http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru Sat, 04 Apr 2026 03:08:16 +0100 http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5608/trouble-the-new-single-from-kaysha-louvain http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5608



Kaysha Louvain - Trouble out 10/02/23


Kaysha Louvain is an award-winning songwriter and BBC Radio Wales A-Lister based in South Wales, UK. Having learned her craft for over a decade playing and writing with various musicians and bands, Kaysha has developed her unique sound into what it is today.

Drawing heavily on her Welsh roots, love of 80s and 90s Pop/Rock and the honesty and delivery of country music. Through her experiences and influences Kaysha has created a sound that is uniquely hers, not pressured into fitting into a certain box, Kaysha takes her influences and writes from the heart. Her music has been compared to the likes of Sheryl Crow, Stevie Nicks and KD Lang.

Her debut album ‘The Song Goes On’ was a hugely successful debut with two Welsh a-list spots on BBC Radio Wales and BBC Introducing, a Radio WigWam nomination, song of the year on Indie Top 39 and a song of the year on Glacer FM.      
      



]]> Tue, 31 Jan 2023 19:52:39 +0000 http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5607/uk-indie-sci-fi-expiry-arrives-on-avod-in-north-america http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5607



A loving couple is prevented from physically touching by an oppressive ruling authority that deems their union to have “expired” in the UK Sci-fi indie Expiry, now available for free in North America via the Fox Corp-owned OTT platform Tubi TV.

First released through Cinedigm in the early months of the Pandemic, Expiry has found resonance among post-pandemic audiences who were prevented from having physical contact with their loved ones during repeated Covid-19 lockdowns. Expiry, filmed in South Wales, UK, before the Coronavirus dominated global headlines, is an eerily-prescient relationship drama set in a not-to-distant future that could well be our own.

Multi-hyphenate Tom Gatley, who not only wrote and directed the film but also scored its award-winning soundtrack, creates a world in which wearable tech devices monitor relationships and the success of a marriage is governed by a couple’s ability to conceive. Expiry presents a possible future where our increasing reliance on mobile devices to interact with one another results in technology that overrides our personal choices and dictates how we are able to connect.

Following its VOD distribution across major platforms in the US, Canada and UK, and the recent announcement of a distribution deal covering all 52 territories on the African Continent, Expiry is now available free with ads via Tubi TV in the US and Canada. The film’s listing can be accessed via the following link:

https://tubitv.com/movies/582964

Daniel Lyddon, the film’s producer for Seraphim Pictures, said: “The creative team welcomes the addition of Expiry to Tubi TV as the film continues to expand its distribution across the globe. With over 50 million monthly active users on its ad-supported streaming service, Tubi TV presents a significant opportunity to increase Expiry’s audience reach.”Tom Gatley, the film’s producer for TG Films said: “We are excited to see our feature film Expiry build its audience further, this time via TUBI TV. This is a great deal for the film and all of the team involved, and I look forward to seeing where it goes. I will be sharing the platform and news with friends and family.”

For more information please contact:
Daniel Lyddon
Company Director
Seraphim Pictures

daniel@seraphimpictures.com
www.seraphimpictures.com



]]> Tue, 31 Jan 2023 19:13:07 +0000 http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5348/things-to-do-to-celebrate-saint-davids-day-rhai-pethau-allwch-chi-wneud-i-ddathlu-dydd-gwyl-dewi http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5348


This year, our Americymru Saint David's Day Ambassador, Gwenno Dafydd, has decided to create a 30 minute presentation about some of the traditions she has instigated since 2005 which have contributed and enabled the growth of Saint David's Day celebrations not only in Wales but also worldwide.
This year the covid crisis means that any Saint David's Day celebrations will have to be virtual and on line. However, singing the Saint David's Day Anthem has always been a way of celebrating our patron saint's day and can be sung by virtual choirs and virtual schools.
Ysgol Gwaun Cae Gurwen have embraced the idea suggested by Gwenno of singing the anthem whilst doing a 'virtual' parade with family and individual banners. The anthem is available for choirs and individuals from here. Saint David's Day Anthem



Eleni, mae Llysgenad Dydd Gwyl Dewi Americymru i'r Byd, Gwenno Dafydd, wedi penderfynu i greu cyflwyniad 40 munud am rai o'r traddodiadau mae hi wedi eu creu a'u hybu ers 2005 sydd wedi cyfrannu tuag at, a galluogi twf aruthrol dathliadau Dydd Gwyl Dewi nid yn unig yng Nghymru ond hefyd ar draws y byd.
Eleni mae amgylchiadau y Cyfnod Cofidus yn golygu y bydd rhaid cynnal unrhyw ddathliadau Dydd Gwyl Dewi yn rhithiol ag ar lein. Fodd bynnag mae canu Anthem Dydd Gwyl Dewi wastad wedi bod yn ffordd o ddathlu ein Nawdd Sant - ble bynnag yn y byd a gellid ei ganu gan gorau ag ysgolion rhithiol.Mae
Ysgol Gwaun Cae Gurwen wedi ymfalchio yn syniad Gwenno o ganu'r anthem tra'n cynnal gorymdaith 'rithiol' gyda baneri teuluol ac unigol. Mae yr anthem ar gael i gorau ac unigolion o fan hyn. Anthem Dydd Gwyl Dewi



