Music of Wales
Encyclopedia
Wales
has a strong and distinctive link with music. The country is traditionally referred to as "the land of song". This is a modern stereotype based on 19th century conceptions of Nonconformist choral music and 20th century male voice choirs, Eisteddfodau and arena singing, such as sporting events, but Wales has a history of music that has been used as a primary form of communication.
Wales has a history of folk music
related to the Celtic music
of countries such as Ireland
and Scotland
. It has distinctive instrumentation and song types, and is often heard at a twmpath
(folk dance session), gŵyl werin (folk festival
) or noson lawen
(a traditional party similar to the Gaelic "Céilidh
"). Modern Welsh folk musicians have sometimes reconstructed traditions which had been suppressed or forgotten, and have competed with imported and indigenous rock and pop trends.
Music in Wales is often connected with Male Voice Choir
s, such as the Morriston Orpheus Choir
and Treorchy Male Voice Choir
which enjoy a world wide reputation. This tradition of choral singing has been expressed through sporting events, especially in the country's national sport of rugby
, which in 1905 saw the first singing of a national anthem, Wales' Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau, at the start of an international sporting encounter.
A tradition of brass band
s dating from the Victorian era
continues, particularly in the South Wales Valleys
, with Welsh bands such as the Cory Band
being one of the most successful in the world.
The 20th century saw many solo singers from Wales become not only national but international stars. Ivor Novello
, who was a singer-songwriter during the First World War. Also, opera-singers such as Geraint Evans
and later Delme Bryn-Jones
found fame post World War II. The 1960s saw the rise of two distinctive Welsh acts, Tom Jones
and Shirley Bassey
, both of whom defined Welsh vocal styles for several generations.
In more modern times there has been a thriving musical scene. Bands and artists which have gained popularity include acts such as Man
and Budgie
in the early 1970s and solo artists Bonnie Tyler
and Shakin' Stevens
in the 1980s. These were followed by a wave of acts in the 1990s and early 21st century which produced a credible Welsh 'sound' embraced by the public and the media press of Great Britain. Such acts included the Manic Street Preachers
, Catatonia
, Super Furry Animals
and Gorky's Zygotic Mynci
; the latter two bands being notable for many of their songs' lyrics being in Welsh.
The oldest known traditional songs from Wales are those connected to seasonal customs such as the Mari Lwyd
or Hunting the Wren
, in which both ceremonies contain processional songs where repetition is a musical feature. Other such ceremonial or feasting traditions connected with song are the New Year's Day Calennig
and the welcoming of Spring Candlemas in which the traditional wassail
was followed by dancing and feast songs. Children would sing 'pancake songs' on Shrove Tuesday
and summer carols were connected to the festival of Calan Mai
.
For many years, Welsh folk music had been suppressed, due to the effects of the Act of Union, which promoted the English language, and the rise of the Methodist
church in the 18th and 19th century. The church frowned on traditional music and dance, though folk tunes were sometimes used in hymn
s. Since at least the 12th century, Welsh bard
s and musicians have participated in musical and poetic contests called eisteddfodau; this is the equivalent of the Scottish Mod
and the Irish Fleadh Cheoil
.
of the late 18th century. The hymns were popularised by writers such as William Williams
, while others were set to popular secular tunes or adopted Welsh ballad tunes. The appointment of Henry Mills as a musical overseer to the Welsh Methodist congregations in the 1780s saw a drive to improve singing throughout Wales. This saw the formation of local musical societies and in the first half of the 19th century Musical primers
and collections of tunes were printed and distributed. Congregational singing was given further impetus with the arrival of the temperance movement
, which saw the Temperance Choral Union (formed in 1854) organising annual singing festivals, these included hymn singing by combined choirs. The publication of Llyfr Tonau Cynulleidfaol by John Roberts in 1859 provided congregations with a body of standard tunes that were less complex with unadorned harmonies. This collection began the practice of combining together to sing tunes from the book laid the foundation for Cymanfa Ganu
, hymn singing festivals. Around the same period, the growing availability of music in the tonic sol-fa
notation, promoted by the likes of Eleazar Roberts
, allowed congregations to read music more fluently. One particularly popular hymn of this period was "Llef
".
In the 1860s, a revival of traditional Welsh music began, with the formation of the National Eisteddfod Society, followed by the foundation of London
-area Welsh Societies and the publication of Nicholas Bennett's Alawon fy Ngwlad ("Tunes of my Land"), a compilation of traditional tunes, in the 1890s.
Although choral music in the 19th century by Welsh composers was mainly religious, there was a steady body of secular
songs being produced. Composers such as Joseph Parry
, whose work Myfanwy
is still a favourite Welsh song, were followed by David Jenkins
and D. Emlyn Evans, who tailored songs specifically for the Victorian music market. These secular hymns were embraced by the emerging male voice choirs, which formed originally as the tenor and bass sections of chapel choirs, but also sang outside the church in a from of recreation and fellowship. The industrial workforce attracted less of a jollity of English glee club
s and also avoided the more robust militaristic style of music. Composers such as Charles Gounod
were imitated by Welsh contemporaries such as Parry, Protheroe
and Price to cater for a Welsh fondness of dramatic narratives, wide dynamic contrasts and thrilling climaxes. As well as the growth of male voice choirs during the industrial period, Wales also experienced an increase in the popularity of brass bands. The bands were popular among the working classes, and were adopted by paternalistic employers who saw brass bands as a constructive activity for their work forces.
In the twentieth century, Wales produced a large number of classical and operatic soloists of international reputation, including Ben Davies
, Geraint Evans
, Robert Tear
, Bryn Terfel
, Gwyneth Jones, Rebecca Evans
and Helen Watts
, as well as composers such as Alun Hoddinott
, William Mathias
and Karl Jenkins
. From the 1980s onwards, crossover artists such as Katherine Jenkins
, Charlotte Church
and Aled Jones
began to come to the fore. Welsh National Opera
, established in 1946, and the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition
, launched in 1983, attracted attention to Wales's growing reputation as a centre of excellence in the classical genre.
and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales
, both were factors in Welsh composers moving away from choral compositions to instrumental and orchestral pieces. Modern Welsh composers such as Alun Hoddinott
and William Mathias
produced large scale orchestrations, though both have returned to religious themes within their work. Both men would also explore Welsh culture, with Mathias setting music to the works of Dylan Thomas
, while Hoddinott, along with the likes of Mervyn Burtch
and David Wynne, would be influenced by the poetic and mythical past of Wales.
The 1960s saw important developments in both Welsh and English language music in Wales. The BBC had already produced Welsh language Radio programmes, such as Noson Lowen in the 1940s, and in the 1960s the corporation followed suite with television shows Hob y Deri Dando and Disc a Dawn giving Welsh acts a weekly stage to promote their sound. A more homely programme Gwlad y Gan
was produced by rival channel TWW
which set classic Welsh songs in idyllic settings and starred baritone Ivor Emmanuel
. The Anglo-American cultural influence was a strong draw on young musicians, with Tom Jones and Shirley Bassey becoming world famous singers; and the growth of The Beatles
' Apple Records
label saw Welsh acts Mary Hopkin
and Badfinger
join the roster. This was followed in 1969 with the establishment of the Sain
record label, one of the most important catalyst for change in the Welsh language music scene.
The 1970s and 1980s were a less influential time for Welsh popular music, with many Welsh acts, such as Bonnie Tyler and Shakin' Stevens, being commercially successful but through mimicking American music styles such as Motown or Rock and Roll. The Welsh language scene saw a dip in commercial popularity, but a rise in experimentation with acts such as punk band Trwynau Coch leading into a 'New Wave' of music. Bands that followed, like Anhrefn and Datblygu
, found support from BBC Radio 1
disc jockey John Peel
, one of the few DJ’s outside Wales to champion Welsh language music. In the 1990s, the Welsh pop scene flourished, with the emergence of Manic Street Preachers
and the Stereophonics
, who although not singing in Welsh, brought a sense of Welshness through iconography, lyrics and interviews. The same period saw Catatonia, Super Furry Animals and Gorky's Zygnotic Mynci, bilingual bands that were successful enough to bring the Welsh language to an English speaking audience.
, away from the repetitive ceremonial songs. These carols featured complex poetry based on cynghanedd
, some were sung to English tunes, but many used Welsh melodies such as 'Ffarwel Ned Puw'. The most common Welsh folk song is the love song, with lyrics pertaining to the sorrow of parting or in praise of the girl. A few employ sexual metaphor and mention the act of bundling
. After love songs, the ballad was a very popular form of song, with its tales of manual labour, agriculture and the every day life. Popular themes in the 19th century included murder, emigration and colliery disasters; sung to popular melodies from Ireland or North America.
The most traditional of Welsh instruments is the harp
, and is considered the national musical item. The triple harp
(telyn deires, "three-row harp") is a particularly distinctive tradition: it has three rows of strings, with every semitone
separately represented, while modern concert harps use a pedal system to change key by stopping the relevant strings. It has been popularised through the efforts of Nansi Richards
, Llio Rhydderch and Robin Huw Bowen
. The penillion
is a traditional form of Welsh singing poetry, accompanied by the harp, in which the singer and harpist follow different melodies so the stressed syllables of the poem coincide with accented beats of the harp melody.
