Paid collaboration with Dydd Miwsig Cymru / Welsh Language Music Day
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It’s Dydd Miwsig Cymru, Welsh Language Music Day, this Friday – an opportunity to have fun and luxuriate in music made in Welsh, in addition to supporting the colourful Welsh language music trade and selling the Welsh language.
Friday 10 February 2023 will see the eighth annual Dydd Miwsig Cymru, celebrating all types of Welsh language music – from rock, pop, folks, to electronica, hip hop and every thing in between.
Folks of all ages, whether or not they converse Welsh or not, are invited to make use of the day as inspiration to take heed to some Welsh music. It’s an important software for studying, and if you happen to’re one of many many mother and father who don’t converse Welsh however whose kids are in Welsh medium training, it’s a enjoyable and accessible solution to get nearer to your baby’s language world. Welsh language front room disco, anybody?!
My kids are in Welsh-medium training and though I’ve realized Welsh, till a couple of years in the past I didn’t actually know a lot Welsh language music in any respect. My husband is English, so it’s positively a complete new world for him, however one we’ve been making an attempt to embrace as a household.
When my kids have been very younger and began attending Cylch Meithrin (Welsh language nursery) they used to sing Welsh language nursery rhymes; as somebody who began studying Welsh on the age of 11, this was a complete new world for me, however I observed the easy patterns and repetition helped my language as a lot because it helped my kids’s. And music supplies the identical, as they grow old.
My kids’s main faculty has been superb at introducing pupils to Welsh language music. At first, it was the cheerful learning-based songs from the presenters of the TV present Cyw and likes of Rapsgaliwn, the S4C character who raps about being the most effective rapper on the planet in his monitor Rapsgaliwn, recycling (Ailgylchu), totally different sandwich fillings (Caws) in Welsh, and even an ode to the common-or-garden potato (Tatws). Yep, very random, however very catchy too!
After which, as they obtained older, got here the pop, hip hop and rock of bands and artists comparable to Fleur De Lys, Gwilym, Mr Phormula, Yws Gwynedd, Elin Fflur, Adwaith and so many extra. In lockdown, we had digital faculty discos to a soundtrack of Welsh songs and the academics put collectively movies of all the youngsters doing lockdown challenges comparable to passing lavatory rolls (bear in mind these!) accompanied by catchy Welsh pop songs. Our PTA termly discos now function a Welsh language playlist – and it’s superb seeing the youngsters dancing and singing alongside and requesting Welsh favourites. Every year on Dydd Miwsig Cymru, the pupils vote for his or her favorite Welsh language tunes – and so they’ve even had messages of thanks from the artists themselves. By my kids, my eyes have really been opened to the Welsh language music scene, and it’s been such an enriching expertise for all of us. It doesn’t matter if you happen to don’t perceive the lyrics – we’ve all been singing alongside to the Macarena and Despacito for years with out understanding the phrases, and so can also Welsh language music be loved by anybody.
I’ve all the time felt it’s essential for my kids to see Welsh not simply because the language of their classroom however as a language they’ll stay their lives in – and music is such an exquisite solution to present them that, and to develop their cultural information. Plus a whole lot of it’s actually, actually good.
In case you’re new to Welsh language music and questioning the place to start out, this playlist from BBC Sounds and Siarter Iaith is ideal. The playlist is up to date each few weeks and accommodates an hour of tracks showcasing the breadth of Welsh language music. A few of our favourites from the present playlist embody the catchy Paid Ȃ Bod Ofn by Eden, the uplifting Pan Ddaw Yfory by Yws Gwynedd, and Lle Ma Dy Galon by Mr Phormula that includes Alys Williams which fuses rap, beatbox and clean melodies.
Miwsig Y Siarter Iaith’s playlist is on the market through BBC Sounds all yr spherical, and though the playlist modifications commonly, the identical hyperlink will work regardless of which tunes are presently on provide.
In case you’re on Spotify, you may entry a number of Dydd Miwsig Cymru playlists right here
There’s loads of alternative to see Welsh language music acts enjoying stay. You may also see an inventory of all the gigs which might be going down throughout Wales to have fun Dydd Miwsig Cymru right here
And for us right here in Cardiff, look out for Tafwyl, the annual free pageant celebrating Welsh tradition, often held in June, sees quite a lot of Welsh artists taking to the stage; in addition to Gwyl Fach Y Fro, an analogous occasion which takes place in Barry Island, plus there’s all the time an array of Welsh bands enjoying on the annual Eisteddfod. Grown ups can get their Welsh language music repair at Clwb Ifor Bach, the well-known membership in Cardiff metropolis centre.