]]> Fri, 12 Feb 2021 20:53:57 +0000 http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5265/north-american-festival-of-wales-2020-an-interview-with-megan-williams http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5265

NAFOW 2020  
Photos: 7



AmeriCymru:  Hi Megan and many thanks for agreeing to this interview. Care to tell our readers a little about the history of the NAFOW event?
Megan: Thank you for giving me this opportunity. The North American Festival of Wales is an annual event held over Labor Day weekend. It is organized by the Welsh North American Association and first started in 1929 as the ‘national gymanfa ganu’. The host city of the festival changes each year and it is held in both US and Canadian cities. In 2020, the festival was scheduled to return to Philadelphia for the first time since 1976. Unfortunately, due to the global health crisis the 2020 festival was cancelled. Plans are already under way for next year’s event in Ottawa and we will return to Philadelphia in 2022. While not what we originally had planned, we look forward to bringing a new version of the festival to a broader audience this year as we host; ‘North American Festival of Wales ~ On Demand’
AmeriCymru:  Would I be correct in saying that this is the first year in a century or more that the event will not be held live?
Megan: The first event was held in 1929 and was held every year since apart from twice during WWII. So this is the first time in over 70 years that there is no in person festival.
AmeriCymru:  What can you tell us about the exciting plans for an alternative online event?
Megan: We have an extensive line-up and are grateful for the many people were willing and interested in taking part. We decided to go with an ‘On Demand’ format making the whole program available from Sept 4-30. With over 20 hours of programing, we want allow viewers as much time as possible to enjoy our lectures, concerts, films and greetings and of course, our tribute to the gymanfa ganu.
AmeriCymru:  Who will be the main guests and headliners this year?
Megan: We have so many people taking part that it is really hard to pick who would be considered a headliner. We have many familiar faces returning to our program from presenters who have been to previous festivals. We are including programing from some of our musicians who were meant to be with us in Philadelphia; Cor y Penrhyn from Bethesda, Hogia’r Bonc and Philadelphia’s own Kathy Crusi who won our top Eisteddfod prize at the 2018 festival in Washington, D.C. We are also partnering with the Welsh government, the National Eisteddfod and Undeb Cymru a’r Byd to bring some new and exciting programing and welcome former First Minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones to our line-up.
AmeriCymru:  Will the winners of the online Eisteddfod be announced at the event?
Megan: Yes, the winners of our new poetry competition will be announced and recitations of the winning poems will be included in our ‘Eisteddfod’ element. This was a great addition to our Eisteddfod and we are excited to say that we received entries from four continents. A promising start for what is to come as we carry this competition forward in the future.
AmeriCymru:  Just to make sure that people know where and when to catch this years NAFOW, can you provide us with dates, times and platform details here?
Megan: Of course, the full program will be available, free of charge, on our website www.nafow.org starting on September 4 through Sept 30. We hope to reach as broad an audience as possible so please share with your family and friends, even if they may not have a specific connection with Wales. I promise they will find something to enjoy!
AmeriCymru:  Any final message for the readers and members of AmeriCymru?
Megan: I hope you will find time to tune in and enjoy our programing. If you have been to a festival in the past, you will see familiar faces and things to remind you of what being at a NAFOW is like. If you have not been, we hope this may pique your interest and you may consider joining us next year in Ottawa or in Philadelphia in 2022.
]]> Thu, 20 Aug 2020 21:10:58 +0100 http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5264/the-welsh-englynion-of-the-united-states-a-call-for-help http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5264
As I’m sure most of you will know, the Welsh, when they emigrated to the United States, brought with them their language and their culture, and very often built chapels in order to maintain them. If you look around the graveyards you will quite often find brief four-lined stanzas, commemorating the deceased. Unbeknown to most, this represents a tradition stretching back in to the Middle Ages and quite possibly further, into the mists of early Celtic poetry.
These little poems may look quite innocuous but, in fact, they are composed on one of the most demanding metrical systems of the world, a craft which can often take years to master. Each line of this 30-syllable stanza is composed of closely alliterating or rhyming phrases, and this is simply a summary of the most basic rules of cynghanedd (harmony). These aren’t strict rules meant to pretentiously elevate the poem to some idealised level of complexity – they are all about playing with sound so that a piece appeals not only to the mind but to the ear as well. It is only the better poets who master this. This meter is commonly known as an englyn , with englynion as the plural. Our earliest good examples are from about the twelfth century, where they formed parts of a much longer poem, an awdl . By the fourteenth century at least these englynion were being used as independent poems, often for lighter issues than the elegy and praise of the great court poets.
In 1654, in the middle of the Cromwellian interregnum we our first known example on a gravestone, from Llanigon in south-east Wales, very close to the English border, composed to a young student of the law at London. This tradition grows slowly for the next centuries, as the traditional poetic order declined and the was maintained by the lesser gentry, priests and other enthusiasts. Nevertheless the tradition is unbroken. About the 1830s, with the growth of chapels, increase in literacy the proliferation of Welsh journals and newspapers and books the number appearing on graves increases dramatically. The content is quite often a stark warning about the briefness of life, a statement of the hope for resurrection but quite often we find poems to important figures or ones commemorating murders or deaths in battle, tragic accidents, midwives, surgeons, a British prime-minister and so on.
One could confidently estimate that we have at least 25,000 of these with great numbers not having been recorded from large parts of Wales. We have many in England too, especially in Liverpool which sported an immensely Welsh-speaking community a little over a century ago. There are many on the graves of the war-dead, especially from the First World War, in Belgium, France and Palestine for example. More relevant is that we know of many from the United States but it seems that few have been recorded and we are rapidly losing the local knowledge about the deceased and the poets, as the language has receded and the stones are deteriorating with time. We desperately need to find volunteers willing to search the graveyards where the Welsh were buried, record the inscriptions and ask for further information.
The earliest known to me is from 1852, dedicated to the 23 year-old Mary Thomas, 1852 and is in Paddy’s Run (Ohio). The poet is her father.
...
Tiroedd a moroedd mawrion – a deithiais,
Nes deuthum at estron,
I geisio hawl o’r gŵys hon
I orwedd gyda’i feirwon.
Bardd Horeb
...
Vast lands and seas did I travel
Until I came to a foreign land.
To seek my rights from this furrow
To lie with its deceased.
...
The highest known englyn in the world is from Russel Gulch (at 9,150 feet) in the Colorado Rockies. Owen Jones died in 1856 at 56 years. Many coalminers had emigrated, having the necessary skills to work in the industry. Owen died from complications after a ball of dynamite exploded in his hand, blowing off one of them and many fingers from the other.
...
O afiachus wael fuchedd – o afael
Pob gofid a llygredd,
Aeth at ei Dad i wlad y wledd
Y nwyfiant a’r tangnefedd.
...
From an unhealthy poor life – from the grasp
Of every misery and corruption,
He went to his Father to the land of the feast
Of passion and peace.
...

