Gwenno Saunders
Encyclopedia
Gwenno Saunders is a British
dance
r and solo
artist
. She is best known as a singer
and keyboardist
with The Pipettes
, and is also known by the name Gwenno Pipette.
, and is the daughter of noted Cornish
poet
and linguist
Tim Saunders
and Lyn Mererid who is a member of the well-known Welsh
socialist choir, Côr Cochion Caerdydd and works as a translator.
From the age of five she attended the Seán Éireann-McMahon Academy of Irish Dance and was a cast member of Michael Flatley
's productions of Lord Of The Dance
and Feet of Flames
by the age of 17, playing a lead role in a Las Vegas
production of the former. In 2001 she had a role in the Welsh language soap opera Pobol y Cwm
on S4C
, for whom she would later host her own programme Ydy Gwenno'n Gallu...?. She is fluent in Welsh
and Cornish
and also speaks Irish
.
and Cornish
languages, releasing two solo EP's, Môr Hud (2002) and Vodya (2004). In 2003, she was approached by Polydor Records
to appear on BBC's Fame Academy
, however withdrew from the competition before it started. After this, Saunders represented Cornwall
in the Alternative Eurovision Song Contest, 2003, and won the People's Choice Award for her performance of Vodya. In December 2004 Gwenno filmed the song 'Ysolt y'nn Gweinten' by Celtic Legend for Classic FM TV. It is claimed to be the first video produced in the Cornish language, the text having been written by her father Tim Saunders with music by Cornish composer and ex Gary Numan keyboard player Chris John Payne.
in April 2005 after founding member Julia left. She is most notable for her lead vocals on the single Pull Shapes
and the chorus of Your Kisses Are Wasted on Me
. She has more recently posted solo material to her Myspace
page, and made a free download of a mini album titled U & I available in October 2007. In April 2008 Gwenno's younger sister Ani joined the Pipettes after the departure of singers Rosay and RiotBecki
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
r and solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
artist
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
. She is best known as a singer
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
and keyboardist
Keyboardist
A keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
with The Pipettes
The Pipettes
The Pipettes are a British indie pop girl group formed in 2003 in Brighton by "svengali" Robert "Monster Bobby" Barry. The group has released two albums, We Are the Pipettes, and Earth vs...
, and is also known by the name Gwenno Pipette.
Biography
Saunders was born in CardiffCardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, and is the daughter of noted Cornish
Cornish people
The Cornish are a people associated with Cornwall, a county and Duchy in the south-west of the United Kingdom that is seen in some respects as distinct from England, having more in common with the other Celtic parts of the United Kingdom such as Wales, as well as with other Celtic nations in Europe...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and linguist
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
Tim Saunders
Tim Saunders
Tim Saunders is a Cornish language poet who also writes poetry and journalism in the Welsh, Irish, Breton and Cornish languages. He is resident in Cardiff but is of Cornish descent. He is a bard of the Gorseth Kernow, a literary historian and editor of 'The Wheel' – an anthology of modern poetry in...
and Lyn Mererid who is a member of the well-known Welsh
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
socialist choir, Côr Cochion Caerdydd and works as a translator.
From the age of five she attended the Seán Éireann-McMahon Academy of Irish Dance and was a cast member of Michael Flatley
Michael Flatley
Michael Ryan Flatley is an American Irish dancer, choreographer, actor, musician and occasional television presenter. He became internationally known for Irish dance shows Riverdance, Lord of the Dance, Feet of Flames, and Celtic Tiger...
's productions of Lord Of The Dance
Lord of the Dance (musical)
Lord of the Dance is an Irish musical and dance production that was created, choreographed, and produced by Irish-American dancer Michael Flatley, who also took a starring role...
and Feet of Flames
Feet of Flames
Michael Flatley's Feet of Flames is an Irish dance show directed by Michael Flatley and scored by Ronan Hardiman.-Feet of Flames:Hyde Park:Feet of Flames was created in 1998 by dancer Michael Flatley, made famous by the musical Riverdance...
by the age of 17, playing a lead role in a Las Vegas
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
production of the former. In 2001 she had a role in the Welsh language soap opera Pobol y Cwm
Pobol y Cwm
Pobol y Cwm is a Welsh-language television soap opera which has been produced by the BBC since October 1974. The longest-running television soap opera produced by the BBC, Pobol y Cwm was originally transmitted on BBC Wales television and later transferred to the Welsh-language station S4C when it...
on S4C
S4C
S4C , currently branded as S4/C, is a Welsh television channel broadcast from the capital, Cardiff. The first television channel to be aimed specifically at a Welsh-speaking audience, it is the fifth oldest British television channel .The channel - initially broadcast on...
, for whom she would later host her own programme Ydy Gwenno'n Gallu...?. She is fluent in Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
and Cornish
Cornish language
Cornish is a Brythonic Celtic language and a recognised minority language of the United Kingdom. Along with Welsh and Breton, it is directly descended from the ancient British language spoken throughout much of Britain before the English language came to dominate...
and also speaks Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
.
Pre-The Pipettes (2002–2004)
In the years before she joined The Pipettes, she had been a solo electropop singer, mostly in the WelshWelsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
and Cornish
Cornish language
Cornish is a Brythonic Celtic language and a recognised minority language of the United Kingdom. Along with Welsh and Breton, it is directly descended from the ancient British language spoken throughout much of Britain before the English language came to dominate...
languages, releasing two solo EP's, Môr Hud (2002) and Vodya (2004). In 2003, she was approached by Polydor Records
Polydor Records
Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone...
to appear on BBC's Fame Academy
Fame Academy
Fame Academy is a televised competition to search for and educate new musical talents. The winner received a chance to become a successful music artist. The prize consisted of a £1m recording contract with a major record company, plus the use of a luxury apartment in London and a sports car for one...
, however withdrew from the competition before it started. After this, Saunders represented Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
in the Alternative Eurovision Song Contest, 2003, and won the People's Choice Award for her performance of Vodya. In December 2004 Gwenno filmed the song 'Ysolt y'nn Gweinten' by Celtic Legend for Classic FM TV. It is claimed to be the first video produced in the Cornish language, the text having been written by her father Tim Saunders with music by Cornish composer and ex Gary Numan keyboard player Chris John Payne.
The Pipettes (2005–present)
Gwenno joined The PipettesThe Pipettes
The Pipettes are a British indie pop girl group formed in 2003 in Brighton by "svengali" Robert "Monster Bobby" Barry. The group has released two albums, We Are the Pipettes, and Earth vs...
in April 2005 after founding member Julia left. She is most notable for her lead vocals on the single Pull Shapes
Pull Shapes
"Pull Shapes" is a single from The Pipettes and was released on 3 July 2006. It is available on CD, double 7" vinyl, and digital download from Memphis Industries...
and the chorus of Your Kisses Are Wasted on Me
Your Kisses Are Wasted on Me
"Your Kisses Are Wasted on Me" was the second single from The Pipettes' debut album We Are the Pipettes. It was released on 27 March 2006 and available on CD, double 7" vinyl and digital download on Memphis Industries...
. She has more recently posted solo material to her Myspace
Myspace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
page, and made a free download of a mini album titled U & I available in October 2007. In April 2008 Gwenno's younger sister Ani joined the Pipettes after the departure of singers Rosay and RiotBecki
Rebecca Stephens
Rebecca Stephens is a singer, formerly with British band The Pipettes, where she was commonly known as RiotBecki....
.