My kids and I’ve put collectively beneath seven of our favorite Welsh language music tracks which we hope will encourage you – the right soundtrack to your subsequent automotive journey or kitchen disco.
Our seven favorite Welsh language music songs for Dydd Miwsig Cymru
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Dawnsia by Fleur De Lys
In keeping with the BBC web site, the Anglesey indie band say they wish to make “Saturday night time each night time of the week”… “not in a hedonistic stumbling round a heaving nightclub, however within the sense that their music has an actual sense of freedom, potentialities and pleasure to it, within the spirit of the most effective rock ’n’ roll.” And that’s actually true of Dawnsia; as you would possibly be capable to guess it interprets as Dance and it’s positively a vigorous anthem of a monitor that can get you shifting.
Because the lyrics say, “Dawnsia nes dy fod dy draed di’n rhydd. Ti yn pwy wyt ti ar ddiwadd y dydd” or “Dance till your toes are free. No person sees you on the finish of the day.”
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Gwalia by Gwilym
This one all the time provides me goosebumps, it’s such a passionate ode to Wales and was BBC Radio Cymru’s anthem for the 2019 Rugby World Cup. The band is made up of members from throughout north west Wales together with Caernarfon and Anglesey, and the lyrics are stuffed with the center filling pleasure of supporting Wales.
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Mynd Yn Nôl by Mr Phormula
My kids love Mr Phormula (aka Ed Holden) and his beatboxing/rap/hip hop tunes. It was onerous to decide on only one monitor to function on our record of favourites, however this one is a favorite of my 11 yr outdated. Mr Phormula is modern, pushes boundaries, and has probably the most superb producing expertise, stay looping and sampling every kind of music and sounds.
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Bydd Wych by Rhys Gwynfor
A change of tempo with Bydd Wych, by Rhys Gwynfor. This tender, melodic ballad and its opening piano accompaniment actually pulls on the center strings. It’s overarching message is that every thing goes to be okay. The track was additionally recorded by members of Younger Farmers Wales to boost consciousness of psychological well being; their model is value a take heed to, actually drawing on the track’s feelings. Different songs of Rhys that we like embody Adar y Nos and Canolfan Arddio, each extra upbeat and rocky than Bydd Wych.
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Sebona Fi by Yws Gwynedd
With their catchy guitars riffs and drum beats, the indie rock band have picked up an enormous variety of awards over the yr, together with Sebona Fi hitting the coveted high spot of #40Mawr, the 40 hottest Welsh-language songs as voted for by listeners of Radio Cymru, in 2016.
Additionally by Yws Gwynedd is the sensible Ni Fydd Y Wal, the anthem for Euro 2020, a few nation uniting in track and never being held again.
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Fel i Fod by Adwaith
Hailing from Carmarthen, indie rock band Adwaith includes of Hollie Singer, Gwenllian Anthony and Heledd Owen. The trio have received the Welsh Music Prize twice for his or her first album Melyn (2018) and Bato Mato (2022). In Hollie’s personal phrases Fel i Fod is about “being afraid. Afraid of being caught. Afraid of being comfy I don’t suppose I belong. It’s about realising you’ll be okay even if you happen to don’t suppose you’ll be okay on a regular basis.”
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Yma O Hyd by Dayfydd Iwan
It needed to have a point out actually! One of the well-known Welsh language songs ever, written in 1983 as a track of protest, it’s been revived in newer years by Welsh soccer followers turning into one thing of an anthem for the Purple Wall, It’s an ode to the resilience of Wales, its folks and the survival of our language and tradition throughout the centuries, testomony that “Er gwaetha pawb a phopeth, Ry’n ni yma o hyd”. Regardless of everybody and every thing, we’re nonetheless right here.
We additionally love Sage Todz’ 2022 remix O Hyd, which mixes rap and hip hop with Dafydd Iwan’s authentic.
Take heed to Miwsig Y Siarter Iaith’s playlist through BBC Sounds right here.
You may see an inventory of all of the gigs which might be going down throughout Wales to have fun Dydd Miwsig Cymru right here https://amam.cymru/channel-highlight/miwsig/gigsdmc23
I’d like to know your favorite Welsh language music tracks. Do let me know within the feedback beneath, on the Cardiff Mummy Says Fb web page, on the Cardiff Mummy Says Instagram channel, or you may tweet me on @cardiffmummy
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