The Robert ap Huw
manuscript documents 30 ancient harp music pieces that make up a fragment of the lost repertoire of the medieval Welsh bards. The music was composed between the 14th and 16th centuries, transmitted orally, then written down in a unique tablature and later copied in the early 17th century. This manuscript contains the earliest body of harp music from anywhere in Europe and is one of the key sources of early Welsh music.
Another distinctive instrument is the crwth
, also a stringed instrument of a type once widespread in northern Europe, it was played in Wales from the Middle Ages, which, superseded by the fiddle
(Welsh Ffidil), lingered on later in Wales than elsewhere but died out by the nineteenth century at the latest. The fiddle is an integral part of Welsh folk music.
See also Welsh Bagpipes, Pibgorn
and Crwth
.
s drawing on folk traditions.
By the late 1970s, Wales, like many of its neighbours, had seen the beginning of a roots revival
, the beginnings of which can be traced back to the 1960s folk singer-songwriter Dafydd Iwan
. Iwan was instrumental in the creation of a modern Welsh folk scene, and is known for fiercely patriotic and nationalistic songs, as well as the foundation of the Sain
record label. The Festival Interceltique de Lorient
saw the formation of Ar Log
, who spearheaded a revival of Welsh fiddling and harp-playing, and continued recording into the 21st century. A Welsh session band, following in the footsteps of their Irish counterparts Planxty
, Cilmeri recorded two albums with a uniquely Welsh feel. Welsh folk rock
includes a number of bands, such as Moniars, Gwerinos, Blue Horses, Bob Delyn a'r Ebillion
and Taran.
Sain was founded in 1969 by Dafydd Iwan and Huw Jones
with the aid of funding from Brian Morgan Edwards
. Originally, the label signed Welsh singers, mostly with overtly political lyrics, eventually branching out into a myriad of different styles. These included country music
(John ac Alun), singer-songwriters (Meic Stevens
), stadium rock
(The Alarm
) and classical singers (Aled Jones
, Bryn Terfel
).
The folk revival picked up energy in the 1980s with Robin Huw Bowen and other musicians achieving great commercial and critical success. Later into the 1990s, a new wave of bands including Fernhill
, Rag Foundation, Bob Delyn A'r Ebillion
, Moniars, Carreg Lafar
, Jac y Do, Boys From The Hill and Gwerinos found popularity. Jac y Do is one of several bands that now perform twmpathau all over the country for social gatherings and public events. Welsh traditional music was updated by punk-folk bands delivering traditional tunes at a much increased tempo; these included early Bob Delyn a'r Ebillion and Defaid. The 1990s also saw the creation of fflach:tradd
, a label which soon came to dominate the Welsh folk record industry with a series of compilations, as well as thematic projects like Ffidil, which featured 13 fiddlers. Some Welsh performers have mixed traditional influences, especially the language, into imported genres, Soliloquise for example and especially John ac Alun
, a Welsh language
country
duo who are perhaps the best-known contemporary performers in Welsh.
In June 2007, Tŷ Siamas was opened in Dolgellau
. Tŷ Siamas is the National Centre for Traditional Music, with regular sessions, concerts, lessons, an interactive exhibition and a recording studio.
In the non-traditional arena, many Welsh musicians have been present in popular rock
and pop
, either as individuals, (e.g. Tom Jones
, Shirley Bassey
, Dave Edmunds
, Shakin' Stevens
), individuals in groups (e.g. John Cale
of The Velvet Underground
, Green Gartside
of Scritti Politti
, Julian Cope
of Teardrop Explodes and Andy Scott
of Sweet
, Roger Glover
of Deep Purple
and Rainbow
), or as bands formed in Wales (e.g. Amen Corner
, The Alarm
, Man
, Budgie
, Badfinger
, Tigertailz
, Young Marble Giants
), but not until the 1990s did Welsh bands begin to be seen as a particular grouping. Following on from an underground post-punk
movement in the 1980s, led by bands like Datblygu
and Fflaps
, the 1990s saw a considerable flowering of Welsh rock groups (in both Welsh and English languages) such as Catatonia
, Manic Street Preachers
, Feeder
, Stereophonics
, Super Furry Animals
, The Pooh Sticks, 60ft Dolls and Gorky's Zygotic Mynci
.
The 21st century has seen the emergence of a number of new artists, including Lostprophets
, Skindred
, Kids In Glass Houses
, Duffy
, Christopher Rees
, Bullet for My Valentine
, The Automatic
, Goldie Lookin Chain
, People in Planes
, Los Campesinos!
, The Victorian English Gentlemens Club
, Attack! Attack!
, Funeral for a Friend
, Hondo Maclean
, Fflur Dafydd
, The Blackout
, The Broken Vinyl Club
, Kyshera
and also Marina and the Diamonds. There is a thriving Welsh-language contemporary music scene ranging from rock to hip-hop which routinely attracts large crowds and audiences, but they tend to be covered only by the Welsh-language media. More abrasive alternative acts such as Jarcrew
, Mclusky
and Future of the Left
- all well-known within the independent music community and known as Welsh acts - have also received modest commercial success in the UK. Quite a strong neo-progressive/classic rock scene has developed from Swansea based band Karnataka
and other bands that have links to them. These include Magenta
, The Reasoning and Panic Room
Welsh bands have the outlet for audiences, on such media as BBC Wales
, BBC Cymru, S4C
and The Pop Factory
. In particular, BBC Radio 1's Bethan
and Huw
and BBC Radio Wales' Adam Walton
support new Welsh music on their respective networks. Every year, both Mentrau Iaith Cymru
and Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg host separate 'Battle of the Bands' competitions for unsigned Welsh language bands, that are sponsored by the C2 radio
show. The winner of these competitions get the opportunity to support popular bands in gigs at the National Eisteddfod and a tour through Wales.
is from Hawarden
, Flintshire
. Also worth noting are the successful Drum and Bass
DJ High Contrast
who is from Cardiff
, the veteran house outfit K-Klass
from Wrexham
, and the Swansea
-based progressive breaks producers Hybrid. There is also a notable movement of Hard Dance music in Wales, often seen as a progression on the Italian Hardstyle sound, with an emphasis on reverse bass. Escape into the Park and Bionic Events are examples of the Welsh Hard Dance scene.On 16 July 2011 Sian Evans
of Trip Hop
, Synthpop
Bristol based band Kosheen
had a No.1 Official UK Singles Charts hit in collaboration with DJ Fresh.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
has a strong and distinctive link with music. The country is traditionally referred to as "the land of song". This is a modern stereotype based on 19th century conceptions of Nonconformist choral music and 20th century male voice choirs, Eisteddfodau and arena singing, such as sporting events, but Wales has a history of music that has been used as a primary form of communication.
Wales has a history of folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
related to the Celtic music
Celtic music
Celtic music is a term utilised by artists, record companies, music stores and music magazines to describe a broad grouping of musical genres that evolved out of the folk musical traditions of the Celtic people of Western Europe...
of countries such as Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It has distinctive instrumentation and song types, and is often heard at a twmpath
Twmpath
Twmpath is a Welsh word literally meaning a hump or tump, once applied to the mound or village green upon which the musicians sat and played for the community to dance. It is used today to mean a Welsh version of the barn dance or céilidh....
(folk dance session), gŵyl werin (folk festival
Folk festival
A Folk festival celebrates traditional folk crafts and folk music.-Canada:Alberta*Calgary Folk Music Festival*Canmore Folk Music Festival*Edmonton Folk Music Festival*Jasper Folk Festival*Wild Mountain Music FestOntario*Barriefolk...
) or noson lawen
Noson Lawen
Noson Lawen is a Welsh language phrase for a party with music - similar to a ceilidh and can also refer to:*Noson Lawen , 1949 Welsh language film*Noson Lawen , Welsh language TV series running since 1982...
(a traditional party similar to the Gaelic "Céilidh
Céilidh
In modern usage, a céilidh or ceilidh is a traditional Gaelic social gathering, which usually involves playing Gaelic folk music and dancing. It originated in Ireland, but is now common throughout the Irish and Scottish diasporas...
"). Modern Welsh folk musicians have sometimes reconstructed traditions which had been suppressed or forgotten, and have competed with imported and indigenous rock and pop trends.
Music in Wales is often connected with Male Voice Choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
s, such as the Morriston Orpheus Choir
Morriston Orpheus Choir
The Morriston Orpheus Choir, based in Morriston, near Swansea, Wales, is a male voice choir, one of the best-known in the UK.-History:The Choir was formed on April 23, 1935 by Ivor E. Sims and in its early days concentrated primarily on competitions and local concerts...
and Treorchy Male Voice Choir
Treorchy Male Choir
Treorchy Male Voice Choir is a choir based in Treorchy in the Rhondda Valley, Wales, United Kingdom.Choirs have existed in the Rhondda Valley for more than a hundred and fifty years and Treorchy is one of the best known from the area...
which enjoy a world wide reputation. This tradition of choral singing has been expressed through sporting events, especially in the country's national sport of rugby
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
, which in 1905 saw the first singing of a national anthem, Wales' Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau, at the start of an international sporting encounter.