There is a shorter couplet, to John Tyson, 1857 (52), in Slateville (Pennsylvania). This is where many north-walian slate quarrymen emigrated.
...
Dirymwyd edau’r einioes
Yn grwn gan yr hwn a’i rhoes.
...
Life’s thread was undone
Completely by he who gave it.
...
Sometimes, the deceased is commemorated on the family grave in Wales, such as Barbara Owens, Tre’rgarth, 1859 (22), Eglwys y Santes Fair; MW.
...
Er marw yn nhir Amerig – ac aros
Mewn goror bellenig
Byr hanes Barbara unig,
Huna draw, y fan hon drig.
...
Despite dying in the land of America – and tarrying
In a faraway land,
Brief was the life of lonely Barbara
Far away she slumbers, but here she lives.
...
The inscriptions are largely in Welsh, something which might present a challenge to the survival of local knowledge. The following is to Henry Williams in Slateville, from Nant y Graean by Bangor. He died in an accident on January 4 th , 1868.
...
Y gwir Oracl ef a garai – gair Iôn,
Yn gywir gyhoeddai,
Ac i’w fedd mewn hedd ydd ai
A dir ei ofn a derfynai.
...
The true Oracle he loved – the word of the Lord
Correctly he would announce,
And to his grave in peace he went
And the hardship of his fear ended.
...

The following is to a noted poet, preacher and writer, Richard Foulkes Edwards (Rhisiart Ddu o Wynedd), 1836- 1870 (34) Oskosh, Wisconsin. He was originally from north-east Wales and had won the chair in the 1864 Eisteddfod in Llandudno. This is the one attended by the great English poet Mathew Arnold, who so fervently wished to see the end of the Welsh language and culture.

Mawr gwyn fu rhoi mor gynnar – weinidog
O nodwedd mor lachar,
At feirwon mewn estron âr,
Y Bardd Du i bridd daear.
Hywel Tudur
...
Great was the grievance of placing so young – a minister
Of shining qualities.
To the dead in a foreign field
The Black Poet to the soil of the earth.
...
I guro, daeth llaw trugaredd – at ddôr
Risiart Ddu o Wynedd;
Am hyny’r sant, o bant bedd,
Waredir i anrhydedd.
...
Llonydd yw’r bardd a’r llenor – a dyn Duw
O dan dalp o farmor;
Bydd gwae dwfn i’r bedd gae dôr
A throi dros y fath drysor.
Eos Glan Twrch
...
The hand of mercy came to beat upon the door
Of Richard the Black from Gwynedd.
For that the saint from the valley of death,
Will be saved to glory.
...
Motionless is the bard and writer – a man of God
Under a slab of marble;
Great, deep woe that the grave closed a door,
And turned over such a treasure.
...
I have yet to ascertain where the following is located, the details not having been noted in the online site. Margaret Williams, 1875, 58 years old.
...
Fy mhriod hynod sy’n huno – yma
Wiw mwyach ei cheisio.
Ataf ni ddychwel eto
Gwael ei grym mewn gwely gro.
...
My remarkable spouse sleeps here
Futile now is to seek her.
Never again will she return to me
Feeble is her strength in a bed of shale.


