pop group Genie Queen – managed by OMD ’s Andy McCluskey. As well as the album’s title track, the album contains ten peerless tracks including the haunting and atmospheric ‘Cariad’ (Love) featuring renowned Welsh artist Ivor Davies and 2018 single 'Peirianwaith Perffaith' (Perfect Machinery) that possesses a knowing pop universality - the soundtrack to life in the city’s engine room.
The ‘Mirores’ single is available to stream HERE
The MIRORES album will be available digitally and on a limited-edition CD.
Following a year of touring and playing at festivals across the UK and beyond including Sound City, Future Yard, Greenman, Sŵn, Focus Wales and POP Montreal (as part of the FOCUS Wales delegation with the support of PRSF and WAI) as well as supporting acts such as Audiobooks and Stealing Sheep , Ani will be returning to her hometown of Cardiff and to towns across Wales for a series of very special performances.
Ani Glass MIRORES 2020 tour dates:
6th March - Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff
7th March - Pontio, Bangor
13th March - In-store at Spillers, Cardiff
14th March - Tŷ Pawb, Wrexham
21st March - In-store at Tangled Parrot, Carmarthen
Follow Ani Glass:
BBC Horizons Artist TJ Roberts to release new single 'True Secret To A Happy Life' On Libertino 28/02
By Ceri Shaw, 2020-03-01
TJ Roberts are a rock band on the rise. Emerging from the ever expanding and exciting South Wales music scene, Tom, Heather, Gavin and Jasper embark on a sonic voyage pushing rock-infused indiecana to its limits. Consummate entertainers live, the band have a kaleidoscope of influences evoking the earworm melodies of Big Star, mid-west charm of Twin Peaks and Wilco and the beautiful droll of the late-great David Berman (Silver Jews, Purple Mountains) TJ Roberts are set to release a string of singles and a sophomore album during 2020, as members of the Libertino Records family.
‘True Secret to a Happy Life’ is the first release from this new collection of songs and is at once a backlash against and an admittance of defeat to rising social pressure and expectation. Written in a transition period, both for the band and the country at large, its lyrics are an exercise in mindful rebellion and self-care. It is an acknowledgement that we all fall short sometimes and misread help for hate. Recorded at the end of 2020, this is a song undoubtedly of its time and place.
Mae TJ Roberts yn fand roc sydd ar gynnydd. Daw Tom, Heather, Gavin a Jasper o'r sîn gerddorol yn Ne Cymru ac maent yn gwthio eu cerddoriaeth indicanna i'r eithaf. Mae'r perfformwyr gwych wedi'u dylanwadu yn drwm gan felodïau bachog Big Star, swyn gorllewinol Americanaidd Twin Peaks, Wilco a drôl y diweddar David Berman (Silver Jews, Purple Mountains). Bydd TJ Roberts yn rhyddhau casgliad o senglau ynghyd ag albym ar ddiwedd 2020 fel aelodau o deulu Recordiau Libertino.
'True Secret to a Happy Life' yw'r sengl gyntaf o'i gasgliad sy'n esbonio'r pwysau cymdeithasol cynyddol sydd ar bobl. Wedi'i ysgrifennu mewn cyfnod o newid i'r band ac i'r wlad yn gyffredinol, mae geiriau'r sengl hon yn gweld y band yn rebelio'n feddylgar ac yn rhoi cyfle am gyfnod o hunan-garu. Mae'r gân yn gydnabyddiaeth ein bod fel pobl yn gallu methu ac yn gallu camddarllen cymorth a chefnogaeth fel casineb. Wedi'i recordio ar ddiwedd 2020, mae hon yn gân heb os o'i gyfnod a'i leoliad.
TJ ROBERTS ONLINE LINKS:
SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/
FACEBOOK: https://www.
INSTAGRAM: https://www.
READ ABOUT ROUGH TRADE LONDON SHOWCASE FOR BBC HORIZONS
https://www.roughtrade.com/gb/
LIVE DATES
Monday 2nd March - Rough Trade East, London