A tradition of brass band
Brass band
A brass band is a musical ensemble generally consisting entirely of brass instruments, most often with a percussion section. Ensembles that include brass and woodwind instruments can in certain traditions also be termed brass bands , but are usually more correctly termed military bands, concert...
s dating from the Victorian era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
continues, particularly in the South Wales Valleys
South Wales Valleys
The South Wales Valleys are a number of industrialised valleys in South Wales, stretching from eastern Carmarthenshire in the west to western Monmouthshire in the east and from the Heads of the Valleys in the north to the lower-lying, pastoral country of the Vale of Glamorgan and the coastal plain...
, with Welsh bands such as the Cory Band
Cory Band
The Cory Band, formerly the Buy As You View Band, is one of the oldest and best known brass bands in the world.-History and origins:The Cory Band hails from the Rhondda Valley in Wales. They were formed in 1884 and originally bore the name ‘Ton Temperance’ a reference to the Temperance movement in...
being one of the most successful in the world.
The 20th century saw many solo singers from Wales become not only national but international stars. Ivor Novello
Ivor Novello
David Ivor Davies , better known as Ivor Novello, was a Welsh composer, singer and actor who became one of the most popular British entertainers of the first half of the 20th century. Born into a musical family, his first successes were as a songwriter...
, who was a singer-songwriter during the First World War. Also, opera-singers such as Geraint Evans
Geraint Evans
Sir Geraint Llewellyn Evans was a Welsh baritone or bass-baritone noted for operatic roles including Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro, Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, and the title roles in Falstaff and Wozzeck...
and later Delme Bryn-Jones
Delme Bryn-Jones
Delme Bryn-Jones was a Welsh baritone.Born Delme Jones in Brynaman, south Wales,Internationally renowned baritone Delme Bryn-Jones was one of the finest operatic voices to have come out of Wales. Born Delme Jones on 29 March 1934 in Brynamman, he took the extra syllable of his stage name from his...
found fame post World War II. The 1960s saw the rise of two distinctive Welsh acts, Tom Jones
Tom Jones (singer)
Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...
and Shirley Bassey
Shirley Bassey
Dame Shirley Bassey, DBE , is a Welsh singer. She found fame in the late 1950s and was "one of the most popular female vocalists in Britain during the last half of the 20th century"...
, both of whom defined Welsh vocal styles for several generations.
In more modern times there has been a thriving musical scene. Bands and artists which have gained popularity include acts such as Man
Man (band)
Man are a rock band from South Wales whose style is a mixture of West Coast psychedelia, progressive rock, blues and country-rock. Formed in 1968 as a reincarnation of Welsh rock harmony group ‘’The Bystanders’’, Man are renowned for the extended jams in their live performances, and having had...
and Budgie
Budgie (band)
Budgie is a Welsh Hard Rock/Heavy Metal band from Cardiff. They are widely considered as one of the first heavy metal bands and a seminal influence to many acts of that scene, with fast, heavy rock being played as early as 1971. The band has been noted as "among the heaviest metal of its day"...
in the early 1970s and solo artists Bonnie Tyler
Bonnie Tyler
Bonnie Tyler is a Welsh singer, most notable for her hits in the 1970s and 1980s including "It's a Heartache", "Holding Out for a Hero" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart".-Early life:...
and Shakin' Stevens
Shakin' Stevens
Shakin' Stevens, also known as "Shaky" is a platinum selling Welsh rock and roll singer and songwriter who holds the distinction of being the UK's biggest-selling singles artist of the 1980s . His recording and performing career began in the late 1960s, although it was not until 1980 that he saw...
in the 1980s. These were followed by a wave of acts in the 1990s and early 21st century which produced a credible Welsh 'sound' embraced by the public and the media press of Great Britain. Such acts included the Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s...
, Catatonia
Catatonia (band)
Catatonia were an alternative rock band from Wales who gained a national following in the United Kingdom in the mid to late 1990s. The band consisted of Cerys Matthews on vocals, Mark Roberts on guitar, Paul Jones on bass , Owen Powell on...
, Super Furry Animals
Super Furry Animals
Super Furry Animals are a Welsh rock band that lean towards psychedelic rock and electronic experimentation. Since their formation in Cardiff, Wales in 1993, the band has consisted of Gruff Rhys , Huw Bunford , Guto Pryce , Cian Ciaran and Dafydd Ieuan Super Furry Animals are a Welsh rock band...
and Gorky's Zygotic Mynci
Gorky's Zygotic Mynci
Gorky's Zygotic Mynci were a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in Carmarthen, west Wales in 1991. They sang songs in both Welsh and English. They split up in May 2006.-Biography:...
; the latter two bands being notable for many of their songs' lyrics being in Welsh.
Early song
Wales has a history of using music as a primary form of communication. As early as 1187, medieval chronicler Geraldus Cambrensis stated that the Welsh sang in as many parts as there were people, and even that quite small children could harmonise.The oldest known traditional songs from Wales are those connected to seasonal customs such as the Mari Lwyd
Mari Lwyd
The Mari Lwyd , also Y Fari Lwyd, is a Welsh midwinter tradition, possibly to celebrate New Year , although it formerly took place over a period stretching from Christmas to late January...
or Hunting the Wren
Cutty Wren
The Cutty Wren and its variants like The Hunting of the Wren are traditional English folk songs. The origins and meaning of the song are disputed...
, in which both ceremonies contain processional songs where repetition is a musical feature. Other such ceremonial or feasting traditions connected with song are the New Year's Day Calennig
Calennig
Calennig is a Welsh word meaning "New Year celebration/gift," though literally translates to "the first day of the month," deriving from the Latin word kalends. The English word "Calendar" also has its root in this word.-Celebrations in Cardiff:...
and the welcoming of Spring Candlemas in which the traditional wassail
Wassail
The word Wassail refers to several related traditions; first and foremost wassailing is an ancient southern English tradition that is performed with the intention of ensuring a good crop of cider apples for the next year's harvest...
was followed by dancing and feast songs. Children would sing 'pancake songs' on Shrove Tuesday
Shrove Tuesday
Shrove Tuesday is a term used in English-speaking countries, especially in Ireland, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Philippines, Germany, and parts of the United States for the day preceding Ash Wednesday, the first day of the season of fasting and prayer called Lent.The...
and summer carols were connected to the festival of Calan Mai
Calan Mai
In Wales, May 1 is a holiday known as Calan Mai or Calan Haf, which means the first day of summer. Celebrations start on the evening before, known as May Eve, with bonfires; as with Calan Gaeaf, the night before is an Ysbrydnos, or "spirit night," when spirits are out and about and divination is...
.
For many years, Welsh folk music had been suppressed, due to the effects of the Act of Union, which promoted the English language, and the rise of the Methodist
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
church in the 18th and 19th century. The church frowned on traditional music and dance, though folk tunes were sometimes used in hymn
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
s. Since at least the 12th century, Welsh bard
Bard
In medieval Gaelic and British culture a bard was a professional poet, employed by a patron, such as a monarch or nobleman, to commemorate the patron's ancestors and to praise the patron's own activities.Originally a specific class of poet, contrasting with another class known as fili in Ireland...
s and musicians have participated in musical and poetic contests called eisteddfodau; this is the equivalent of the Scottish Mod
Mod (Scotland)
A mod is a festival of Scottish Gaelic song, arts and culture. Historically, the Gaelic word mòd refers to any kind of assembly. There are both local mods, and an annual national mod, the Royal National Mod...
and the Irish Fleadh Cheoil
Fleadh Cheoil
The Fleadh Cheoil is an Irish music competition run by Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann or more commonly known as "Comhaltas" ....
.
18th and 19th century, religious music
Welsh traditional music declined with the rise of Nonconformist religion in the 18th century, which emphasised choral singing over instruments, and religious over secular uses of music; traditional musical styles became associated with drunkenness and immorality. The development of hymn singing in Wales is closely tied with the Welsh Methodist revivalWelsh Methodist revival
The Welsh Methodist revival was an evangelical revival that revitalised Christianity in Wales during the 18th century. Methodist preachers such as Griffith Jones, William Williams and Howell Harris were such powerful speakers that they converted thousands of people back to the church...
of the late 18th century. The hymns were popularised by writers such as William Williams
William Williams Pantycelyn
William Williams Pantycelyn , also known as Williams Pantycelyn and Pantycelyn, is generally acknowledged as Wales' most famous hymn writer. He was also one of the key leaders of the 18th century Welsh Methodist revival, along with Daniel Rowland and Howell Harris. As a poet and prose writer he is...