Another commemorated in Wales is Thomas J. Williams, 1908 (34) in the graveyard of the church of Llanfihangel-y-pennant; He was buried in Boulder, Colorado.
...
Pell o’i wlad yn Colorado – hunodd
Tom heinyf ei osgo;
Ond, o unfryd ei hen fro,
Cu hafan, car ei gofio.
...
Far from his country in Colorado – he fell asleep
Tom the vigorous his bearing.
But with one voice in his old land
A fair haven, will remember him.
...
Occasionally the englynion are noted in Welsh journals. We need to search Y Drych, at some point. The following occurs in Y Gwladgarwr (The Patriot, 1839), but states that the poem is on the gravestone. Gabriel Davies, Cincinnati, Ohio:
...
I'w gorph gwan wele'r anedd , - ac obry
Mae Gabriel yn gorwedd ;
Trueni troi o Wynedd
I chwilio byd , a chael bedd.
Pedr
...
See the abode of his feeble body – but above
Does Gabriel like;
Tragic was turning from Gwynedd
To explore the world but to find a grave .
...
These are but a brief selection of the dozens currently known to us, but works in journals and comments from the United States indicate that we may have a far larger corpus of important poetry waiting to be recorded. If anyone can help in visiting graveyards and just asking around this would be hugely appreciated. It is already late to be embarking on this work, but hopefully not too late. Please do snap away with your smartphones and take pictures of the gravestones, the chapels and the cemeteries. All information is important. There is an urgency to this work. You can either contact me directly at gutorhys@yahoo.com or otherwise upload photos and comments to the Facebook group Englyn Bedd . In advance I’d like to say diolch yn fawr .

Dr Guto Rhys

]]> Fri, 14 Aug 2020 21:10:05 +0100 http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5256/turning-an-interview-with-poet-tony-kendrew http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5256



Tony Kendrew is a poet of Welsh ancestry who has made his home in Northern California. In 2014 he completed an MA in Creative Writing at the University of Wales, Trinity St. David, the third oldest institute of higher education in Britain - after Oxford and Cambridge. He continues his connection with Wales as one of the editors of The Lampeter Review. AmeriCymru spoke to Tony about his work and future plans. Visit Tony Kendrew's website here


...


AmeriCymru: The poems of your new poetry collection, Turning , focus on the themes of migration and identity. What inspired this collection?
Tony: My mother was Welsh and went to China as a teacher in her late twenties. There she met and married my English father. So not only did I have to figure out where I came from, but my options were on the other side of the world!
The themes of movement and identity have concerned me all my life, and my year at the University of Wales, Trinity Saint David, brought them into focus like never before. So I decided to write as my MA dissertation a series of poems that reflect on the urge to migrate and explore, how that urge was expressed in my own family and life, and how it relates to a sense of place and belonging. There are twenty-two poems, and they take two directions, one towards the history of the Welsh side of my family, arranged chronologically, the other towards the nature of nationality and diaspora in general.
A number of poems tell the stories of particular members of the Welsh side of my family, trying to capture some of the characteristics of Welshness with illustrations of the delights and tragedies of family and emigration. I also touch on the influence of my cultural and genetic heritage on my own life and work.
And though the Welsh word hiraeth does not appear in these English language poems, we could say that the collection is really an exploration of hiraeth in poetic form.

AmeriCymru: Your earlier collection, Feathers Scattered in the Wind draws together reflections on the people and places of Northern California and Wales. Care to introduce that book for our readers?
Tony: I would love to. I’ve been living in Northern California since the 80's. Each time I moved it was to a more remote and beautiful place, until fifteen years ago I found the valley I now call home. All of the places I lived inspired what I suppose we could call nature poetry, though the poems aren’t just descriptive, because I always seem to find a human story hidden in the rivers and forests and deserts. And I don’t mean that my poems tell the story of the people living in those places, but that the places themselves give rise to reflections about what it is to be human. We have been living on earth for a very long time, and I think the landscape is intimately connected with our thoughts and feelings. To give an obvious example, the river: constant but changeable, deep or bickering, “wider than a mile,” you can’t push it, and of course “you can’t step into the same river twice.” And it isn’t just landscape either: sudden encounters with plants and wildlife bring insights of their own. Our minds have been sculpted by nature.
About half the poems in 'Feathers Scattered in the Wind' were written in California. The other half come from Wales. They were my responses to my year living and learning and rambling in West Wales, on the Coastal Path, in the ruins of Strata Florida or the beaches of Ceredigion.
I am, I suppose most interested in the communication of awe. The collection has a number of poems that try to communicate that response to beauty and the ineffable, whether it’s nature, or the effect of a painting on the viewer or a piece of music on the listener.

AmeriCymru: What can you tell us about your experience studying Creative Writing at the University of Wales?
Tony: Well, it was a wonderful experience! I fell into it by a stroke of serendipity, and knew immediately that the teaching style and the faculty at Trinity Saint David, Lampeter, were going to suit me just fine. The personal attention and intimacy of this small school made me feel cared for, and the sessions with poet Menna Elfyn and dramatist Dic Edwards, and regular visits from Wales’ best writers, meant that everything I wrote went under the microscope. Just what I needed! It was a lot of work, but that‘s exactly what I was there for.

AmeriCymru: Care to tell us a little about 'Seven Views of the South Fork River’?
Tony: The South Fork of the Trinity River runs past the bottom of my property and has been my muse for the last fifteen years. It’s designation as a wild and scenic river means it goes up when it rains and goes down when it doesn’t – something that dams and reservoirs have hidden from the experience of a large part of the population. It is an awesome sight to watch the river rise and spread out across the valley. Some years ago I decided to sing the river’s praises with a group of poems describing places along its course. This became 'Seven Views of the South Fork River', which is embedded in the printed collection 'Feathers Scattered in the Wind'. The poems talk about the river in a blatantly metaphorical way!
AmeriCymru: What's next for Tony Kendrew?
Tony: I am currently on the editorial board of The Lampeter Review, the online magazine of the University of Wales Trinity St. David's Creative Writing Centre. It’s terrific to be at the receiving end of great writing and to be in touch with the other editors on the production of the magazine. I also write a regular piece for the magazine, a sort of letter from America, that gives a personal view of the issue’s theme or a literary topic that’s caught my eye.
I have enjoyed producing CDs of my poems and love to hear writers reading their work, but many people prefer to snuggle down with a book rather than hear poems and prose read out loud. So my next project is a book of short stories.
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the readers and members of Americymru?
Tony: I’m delighted to be able to meet with other Welsh Americans via Americymru. As a writer I’ve been a bit of a hermit, so it’s heartening to see these connections being made through that difficult to define something that is our shared Welshness. Cymru am Byth.


]]> Tue, 28 Jul 2020 00:11:39 +0100 http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5241/out-now-rising-artist-dead-method-releases-new-alternative-pop-track-babylon-26-06 http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5241

https://soundcloud.com/deadmethod/babylon Dead Method returns with their hotly anticipated new track Babylon, an assertive alternative pop anthem for outcasts and outsiders searching for their tribe. Taking influence from PC Music without falling back on cliche, the track was produced by Minas who has worked with Dan Betteridge, Tierny & Local to name a few.
The track is taken from Dead Method’s upcoming debut album Queer Genesis, which will release in September, 2020. The album is a celebration of LGBTQ+ culture and middle finger to oppression. They say: “Babylon depicts a great exodus of queer people who have fled their home to find solace and family elsewhere. Drawing from my experience with a previous lover who was flown back to his home country when his family found out he was bisexual only to return as a “heterosexual” with an arranged marriage. It was also influenced by the experiences of several of my friends who were unable to return to their home countries as they would not be safe. It’s about finding your true family and how members of the LGBTQ+ community get to pick their family despite our troubled circumstances. Babylon is self-acceptance and finding a home outside of what society told you the concept of home is.” Babylon will be released on all digital stores on 26/06/2020   For more information on Dead Method:   Twitter: https://twitter.com/DeadMethodUk Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeadMethod/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deadmethod/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3B3cVlhfVXbKGC5YXlmUCn
]]> Sat, 27 Jun 2020 19:26:36 +0100 http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5240/conformist-returns-with-inventive-new-remix-of-radio-europas-something-beautiful-featuring-vocals-by-gwenllian-anthony-adwai http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5240


Conformist  is back with a new remix of  Radio Europa' s ' Something Beautiful'  featuring vocals by  Gwenllian Anthony  of Adwaith. Out on 31st of July it's the first new material from Conformist this year and a teaser of more to come with his forthcoming third album slated for release in late 2020.

Conformist is the moniker of Cardiff's Michael Simmons, he takes Radio Europa's 'Something Beautiful' from last year's acclaimed " Community is Revolution " album and gave it fresh spin, with an intricate palette of synths, strings, cut up vocal samples and spluttering beats, he shows off his inventive talent to craft insidious sound experiences.

Conformist says:

" Community Is Revolution" by Radio Europa was one of my go-to albums from last year, its themes and the narratives referenced within the album spoke volumes to myself and continue to do so as we meander through these dark times, so when the opportunity to remix a track from this album came up i was all over it. Plus getting the opportunity to work on Gwenllians' excellent vocal contribution was too good an opportunity to pass on; Adwaith are, simply put, the best Welsh band in years. Hopefully this release is a catalyst for more Conformist releases, beginning with album number three in the Autumn."

Radio Europa say:

" Something Beautiful" was the moment that our album Community is Revolution really came together. Myself, Steve, Alec, Whetman and Gwenllian were really proud of the finished track so when Conformist asked if he could remix it we were over the moon as we have been fans of his for a while and it was nice to have another set of artistic Welsh ears throw their own spin on it. The finished remix is everything we could have wished for and more. Michael has taken what was ours and made it his which is exactly as it should be. Thank you Michael #CommunityIsRevolution."