, while others were set to popular secular tunes or adopted Welsh ballad tunes. The appointment of Henry Mills as a musical overseer to the Welsh Methodist congregations in the 1780s saw a drive to improve singing throughout Wales. This saw the formation of local musical societies and in the first half of the 19th century Musical primers
Primer (textbook)
A primer is a first textbook for teaching of reading, such as an alphabet book or basal reader. The word also is used more broadly to refer to any book that presents the most basic elements of a subject....
and collections of tunes were printed and distributed. Congregational singing was given further impetus with the arrival of the temperance movement
Temperance movement
A temperance movement is a social movement urging reduced use of alcoholic beverages. Temperance movements may criticize excessive alcohol use, promote complete abstinence , or pressure the government to enact anti-alcohol legislation or complete prohibition of alcohol.-Temperance movement by...
, which saw the Temperance Choral Union (formed in 1854) organising annual singing festivals, these included hymn singing by combined choirs. The publication of Llyfr Tonau Cynulleidfaol by John Roberts in 1859 provided congregations with a body of standard tunes that were less complex with unadorned harmonies. This collection began the practice of combining together to sing tunes from the book laid the foundation for Cymanfa Ganu
Cymanfa Ganu
A Cymanfa Ganu , is a Welsh festival of sacred hymns, sung with four part harmony by a congregation, usually under the direction of a choral director....
, hymn singing festivals. Around the same period, the growing availability of music in the tonic sol-fa
Tonic sol-fa
Tonic sol-fa is a pedagogical technique for teaching sight-singing, invented by Sarah Ann Glover of Norwich, England and popularised by John Curwen who adapted it from a number of earlier musical systems...
notation, promoted by the likes of Eleazar Roberts
Eleazar Roberts
Eleazar Roberts was a Welsh musician, translator, writer and amateur astronomer. Roberts family moved to Liverpool in England while he was an infant, but despite this he retained a strong link to his country of birth and was a fluent Welsh speaker. He wrote for several Welsh journals and travelled...
, allowed congregations to read music more fluently. One particularly popular hymn of this period was "Llef
Llef
Llef is a popular Welsh hymn, written by Thomas Charles. The tune was composed by Hugh Griffith Jones . It was written in memory of his brother, Dewi.-Hymn text:-External links:...
".
In the 1860s, a revival of traditional Welsh music began, with the formation of the National Eisteddfod Society, followed by the foundation of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
-area Welsh Societies and the publication of Nicholas Bennett's Alawon fy Ngwlad ("Tunes of my Land"), a compilation of traditional tunes, in the 1890s.
19th-21st century, secular music
Secularity
Secularity is the state of being separate from religion.For instance, eating and bathing may be regarded as examples of secular activities, because there may not be anything inherently religious about them...
songs being produced. Composers such as Joseph Parry
Joseph Parry
Joseph Parry , was a Welsh composer and musician. Born in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, he is best known as the composer of Myfanwy and Aberystwyth used in Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika the National anthem of South Africa.The cottage at 4 Chapel Row, Merthyr Tydfil, where Parry was born, is now open to the...
, whose work Myfanwy
Myfanwy
Myfanwy is a popular Welsh song, composed by Joseph Parry and first published in 1875. Parry wrote the music to lyrics written by Richard Davies...
is still a favourite Welsh song, were followed by David Jenkins
David Jenkins (composer)
David Jenkins was a Welsh composer, best known for his choral works and hymn tunes.Born at Trecastle near Brecon, Jenkins was at first apprenticed to a tailor, but in 1874 he began studying music at Aberystwyth under Joseph Parry. In 1893 he returned to Aberystwyth as a lecturer, rising to...
and D. Emlyn Evans, who tailored songs specifically for the Victorian music market. These secular hymns were embraced by the emerging male voice choirs, which formed originally as the tenor and bass sections of chapel choirs, but also sang outside the church in a from of recreation and fellowship. The industrial workforce attracted less of a jollity of English glee club
Glee club
A glee club is a musical group or choir group, historically of male voices but also of female or mixed voices, which traditionally specializes in the singing of short songs—glees—by trios or quartets. In the late 19th Century it was very popular in most schools and was made a tradition...
s and also avoided the more robust militaristic style of music. Composers such as Charles Gounod
Charles Gounod
Charles-François Gounod was a French composer, known for his Ave Maria as well as his operas Faust and Roméo et Juliette.-Biography:...
were imitated by Welsh contemporaries such as Parry, Protheroe
Daniel Protheroe
Daniel Protheroe , was a Welsh composer and conductor, born at Cwmgiedd near Ystradgynlais, Brecknockshire. After success at the National Eisteddfod at a young age, he emigrated to the USA, where he was educated...
and Price to cater for a Welsh fondness of dramatic narratives, wide dynamic contrasts and thrilling climaxes. As well as the growth of male voice choirs during the industrial period, Wales also experienced an increase in the popularity of brass bands. The bands were popular among the working classes, and were adopted by paternalistic employers who saw brass bands as a constructive activity for their work forces.
In the twentieth century, Wales produced a large number of classical and operatic soloists of international reputation, including Ben Davies
Ben Davies (tenor)
Ben Davies was a Welsh tenor singer, who appeared in opera with the Carl Rosa Opera Company, in operetta and light opera, and on the concert and oratorio platform...
, Geraint Evans
Geraint Evans
Sir Geraint Llewellyn Evans was a Welsh baritone or bass-baritone noted for operatic roles including Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro, Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, and the title roles in Falstaff and Wozzeck...
, Robert Tear
Robert Tear
Robert Tear, CBE was a Welsh tenor and conductor.Tear was born in Barry, Glamorgan, Wales, UK, the son of Thomas and Edith Tear. He attended Barry Boys' Grammar School and during this period sang in the chorus of the first Welsh National Opera's production of 'Cavalleria Rusticana' in April 1946...
, Bryn Terfel
Bryn Terfel
Bryn Terfel Jones CBE is a Welsh bass-baritone opera and concert singer. Terfel was initially associated with the roles of Mozart, particularly Figaro and Leporello, but has subsequently shifted his attention to heavier roles, especially those by Wagner....
, Gwyneth Jones, Rebecca Evans
Rebecca Evans
Rebecca Evans is a Welsh operatic soprano.-Personal life:Born in the village of Pontrhydyfen near Neath, the same village as Hollywood actor Richard Burton....
and Helen Watts
Helen Watts
Helen Watts CBE was a Welsh contralto. She was born at Wales in Milford Haven and educated at the School of S. Mary and S. Anne, Abbots Bromley and the Royal Academy of Music. She began her career with the Glyndebourne Festival Chorus, and was a regular broadcaster on the Welsh Home Service...
, as well as composers such as Alun Hoddinott
Alun Hoddinott
Alun Hoddinott CBE , was a Welsh composer of classical music, one of the first to receive international recognition.-Life and works:...
, William Mathias
William Mathias
William Mathias CBE was a Welsh composer.-Brief biography:Mathias was born in Whitland, Carmarthenshire. A child prodigy, he started playing the piano at the age of three and composing at the age of five. He studied at the Royal Academy of Music under Lennox Berkeley, where he was elected a fellow...
and Karl Jenkins
Karl Jenkins
-Other works:*Adiemus: Live — live versions of Adiemus music*Palladio *Eloise *Imagined Oceans *The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace...
. From the 1980s onwards, crossover artists such as Katherine Jenkins
Katherine Jenkins
Katherine Jenkins is a Welsh mezzo-soprano. She is a classical-popular crossover singer who performs across a spectrum of operatic arias, popular songs, musical theatre and hymns.-Early life and education:...
, Charlotte Church
Charlotte Church
Charlotte Maria Church is a Welsh singer-songwriter, actress and television presenter. She rose to fame in childhood as a classical singer before branching into pop music in 2005. By 2007, she had sold more than 10 million records worldwide including over 5 million in the United States...
and Aled Jones
Aled Jones
Aled Jones is a Welsh singer and television/radio personality, broadcaster and television presenter who first came to fame as a treble...
began to come to the fore. Welsh National Opera
Welsh National Opera
Welsh National Opera is an opera company founded in Cardiff, Wales in 1943. The WNO tours Wales, the United Kingdom and the rest of the world extensively. Annually, it gives more than 120 performances of eight main stage operas to a combined audience of around 150,000 people...
, established in 1946, and the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition
BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition
BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition is a competition for opera and art singers held every two years....
, launched in 1983, attracted attention to Wales's growing reputation as a centre of excellence in the classical genre.
Post 1945, popular music
After World War II, two significant musical organisations were founded, the Welsh National OperaWelsh National Opera
Welsh National Opera is an opera company founded in Cardiff, Wales in 1943. The WNO tours Wales, the United Kingdom and the rest of the world extensively. Annually, it gives more than 120 performances of eight main stage operas to a combined audience of around 150,000 people...
and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
The BBC National Orchestra of Wales is a Welsh symphony orchestra and one of the BBC's five professional orchestras. The BBC NOW is the only professional symphony orchestra organisation in Wales, occupying a dual role as both a broadcasting orchestra and national orchestra.The BBC NOW has its...
, both were factors in Welsh composers moving away from choral compositions to instrumental and orchestral pieces. Modern Welsh composers such as Alun Hoddinott
Alun Hoddinott
Alun Hoddinott CBE , was a Welsh composer of classical music, one of the first to receive international recognition.-Life and works:...
and William Mathias
William Mathias
William Mathias CBE was a Welsh composer.-Brief biography:Mathias was born in Whitland, Carmarthenshire. A child prodigy, he started playing the piano at the age of three and composing at the age of five. He studied at the Royal Academy of Music under Lennox Berkeley, where he was elected a fellow...
produced large scale orchestrations, though both have returned to religious themes within their work. Both men would also explore Welsh culture, with Mathias setting music to the works of Dylan Thomas
Dylan Thomas
Dylan Marlais Thomas was a Welsh poet and writer, Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 11 January 2008. who wrote exclusively in English. In addition to poetry, he wrote short stories and scripts for film and radio, which he often performed himself...
, while Hoddinott, along with the likes of Mervyn Burtch
Mervyn Burtch
Mervyn Burtch MBE is a Welsh composer born and resident in Ystrad Mynach, Wales.In 1991 Burtch received the John Edwards Memorial Award, one of Wales' most prestigious music honours, for the promotion of Welsh Music and in 2003 was awarded the MBE for services to Welsh Music.-External references:* *...
and David Wynne, would be influenced by the poetic and mythical past of Wales.
The 1960s saw important developments in both Welsh and English language music in Wales. The BBC had already produced Welsh language Radio programmes, such as Noson Lowen in the 1940s, and in the 1960s the corporation followed suite with television shows Hob y Deri Dando and Disc a Dawn giving Welsh acts a weekly stage to promote their sound. A more homely programme Gwlad y Gan
Gwlad y Gan
Gwlad y Gan was a monthly television series that ran from 1958 to 1964 featuring traditional Welsh music and song. The programme aired on Sunday evenings with costumed performers and choreography....
was produced by rival channel TWW
Television Wales and the West
Television Wales and the WestTelevision Wales and the WestTelevision Wales and the West , accessed 19 August 2006, accessed 19 August 2006 was the British "Independent Television" contractor for the franchise area serving 'South Wales and West of England' 1956–68 Television Wales and the...
which set classic Welsh songs in idyllic settings and starred baritone Ivor Emmanuel
Ivor Emmanuel
Ivor Lewis Emmanuel was a Welsh musical theatre and television singer and actor. He led the rendition of "Men of Harlech" in the 1964 film Zulu.-Life and career:...
. The Anglo-American cultural influence was a strong draw on young musicians, with Tom Jones and Shirley Bassey becoming world famous singers; and the growth of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' Apple Records
Apple Records
Apple Records is a record label founded by The Beatles in 1968, as a division of Apple Corps Ltd. It was initially intended as a creative outlet for the Beatles, both as a group and individually, plus a selection of other artists including Mary Hopkin, James Taylor, Badfinger, and Billy Preston...
label saw Welsh acts Mary Hopkin
Mary Hopkin
Mary Hopkin , credited on some recordings as Mary Visconti, is a Welsh folk singer best known for her 1968 UK number one single "Those Were The Days". She was one of the first musicians to sign to The Beatles' Apple label....
and Badfinger
Badfinger
Badfinger were a British rock band consisting originally of Pete Ham, Ron Griffiths, Mike Gibbins and Tom Evans, active from 1968 to 1983, and evolving from The Iveys, formed by Ham, Griffiths and David "Dai" Jenkins in Swansea, Wales, in the early 1960s. Joey Molland joined the group in 1969,...
join the roster. This was followed in 1969 with the establishment of the Sain
Sain
Sain , in full – Recordiau Sain Cyf is a Welsh record label, which was in the Welsh folk revival....
record label, one of the most important catalyst for change in the Welsh language music scene.
The 1970s and 1980s were a less influential time for Welsh popular music, with many Welsh acts, such as Bonnie Tyler and Shakin' Stevens, being commercially successful but through mimicking American music styles such as Motown or Rock and Roll. The Welsh language scene saw a dip in commercial popularity, but a rise in experimentation with acts such as punk band Trwynau Coch leading into a 'New Wave' of music. Bands that followed, like Anhrefn and Datblygu
Datblygu
Datblygu was an experimental Welsh rock group in the 1980s and early to mid-1990s, now regarded as a catalyst of the new wave of Welsh rock in the early '80s.-History:...
, found support from BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
disc jockey John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
, one of the few DJ’s outside Wales to champion Welsh language music. In the 1990s, the Welsh pop scene flourished, with the emergence of Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s...
and the Stereophonics
Stereophonics
The Stereophonics are a Welsh rock band now living in turners x that formed in 1992 in the village of Cwmaman in Cynon Valley, Wales. The band currently comprises lead vocalist and guitarist Kelly Jones, bassist and backing vocalist Richard Jones, drummer Javier Weyler, guitarist and backing...
, who although not singing in Welsh, brought a sense of Welshness through iconography, lyrics and interviews. The same period saw Catatonia, Super Furry Animals and Gorky's Zygnotic Mynci, bilingual bands that were successful enough to bring the Welsh language to an English speaking audience.
Traditional music
Early musical traditions during the 17th and 18th century saw the emergence of more complex carolsCarol (music)
A carol is a festive song, generally religious but not necessarily connected with church worship, and often with a dance-like or popular character....
, away from the repetitive ceremonial songs. These carols featured complex poetry based on cynghanedd
Cynghanedd
In Welsh language poetry, Cynghanedd is the basic concept of sound-arrangement within one line, using stress, alliteration and rhyme. The various forms of cynghanedd show up in the definitions of all formal Welsh verse forms, such as the awdl. Though of ancient origin, cynghanedd and variations of...
, some were sung to English tunes, but many used Welsh melodies such as 'Ffarwel Ned Puw'. The most common Welsh folk song is the love song, with lyrics pertaining to the sorrow of parting or in praise of the girl. A few employ sexual metaphor and mention the act of bundling
Bundling (tradition)
Bundling, or tarrying, was the traditional practice of wrapping one person in a bed accompanied by another, usually as a part of courting behavior. The tradition is thought to have originated either in the Netherlands or in the British Isles and later became common in Colonial America, especially...
. After love songs, the ballad was a very popular form of song, with its tales of manual labour, agriculture and the every day life. Popular themes in the 19th century included murder, emigration and colliery disasters; sung to popular melodies from Ireland or North America.
The most traditional of Welsh instruments is the harp
Harp
The harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...
, and is considered the national musical item. The triple harp
Triple Harp
The triple harp, often referred to as the Welsh triple harp , is a type of harp employing three rows of strings instead of the more common single row...
(telyn deires, "three-row harp") is a particularly distinctive tradition: it has three rows of strings, with every semitone
Semitone
A semitone, also called a half step or a half tone, is the smallest musical interval commonly used in Western tonal music, and it is considered the most dissonant when sounded harmonically....
separately represented, while modern concert harps use a pedal system to change key by stopping the relevant strings. It has been popularised through the efforts of Nansi Richards
Nansi Richards
Nansi Richards Jones of Penybontfawr, Oswestry, was a Welsh harpist, sometimes known as the “Queen of the Harp”....
, Llio Rhydderch and Robin Huw Bowen
Robin Huw Bowen
Robin Huw Bowen is a player of the Welsh Triple Harp, known in Welsh as Telyn Deires , and is recognised internationally as the leading exponent of the instrument...
. The penillion
Cerdd dant
Cerdd Dant or Canu Penillion is the art of vocal improvisation over a given melody in Welsh musical tradition. It is an important competition in eisteddfodau. The singer or choir sings a counter melody over a harp melody.Cerdd Dant is a unique tradition of singing lyrics over a harp accompaniment...
is a traditional form of Welsh singing poetry, accompanied by the harp, in which the singer and harpist follow different melodies so the stressed syllables of the poem coincide with accented beats of the harp melody.
The Robert ap Huw
Robert ap Huw
Robert ap Huw , was a Welsh harpist and copyist. He is most notable for compiling a manuscript, now known as the Robert ap Huw manuscript, which is the main extant source of cerdd dant and is a late medieval collection of harp music...
manuscript documents 30 ancient harp music pieces that make up a fragment of the lost repertoire of the medieval Welsh bards. The music was composed between the 14th and 16th centuries, transmitted orally, then written down in a unique tablature and later copied in the early 17th century. This manuscript contains the earliest body of harp music from anywhere in Europe and is one of the key sources of early Welsh music.
Another distinctive instrument is the crwth
Crwth
The crwth is an archaic stringed musical instrument, associated particularly with Welsh music, once widely-played in Europe.-Origin of the name:...
, also a stringed instrument of a type once widespread in northern Europe, it was played in Wales from the Middle Ages, which, superseded by the fiddle
Fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
(Welsh Ffidil), lingered on later in Wales than elsewhere but died out by the nineteenth century at the latest. The fiddle is an integral part of Welsh folk music.