Conformist is one of the most respected names on the Electronic music scene in Wales, with early demos immediately catching the attention and of Steve Lamacq, Huw Stephens, John Kennedy and Eddy Temple Morris.

Subsequent Conformist albums " Paid To Fake It"  (2013) and " Lifestyle Bible " (2016) earned lavish praise:
"Paid To Fake It" is the sort of record that will take your breath away...bloody brilliant"  The 405





" A musically kaleidoscopic head f*** ...brilliant" Louder Than War




" a head-spinning deluge of audacious beats and samples...staggering"  Wales Online

Conformists' production work is distinguished and full of unique character; staying leftfield but fresh and ahead of others; meticulous, dense and layered, revealing hidden detail with every listen - taking inspiration from  Public Enemy 's Bomb Squad and cut n' paste pioneers  Coldcut, Steinski  and  The Dust Brothers  to name a few.

Most recently Conformists' own tracks have been reinterpreted by key figures in the underground Electronic music scene such as  Man Without Country, Mark Pistel  of  Consolidated, Kayla Painter, Odonis Odonis  &  H O R S E S. 

Conformist will return later in 2020 with his eagerly anticipated third full length album.

https://wormholeworld.bandcamp.com/album/community-is-revolution
https://www.libertinorecords.com/adwaith
www.conformistmusic.com





]]> Tue, 23 Jun 2020 21:55:20 +0100 http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5233/be-part-of-the-future-of-the-dylan-thomas-birthplace-and-family-home http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5233
CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE CROWDFUNDER!



Lockdown closes Dylan's Birthplace
Along with so many other businesses the Birthplace closed in March and we cannot see it fully opening for some considerable time. We still have bills to pay and precious little support from the government (When is a museum not a museum? Well, according to the Arts Council (of England) who decide these things it's when it is not a charity or run by a local authority!)
"Do not go gentle" we said as we developed our plans to survive lockdown and come out the other side with a bright and vibrant Thomas family home. We don't expect handouts or pay crazy interest rates to invisible lenders. Our plan is simple and has evolved from a number of other successful projects from the hospitality and tourism sectors. We have come up with a plan which helps us through the lean period and gives you a great deal to help save the Birthplace for future generations.
We are turning to crowdfunding and have two amazing products on offer.
Pay it Forward vouchers will allow you to buy a voucher which can be used for any product on offer at the Birthplace at a 20% discount. So, if you purchase a £100 voucher it will be worth £120. Don't worry how long the lockdown will last as it will be valid for five years. They also can make great birthday or Christmas presents.

Unique Experiences and Rewards We have to thank our great artists and performers for helping us develop the experiences. You could choose to have a handwritten poem from one of the many poets who have performed at the Birthplace, buy a limited edition DVD of performances at the house or have your own personal house tour. 
There is lots more information on the crowdfunding page www.crowdfunder.co.uk/dylan so why not pop along and have a look.
Thank you for reading our appeal and thank you in anticipation for your support - it will help us survive, help the Dylan community  and give you a great deal. We look forward to seeing you very soon.
Keep safe
Geoff and Sarah Haden, the staff, volunteers and performers at the Birthplace.



 
]]> Thu, 11 Jun 2020 20:16:54 +0100 http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5232/cwmbach-male-voice-choir-99th-anniversary http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5232
Although we haven't been able to meet we've put together this short special video to celebrate. Using the wonders of Whats App and technical wizadry of Nathan Jones of nathanjonesmusic.co.uk we feel this is a suitable tribute.



We share our birthday with someone else that is 99 today - can you guess who ? Watch till the end to find out.....

Many thanks to our Chairman Brian Williams for the intro, our MD Mike Thomas and accompanist Jayne Thomas..... however special thanks to the choristers who donned uniform and took part ... if you'd told them 3 months ago that they would be filming themselves on smart phones and uploading video via the internet they would have laughed you out of town.... but they did it.... well done boys !! ]]> Wed, 10 Jun 2020 18:29:22 +0100 http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5229/great-welsh-storytelling-a-lost-way-of-life-in-the-clwydian-range http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5229
The powerful rural stories of the semi-legendary people who lived in the ancient village of Tremeirchion and the unorthodox community of Sodom in the Clwydian Range of Denbighshire are told for the first time in  On a Dark Night with Enough Wind  (Y Lolfa). The author, Lilla Pennant – part English, part Welsh – tells her story which is connected to our rural past with its drama, comedies and tragedies.  
“From my early childhood I was fascinated by the self-sufficiency and wisdom of the people who lived ‘on the mountain’ near my childhood home. I wanted to know their story. Over the years that I interviewed people and drafted this book I learned about a whole hidden way of life. I acquired a huge respect for the people of the hilltops, their courage, ingenuity and wit,” said Lilla Pennant.  
The book is a snapshot of a traditional way of living, with the oral histories collected by the author in the 1980s, from the community in which she grew up. At the time, one particular family lived in a farmhouse that showed barely any trace of the twentieth century. Pennant tells the story of the people who lived in the Welsh hills, who were neither farmers, nor employees, but lived by their wits on dark winter nights with a steady wind.  
“I didn’t intend to write this book. I set out to write about the rich history from this part of the Vale of Clwyd, but I am not a historian, and it was not going well. I started writing from the oral history that I had collected, and the book took off! Since writing this book in the 1980s, genetic research has found that descendants of the earliest surviving race in all the British Isles were to be found not in Scotland or Ireland, but in North Wales, or the mountainous world of North-West Wales to be precise,” said Lilla Pennant.  
Reviewers have described  On a Dark Night with Enough Wind  as:  
“Lilla Pennant has created an important piece of work documenting the stories of a life in Tremeirchion and Sodom by seeking out and listening to the oral stories of people living on the mountain and then committing the stories to paper for future generations to read.” Roy Hogben  
“The book had me gripped from beginning to end. It is an interesting mix of a mystery story that turns into a elegy for a lost way of life. Above all I was moved by her obvious love for the people she writes about and her desire to make sure that their stories are not lost.” Jessica Starmer  
Lilla Pennant grew up in Wales. She has worked as a freelance writer in London and New York. She has written two small books on remarkable civilian stories from both world wars. She has also worked in the field of family violence and published professional articles in this field.  Lilla Pennant currently lives in the United States.  
On a Dark Night with Enough Wind  by Lilla Pennant (£7.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.
]]> Tue, 09 Jun 2020 18:44:37 +0100 http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5219/an-interview-with-welsh-artist-nichola-hope http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5219


STOP PRESS: The competition is open for voting till June but the outstanding quality of Nichola's work has already been recognised with the award of the 'Elizabeth Hosking Prize For Watercolor'. We all wish Nichola the best of luck next month. VOTE HERE





bbb


AmeriCymru:  Hi Nichola, and many thanks for agreeing to this interview. What can you tell us about your entry to the 2020 Wildlife Artist of the Year competition?
Nichola: Thank you for the wonderful opportunity to share my work with your members and communicate. 
My Tansy Beetle, watercolour has been shortlisted for Wildlife Artist of the Year 2020. My work is one of 159 artworks selected from an incredible 1,200 entries from across the world.
It really is a huge honour to be shortlisted by this competition. Through art, we can raise awareness and support wildlife conservation.  This exhibition is usually held in Mall galleries London but due to the pandemic is now a live online exhibition. You can view my work here:
https://davidshepherd.org/wildlife-art/artwork/tansy-beetle/
My work is featured in the category Facing Extinction. This category invites artists to celebrate these vulnerable species, capturing their behaviour and importance in striking imagery. They may be gone tomorrow if we do not act today.

AmeriCymru:  In 2005, you became a visiting artist for WNO. What does this entail? Where can people see samples of your work online?
Nichola:  I observe and draw the rehearsals and performances on stage.  For over ten years, I’ve been documenting a visual history of Welsh National Opera through the medium of drawing alongside my sister Sarah Hope, who is also a professional fine artist. Our work is held in public and private collections across Europe, Australia and the USA
Working from live performance requires a responsive gaze and the ability to capture movement and emotion with immediacy and confidence. Watercolour allows me to work with colour in a very fluid way and this medium offers up unique qualities.
I’ve been fortunate to draw two productions at Lyric Opera, Chicago. It was an amazing experience and I fell in love with the city, the  friendly people and crazy weather!
My work can be viewed on www.nicholahope.com or on social media - Instagram and Facebook  @thedrawingeye 
AmeriCymru:  In 2019 you were invited to do a drawing demonstration in the galleries of the National Museum of Wales for the public event 'After Dark'. Care to tell us more about this experience?
Nichola:  I began drawing natural history specimens at National Museum Wales in 2019. I’m currently interested in shorebirds connected to Wales.  We have a diverse range of habitats that are important for birds. Some, such as the seabird colonies of Anglesey and Pembrokeshire, have probably been that way for thousands of years. 
I was invited to do a drawing demonstration at After Dark, an event held by National Museum Wales in Cardiff. The museum was opened up in the evening and was attended by a thousand members of the public. 
The museum’s taxidermy collection was used as an inspiration for drawing. I chose to draw a grey heron in ink and wash. I hope that this inspired people to look closely and respond creatively to the wonderful wildlife we have.

AmeriCymru:  Your work is clearly inspired by the animal world. What can you tell us about your 2019 exhibition - 'London Rats' - at the Workers Galley in Porth?
Nichola:  The Workers gallery is located in the little village of Porth, South Wales. Three of my works from a series called London Rats were selected for the exhibition Drawn to Life. This aligned with the Big Draw festival 2019. Over 25 countries including Wales participate in this worldwide campaign each year.
London Rats is inspired by the role of rats as Other in folklore and history. Rats are hugely symbolic. Interestingly it’s year of the rat!
AmeriCymru:  What's next for Nichola Hope? Any new exhibitions or events?
Nichola:  My exhibition of opera paintings and drawings at the Pierhead Building, Senedd Welsh Assembly was due to open in May 2020 but has been postponed due to the pandemic. I’m looking forward to rescheduling the show for a future date!
I’ll be submitting a sketchbook to the Brooklyn Art Library, NYC later this year and that will be part of a touring exhibition and will be digitized.
AmeriCymru:  Any final message for the readers and members of AmeriCymru?
Nichola:  I admire how AmeriCymru raises Wales’ cultural profile to American audiences and  I’d love to see more cross Atlantic artistic collaborations between Welsh  and American artists in the future. 