See also Welsh Bagpipes, Pibgorn
Pibgorn (instrument)
The pibgorn is a Welsh species of idioglot reed aerophone. The name translates literally as "pipe-horn". It is also historically known as cornicyll. It utilises a single reed , cut from elder or reed , like that found in the drone of a bagpipe, being the ancestor of the modern clarinet reed...
and Crwth
Crwth
The crwth is an archaic stringed musical instrument, associated particularly with Welsh music, once widely-played in Europe.-Origin of the name:...
.
Folk music
Welsh folk is known for a variety of instrumental and vocal styles, as well as more recent singer-songwriterSinger-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
s drawing on folk traditions.
Roots revival
A roots revival is a trend which includes young performers popularizing the traditional musical styles of their ancestors. Often, roots revivals include an addition of newly-composed songs with socially and politically aware lyrics, as well as a general modernization of the folk sound.After an...
, the beginnings of which can be traced back to the 1960s folk singer-songwriter Dafydd Iwan
Dafydd Iwan
Dafydd Iwan , is a Welsh folk singer and politician. He was the president of Plaid Cymru .Dafydd Iwan Jones was born in Brynaman in Carmarthenshire, Wales, and is the elder brother of politician Alun Ffred Jones. He spent most of his youth in Bala in Gwynedd before attending the University of...
. Iwan was instrumental in the creation of a modern Welsh folk scene, and is known for fiercely patriotic and nationalistic songs, as well as the foundation of the Sain
Sain
Sain , in full – Recordiau Sain Cyf is a Welsh record label, which was in the Welsh folk revival....
record label. The Festival Interceltique de Lorient
Festival Interceltique de Lorient
The Festival Interceltique de Lorient or Gouelioù Etrekeltiek An Oriant was founded in Lorient, Brittany in 1971 by Polig Montjarret...
saw the formation of Ar Log
Ar Log
Ar Log are a well-established folk band in Wales who have performed since the 1970s. They perform both instrumental music and songs in Welsh. Their name in Welsh means For Hire....
, who spearheaded a revival of Welsh fiddling and harp-playing, and continued recording into the 21st century. A Welsh session band, following in the footsteps of their Irish counterparts Planxty
Planxty
Planxty is an Irish folk music band formed in the 1970s, consisting initially of Christy Moore , Dónal Lunny , Andy Irvine , and Liam O'Flynn...
, Cilmeri recorded two albums with a uniquely Welsh feel. Welsh folk rock
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
includes a number of bands, such as Moniars, Gwerinos, Blue Horses, Bob Delyn a'r Ebillion
Bob Delyn a'r Ebillion
Bob Delyn a'r Ebillion are a folk-rock group from Wales, singing both in Welsh and Breton.Fronted by the Prifardd Twm Morys, Bob Delyn a'r Ebillion played a major part in the Welsh folk revival of the early 1990s...
and Taran.
Sain was founded in 1969 by Dafydd Iwan and Huw Jones
Huw Jones
Huw Jones is a retired Welsh Anglican bishop who served as the Bishop of St. David's from 1996 to 2001.-Ministry:His first pastoral appointment was as a curate at Aberdare from 1959 to 1961, followed by the Vicar of Neath from 1961 to 1965, then the Vicar of Crynant from 1965 to 1969. His next...
with the aid of funding from Brian Morgan Edwards
Brian Morgan Edwards
Brian Morgan Edwards was an expert computer salesman, a prominent supporter of Plaid Cymru and a Welsh businessman who sponsored the first Welsh-language recording studio for popular music....
. Originally, the label signed Welsh singers, mostly with overtly political lyrics, eventually branching out into a myriad of different styles. These included country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
(John ac Alun), singer-songwriters (Meic Stevens
Meic Stevens
Meic Mortimer Stevens is a Welsh singer-songwriter often referred to as "the Welsh Dylan" and has been compared favourably with musicians like Syd Barrett. Stevens's songs have a mystical, faintly psychedelic flavour, and are mostly sung in his native Welsh language...
), stadium rock
Arena rock
Arena rock is a term used to describe rock music that utilised large arena venues, particularly sports venues, for concerts or series of concerts linked in tours...
(The Alarm
The Alarm
The Alarm are an alternative rock band that emerged from North Wales in the late 1970s. They started as a mod band and stayed together for over ten years. As a rock band, they displayed marked influences from Welsh language and culture...
) and classical singers (Aled Jones
Aled Jones
Aled Jones is a Welsh singer and television/radio personality, broadcaster and television presenter who first came to fame as a treble...
, Bryn Terfel
Bryn Terfel
Bryn Terfel Jones CBE is a Welsh bass-baritone opera and concert singer. Terfel was initially associated with the roles of Mozart, particularly Figaro and Leporello, but has subsequently shifted his attention to heavier roles, especially those by Wagner....
).
The folk revival picked up energy in the 1980s with Robin Huw Bowen and other musicians achieving great commercial and critical success. Later into the 1990s, a new wave of bands including Fernhill
Fernhill
Fernhill is a residential district in the Scottish town of Rutherglen in Lanarkshire. It is situated south of the River Clyde. Built largely in the 1950s and 60s as a slum clearance area for Rutherglen, Fernhill could be considered as a smaller equivalent to the infamous Castlemilk estate which...
, Rag Foundation, Bob Delyn A'r Ebillion
Bob Delyn a'r Ebillion
Bob Delyn a'r Ebillion are a folk-rock group from Wales, singing both in Welsh and Breton.Fronted by the Prifardd Twm Morys, Bob Delyn a'r Ebillion played a major part in the Welsh folk revival of the early 1990s...
, Moniars, Carreg Lafar
Carreg Lafar
Carreg Lafar is a traditional Welsh band.It was formed in Cardiff in 1994 with Antwn Owen Hicks, James Rourke, Rhian Evan Jones, Linda Owen Jones and Simon O'Shea. Carreg Lafar literally means a "speaking stone", or "echo stone"....
, Jac y Do, Boys From The Hill and Gwerinos found popularity. Jac y Do is one of several bands that now perform twmpathau all over the country for social gatherings and public events. Welsh traditional music was updated by punk-folk bands delivering traditional tunes at a much increased tempo; these included early Bob Delyn a'r Ebillion and Defaid. The 1990s also saw the creation of fflach:tradd
Fflach
Fflach is a Welsh Record Label and Recording Studio. It was founded in 1981 in Cardigan, Ceredigion, Wales by brothers Richard and Wyn Jones who are members of Welsh New Wave music group Ail Symudiad. The label gave an opportunity to record more New Wave music in Wales, for bands such as Y Ficar,...
, a label which soon came to dominate the Welsh folk record industry with a series of compilations, as well as thematic projects like Ffidil, which featured 13 fiddlers. Some Welsh performers have mixed traditional influences, especially the language, into imported genres, Soliloquise for example and especially John ac Alun
John ac Alun
John ac Alun are a Country and Western duo from Wales. They are sometimes accompanied by Tudur Morgan , Gareth Williams , Charlie Britton , Myfyr Isaac, , Dave Rowlands and backing vocals by Lowri Mererid and Eleri Fôn.Most of their songs are written by themselves and Charlie but some have been...
, a Welsh language
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...
country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
duo who are perhaps the best-known contemporary performers in Welsh.
In June 2007, Tŷ Siamas was opened in Dolgellau
Dolgellau
Dolgellau is a market town in Gwynedd, north-west Wales, lying on the River Wnion, a tributary of the River Mawddach. It was the county town of the former county of Merionethshire .-History and economy:...
. Tŷ Siamas is the National Centre for Traditional Music, with regular sessions, concerts, lessons, an interactive exhibition and a recording studio.
Pop and rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
and pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, either as individuals, (e.g. Tom Jones
Tom Jones (singer)
Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...
, Shirley Bassey
Shirley Bassey
Dame Shirley Bassey, DBE , is a Welsh singer. She found fame in the late 1950s and was "one of the most popular female vocalists in Britain during the last half of the 20th century"...
, Dave Edmunds
Dave Edmunds
David 'Dave' Edmunds is a Welsh singer, guitarist and record producer. Although he is primarily associated with Pub rock and New Wave, and had numerous hits in the 1970s and early 1980s, his natural leaning has always been towards 1950s style rock and roll.-Early bands:As a teenager Edmunds first...
, Shakin' Stevens
Shakin' Stevens
Shakin' Stevens, also known as "Shaky" is a platinum selling Welsh rock and roll singer and songwriter who holds the distinction of being the UK's biggest-selling singles artist of the 1980s . His recording and performing career began in the late 1960s, although it was not until 1980 that he saw...
), individuals in groups (e.g. John Cale
John Cale
John Davies Cale, OBE is a Welsh musician, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer who was a founding member of the experimental rock band The Velvet Underground....
of The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City. First active from 1964 to 1973, their best-known members were Lou Reed and John Cale, who both went on to find success as solo artists. Although experiencing little commercial success while together, the band is often cited...
, Green Gartside
Green Gartside
Green Gartside , is a British musician, and the frontman of the band Scritti Politti....
of Scritti Politti
Scritti Politti
Scritti Politti are a British band, originally formed in 1977 in Leeds, Yorkshire, England. Although there have been various changes to the line-up, Cardiff-born singer-songwriter Green Gartside was the founding member of the band and the only member to have remained throughout the group's...
, Julian Cope
Julian Cope
Julian Cope is a British rock musician, author, antiquary, musicologist, poet and cultural commentator...
of Teardrop Explodes and Andy Scott
Andy Scott (guitarist)
Andy Scott is a British musician and songwriter. He is best known for being the lead guitarist and a vocalist in the band Sweet.-Early years:Scott started out playing bass guitar...
of Sweet
Sweet (band)
Sweet was a British rock band that rose to worldwide fame in the 1970s as one of the most prominent glam rock acts, with the classic line-up of lead vocalist Brian Connolly, bass player Steve Priest, guitarist Andy Scott, and drummer Mick Tucker.Sweet was formed in 1968 and achieved their first...
, Roger Glover
Roger Glover
Roger David Glover is a Welsh bassist, songwriter, and record producer. Glover is best known as the bassist and lyricist for the hard rock band, Deep Purple.-Early career:...
of Deep Purple
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
and Rainbow
Rainbow (band)
Rainbow were an English rock band, controlled by guitarist Ritchie Blackmore from 1975 to 1984 and 1994 to 1997. It was originally established with American rock band Elf's members, though over the years Rainbow went through many line-up changes with no two studio albums featuring the same line-up...
), or as bands formed in Wales (e.g. Amen Corner
Amen Corner (band)
Amen Corner were a successful Welsh rock group, formed in late 1966 in Cardiff, Wales.-Career:The band was named after The Amen Corner, a weekly disc spin at the Victoria Ballroom in Cardiff, Wales, where every Sunday night Dr...
, The Alarm
The Alarm
The Alarm are an alternative rock band that emerged from North Wales in the late 1970s. They started as a mod band and stayed together for over ten years. As a rock band, they displayed marked influences from Welsh language and culture...
, Man
Man (band)
Man are a rock band from South Wales whose style is a mixture of West Coast psychedelia, progressive rock, blues and country-rock. Formed in 1968 as a reincarnation of Welsh rock harmony group ‘’The Bystanders’’, Man are renowned for the extended jams in their live performances, and having had...
, Budgie
Budgie (band)
Budgie is a Welsh Hard Rock/Heavy Metal band from Cardiff. They are widely considered as one of the first heavy metal bands and a seminal influence to many acts of that scene, with fast, heavy rock being played as early as 1971. The band has been noted as "among the heaviest metal of its day"...
, Badfinger
Badfinger
Badfinger were a British rock band consisting originally of Pete Ham, Ron Griffiths, Mike Gibbins and Tom Evans, active from 1968 to 1983, and evolving from The Iveys, formed by Ham, Griffiths and David "Dai" Jenkins in Swansea, Wales, in the early 1960s. Joey Molland joined the group in 1969,...
, Tigertailz
Tigertailz
Tigertailz are a glam metal band hailing from Cardiff, Wales. They are most famous for their 1990 album, Bezerk, which made the Top 40 in the UK Albums Chart, and spawned a couple of successful singles...
, Young Marble Giants
Young Marble Giants
Young Marble Giants were a post-punk band formed in Cardiff, Wales in 1978. A trio, their music was constructed around the powerful and minimal instrumentation of brothers Philip and Stuart Moxham along with the vocals of Alison Statton.-History:...
), but not until the 1990s did Welsh bands begin to be seen as a particular grouping. Following on from an underground post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
movement in the 1980s, led by bands like Datblygu
Datblygu
Datblygu was an experimental Welsh rock group in the 1980s and early to mid-1990s, now regarded as a catalyst of the new wave of Welsh rock in the early '80s.-History:...
and Fflaps
Fflaps
Fflaps was a Welsh post-punk group in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The band was composed of vocalist and guitarist Ann Matthews, bassist Alan Holmes and drummer Jonny Evans. Between their formation in 1987 and split in 1992, they released 3 LPs and an EP, recorded 2 Peel Sessions and toured...
, the 1990s saw a considerable flowering of Welsh rock groups (in both Welsh and English languages) such as Catatonia
Catatonia (band)
Catatonia were an alternative rock band from Wales who gained a national following in the United Kingdom in the mid to late 1990s. The band consisted of Cerys Matthews on vocals, Mark Roberts on guitar, Paul Jones on bass , Owen Powell on...
, Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s...
, Feeder
Feeder
-Technology:* Feeder , any of several devices used in apiculture to supplement or replace natural food sources* Feeder , another name for a riser, a reservoir built into a metal casting mold to prevent cavities due to shrinkage...
, Stereophonics
Stereophonics
The Stereophonics are a Welsh rock band now living in turners x that formed in 1992 in the village of Cwmaman in Cynon Valley, Wales. The band currently comprises lead vocalist and guitarist Kelly Jones, bassist and backing vocalist Richard Jones, drummer Javier Weyler, guitarist and backing...
, Super Furry Animals
Super Furry Animals
Super Furry Animals are a Welsh rock band that lean towards psychedelic rock and electronic experimentation. Since their formation in Cardiff, Wales in 1993, the band has consisted of Gruff Rhys , Huw Bunford , Guto Pryce , Cian Ciaran and Dafydd Ieuan Super Furry Animals are a Welsh rock band...
, The Pooh Sticks, 60ft Dolls and Gorky's Zygotic Mynci
Gorky's Zygotic Mynci
Gorky's Zygotic Mynci were a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in Carmarthen, west Wales in 1991. They sang songs in both Welsh and English. They split up in May 2006.-Biography:...
.
The 21st century has seen the emergence of a number of new artists, including Lostprophets
Lostprophets
Lostprophets is a Welsh rock band from Pontypridd, formed in 1997. Founded by vocalist Ian Watkins, bassist Mike Lewis, drummer Mike Chiplin and guitarist Lee Gaze, they were originally a side-project to hardcore punk band Public Disturbance. To date, Lostprophets have released four studio...
, Skindred
Skindred
Skindred is a Welsh rock band from Newport. The band was formed in 1998 following the disbandment of vocalist Benji Webbe's previous band, Dub War. Skindred's musical style mixes alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and reggae...
, Kids In Glass Houses
Kids in Glass Houses
Kids in Glass Houses are a Welsh rock band from Cardiff, and are considered a significant part of the Cardiff music scene. The band's name is inspired by the lyrics "not throwing stones at you anymore" from Glassjaw song "Tip Your Bartender". The band achieved success on the strength of the singles...
, Duffy
Duffy (singer)
Aimée Ann Duffy , known as Duffy, is a Welsh singer-songwriter. Her 2008 debut album Rockferry entered the UK Album Chart at number one. It was the best-selling album in the United Kingdom in 2008 with 1.68 million copies sold...
, Christopher Rees
Christopher Rees
Christopher Rees is a Welsh singer-songwriter now based in Cardiff.Christopher Rees is a solo artist, singer, song writer, multi instrumentalist, band leader, producer and record label director. He performs with a full band and in a solo capacity.Kiss Me, Kill MeChristopher Rees released the 'Kiss...
, Bullet for My Valentine
Bullet for My Valentine
Bullet for My Valentine are a Welsh heavy metal band from Bridgend, formed in 1998. The band is composed of Matt Tuck , Michael Paget , Jason James , and Michael Thomas . They were formed under the name Jeff Killed John and started their music career by covering songs by Metallica and Nirvana...
, The Automatic
The Automatic
The Automatic , are a Welsh rock band. The band is composed of Robin Hawkins on vocals, bass and synthesizers, James Frost on guitar, synthesizers, backing vocals and occasional bass, Iwan Griffiths on drums and Paul Mullen on vocals, guitar and synthesizer - since 2007...
, Goldie Lookin Chain
Goldie Lookin Chain
Goldie Lookin Chain is a comedic rap music group based in Newport, South Wales. The group produces humorous, controversial and often explicit songs that satirise hip hop, today's consumer society, the ‘chav’ culture and life in Newport and south Wales in general.-Background:Many of the songs...
, People in Planes
People in Planes
People in Planes are a five piece Indie rock band from Cardiff, Wales. They are signed to Wind-up Records. Prior to 2003 they were known as Tetra Splendour and before that they went by the name of Robots in the Sky...
, Los Campesinos!
Los Campesinos!
Los Campesinos! are a seven piece indie pop band from Cardiff, Wales, formed in early 2006 at Cardiff University. Although the band formed in Wales, none of its members are Welsh. They released their debut album, Hold on Now, Youngster..., in February 2008 and followed this up by releasing a record...
, The Victorian English Gentlemens Club
The Victorian English Gentlemens Club
The Victorian English Gentlemens Club are a three piece experimental indie art rock band based in Cardiff, Wales.-Name:The name of the band is correctly spelt without an apostrophe. On their website, the band acknowledges they are "aware that there should be" an apostrophe...
, Attack! Attack!
Attack! Attack!
Attack! Attack! are a Welsh rock band from Caerphilly and Aberdare, formed in 2006. They have toured across the UK with other Welsh bands such as The Blackout, Funeral for a Friend, Lostprophets, SaidMike, Kids in Glass Houses and also English bands You Me at Six and Go:Audio and have toured with...
, Funeral for a Friend
Funeral for a Friend
Funeral for a Friend are a Welsh post-hardcore band, from Bridgend. Formed 2001, they have released five studio albums, seven EPs, sixteen singles, one DVD, and one compilation album.-Formation and Early Years:...
, Hondo Maclean
Hondo Maclean
Hondo Maclean was a post-hardcore/metalcore outfit from Bridgend, Wales. On February 16, 2007 they announced that they had stopped the band but would start a new project called The Future, who have also since split up...
, Fflur Dafydd
Fflur Dafydd
Fflur Dafydd is an award winning novelist, singer-songwriter and musician. Whilst predominantly publishing in Welsh, she also writes in English. She records in Welsh, and her work is regularly played on Radio Cymru.-Early life:...
, The Blackout
The Blackout (band)
The Blackout is a post-hardcore band from Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, formed in 2003. After some time backing Lostprophets on their Liberation Transmission Tour, along with Dopamine, Covergirl, Kids In Glass Houses, The Guns and Men, Women and Children, they released their first mini-album The Blackout!...
, The Broken Vinyl Club
The Broken Vinyl Club
The Broken Vinyl Club are a 60s-influenced indie rock band based in Aberdare in South Wales. They are signed to Acid Jazz Records.The band are known for their close harmonies and jangly guitar sound and have been compared to bands such as The Beatles, The Byrds, The La's and The Kinks...
, Kyshera
Kyshera
Kyshera are a three-piece alternative rock band from South Wales, formed in 2005. The band was formed by James Kennedy to perform the music from his album 'Made in China'. Since then the band has had several line up changes...
and also Marina and the Diamonds. There is a thriving Welsh-language contemporary music scene ranging from rock to hip-hop which routinely attracts large crowds and audiences, but they tend to be covered only by the Welsh-language media. More abrasive alternative acts such as Jarcrew
Jarcrew
Jarcrew was a five-piece progressive rock band from Ammanford, Wales. They were a relatively well known underground band for approximately five years between 2000 and their early 2005 split...
, Mclusky
Mclusky
Mclusky , originally known as Best, were a three-piece post-hardcore group formed in Cardiff, Wales. The group consisted of Englishman Andy "Falco" Falkous from Newcastle Upon Tyne, Jonathan Chapple and Jack Egglestone , who replaced previous drummer Matthew Harding in late...
and Future of the Left
Future of the Left
Future of the Left are an alternative rock group based in Cardiff, Wales.- Beginnings :Future of the Left were formed by singer/guitarist Andy "Falco" Falkous and drummer Jack Egglestone, both previously of Cardiff band mclusky, alongside singer/bassist Kelson Mathias, formerly of the...
- all well-known within the independent music community and known as Welsh acts - have also received modest commercial success in the UK. Quite a strong neo-progressive/classic rock scene has developed from Swansea based band Karnataka
Karnataka (band)
The Welsh progressive rock band Karnataka were formed in 1997 by founding members Ian Jones , Rachel Jones and Jonathan Edwards...
and other bands that have links to them. These include Magenta
Magenta (Welsh band)
Magenta are a Welsh progressive rock band formed in 1999 by ex-Cyan member Rob Reed. Reed takes his influences from bands like Genesis, Mike Oldfield, Yes, Eurythmics and Björk.-Current Lineup:*Christina Booth: lead vocals....
, The Reasoning and Panic Room
Panic Room (Band)
Panic Room is a Welsh band made up of former Karnataka members Jonathan Edwards, Gavin Griffiths, Paul Davies and Anne-Marie Helder with Alun Vaughan on bass guitar....
Welsh bands have the outlet for audiences, on such media as BBC Wales
BBC Wales
BBC Cymru Wales is a division of the British Broadcasting Corporation for Wales. Based at Broadcasting House in the Llandaff area of Cardiff, it directly employs over 1200 people, and produces a broad range of television, radio and online services in both the Welsh and English languages.Outside...
, BBC Cymru, 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...
and The Pop Factory
The Pop Factory
The Pop Factory is a music and media complex in Porth, Rhondda, South Wales. It has given its name to a Welsh TV show.It was founded by Emyr Afan and his wife Mair Afan....
. In particular, BBC Radio 1's Bethan
Bethan Elfyn
Bethan Elfyn is a Welsh radio and television presenter.Bethan was born in Bangor, Gwynedd, was brought up in Newtown, Powys, and now lives in Cardiff. She is a fluent Welsh speaker and has appeared as a panellist on Welsh language channel S4C's music talent show Waw Ffactor...
and Huw
Huw Stephens
Huw Stephens is a radio presenter currently broadcasting shows on BBC Radio 1.-Early life and career:Stephens was born in Cardiff, Wales, the son of the author and literary journalist Meic Stephens...
and BBC Radio Wales' Adam Walton
Adam Walton
Adam Walton is an alternative DJ for BBC Radio Wales. He was brought up in Nannerch, near Mold, North Wales....
support new Welsh music on their respective networks. Every year, both Mentrau Iaith Cymru
Menter Iaith
Menter Iaith is a community-based organisation which works to raise the profile of the Welsh language in a specific area...
and Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg host separate 'Battle of the Bands' competitions for unsigned Welsh language bands, that are sponsored by the C2 radio
C2 (radio)
C2 is a Welsh language music and youth strand on BBC Radio Cymru, broadcast on weeknights between 8pm and 1am from BBC Cymru's studios in Cardiff and Bangor....
show. The winner of these competitions get the opportunity to support popular bands in gigs at the National Eisteddfod and a tour through Wales.
Dance
DJ SashaSasha (DJ)
Sasha is a Welsh DJ and record producer. Sasha began his career playing acid house dance music in the late 1980s...
is from Hawarden
Hawarden
Hawarden is a village in Flintshire, North Wales. Hawarden forms part of the Deeside conurbation on the Welsh/English border. At the 2001 Census, the population of Hawarden Ward was 1,858...
, Flintshire
Flintshire
Flintshire is a county in north-east Wales. It borders Denbighshire, Wrexham and the English county of Cheshire. It is named after the historic county of Flintshire, which had notably different borders...
. Also worth noting are the successful Drum and Bass
Drum and bass
Drum and bass is a type of electronic music which emerged in the late 1980s. The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats , with heavy bass and sub-bass lines...
DJ High Contrast
High Contrast
Lincoln Barrett, better known by the stage name High Contrast , is a Welsh drum and bass DJ and producer.-History:...
who is from Cardiff
Cardiff
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...
, the veteran house outfit K-Klass
K-Klass
K-Klass are a house music group from Wrexham, North Wales. The members are Andy Williams, Carl Thomas, Russ Morgan, and Paul Roberts. K-Klass signed with Deconstruction Records, and later to Parlophone.-Career:...
from Wrexham
Wrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
, and the Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
-based progressive breaks producers Hybrid. There is also a notable movement of Hard Dance music in Wales, often seen as a progression on the Italian Hardstyle sound, with an emphasis on reverse bass. Escape into the Park and Bionic Events are examples of the Welsh Hard Dance scene.On 16 July 2011 Sian Evans
Sian Evans
Siân Evans is a Welsh singer/songwriter from Caerphilly, United Kingdom, born October 9, 1973. She is also a member of the band Kosheen where she has found major success across Europe.-Career:...
of Trip Hop
Trip hop
Trip hop is a music genre consisting of downtempo electronic music which originated in the early 1990s in England, especially Bristol. Deriving from "post"-acid house, the term was first used by the British music media and press as a way to describe the more experimental variant of breakbeat which...
, Synthpop
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
Bristol based band Kosheen
Kosheen
Kosheen are a British trip hop, breakbeat and rock group based in Bristol, England. The trio consists of producers Markee Substance and Darren Decoder , with singer and song writer Sian Evans...
had a No.1 Official UK Singles Charts hit in collaboration with DJ Fresh.
External links
- BBC Wales Music
- Tŷ Siamas, the National Centre for Traditional Music
- ŷ Cerdd / Music Centre Wales - a collection of links to music-based organisations in WalesWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
from Tŷ Cerdd / Music Centre Wales, a partnership between the Welsh Amateur Music Federation, Welsh Music Information Centre, National Youth Arts Wales (delivered by the Welsh Amateur Music Federation and the Welsh Joint Education Committee and which embraces National Youth Brass Band of Wales, Choir of Wales, Dance of Wales, Jazz Wales, Orchestra of Wales, Symphonic Brass Wales, Theatre of Wales and Wind Orchestra of Wales) and Cyfansoddwyr Cymru/Composers of Wales - the guild of Welsh composers.