You can vote for Nichola Hope for the People’s choice award here: Wildlife Artist of the Year 2020

        Artwork        TITLE: TANSY BEETLE
       ARTIST: NICHOLA HOPE
       ARTWORK CATEGORY: 
       FACING EXTINCTION
       MEDIUM: WATERCOLOUR
       ARTWORK SIZE (CM): 38 X 46
 
]]> Tue, 26 May 2020 22:04:22 +0100 http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5215/postcard-from-arizona-a-tribute-to-idris-davies-by-john-good http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5215
Idris Speaks - A Poem by John Good


]]> Fri, 22 May 2020 00:37:23 +0100 http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5212/the-welsh-dragon-choir-and-the-welsh-society-of-oregon-present-spring-festival-online-2020 http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5212


The Welsh Society board members hope everyone is staying safe and able to enjoy some beauty in their gardens or in nature these days.

In the midst of changing times and sheltering in place, the Welsh Society of Oregon maintains its commitment to share Welsh Language and Culture with our community.  As such, we have re-formatted some of our spring offerings as an on-line festival.  Below you will see participation events for all ages, for kids and for our Facebook community.  We hope that you will be able to join us on May 23rd for one or both of our Noson Lawen events that day, and that you will be able to check in on the talents and creativity contributed to our  Facebook page  during our month-long festivities there.

You can participate either via computer or smart phone, or even just by calling in.

If you have any trouble navigating these events online, don't hesitate to send an email to  oregonwelsh@gmail.com , or give us a ring at  (503) 908-5630 .
A Noson Lawen Online, May 23, 2020, 7pm PDT
An interactive event with songs led in Welsh and English, hosted in English by the Welsh Dragon Choir and featuring special guests Nerys Jones, Eryl Aynesley, Andréa Wild, and others.  RSVP to  OregonWelsh@gmail.com  for event link and details.
A Little Noson Lawen Online, May 23, 2020, 1pm PDT
An interactive event of songs, jokes, and stories for young people and their caregivers, led in English by Dragon director Jamie Webster and friends, and featuring special guest, rising Welsh singing star Bronwen Lewis, with a chance for participants to share their songs and jokes as well.  RSVP to  OregonWelsh@gmail.com  for event link and details.
May Festival of Welsh Culture-Online! May 1-31, 2020  
(Fun prizes awarded for festival highlights)
Our celebration of Welsh culture isn’t limited to Saturday, May 23!  Join us for a month of fun and cultural sharing under lockdown as members of the Welsh Society of Oregon and friends share their talents, creativity, capers, and antics on social media.  Please join us in submitting your own quarantine-time contributions to this community activity. Awards for festival highlights announced May 31.
Who Can Participate?:   You! Our community in Portland, the state of Oregon, friends along the Pacific Coast, and any friends of Welsh culture in the USA and around the world.
What are some welcome submissions?
traditional songs/tunes with voice and/or instruments
virtual ensembles 
sharing stories, humor, or reminiscences
recreating Welsh folktales/folklore with dolls/toys/stuffed animals
copying Welsh art and folklore with household items 
Coloring contest
See examples and coloring pdfs on our web site  www.oregonwelsh.org
Or, your own creative ways to share Welsh culture online!

How to Participate:
Share your talents and creativity by posting on our facebook page for the Welsh Society of Oregon ( facebook.com/OregonWelsh/ )
Visit out web page for examples and coloring pages  www.oregonwelsh.org
Trouble sharing to our Facebook page?  Contact us by email at  oregonwelsh@gmail.com
]]> Tue, 19 May 2020 03:16:13 +0100 http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5160/dydd-miwsig-cymru-2020-darganfod-discover http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5160


Visit the Dydd Miwsig Cymru website here:- Dydd Miwsig Cymru


We will be featuring a new playlists every day or so between now and February 7th.
Today's sample playlist (You will need a Spotify account): Darganfod
"To celebrate European Day of Languages on 26/09/2019 this playlist showcases music in Cymraeg, Gàidhlig, Kernewek, Gaelg and Gaeilge."
14 SONGS

Welsh Language Music Day (Dydd Miwsig Cymru in Welsh) is on the 7th February 2020. The day is about celebrating Welsh music and the language with thousands of people getting involved across Wales and further afield. This is the fifth Welsh Language Music Day, which has seen Hollywood actors Rhys Ifans and Radio 1 DJ Huw Stephens, urge fans to discover the incredible music being made in the Welsh language.
Why not get involved with the celebrations in any way that you can? Why not hold a gig and play Welsh language music, or swap your usual playlist to a Welsh language one? Welsh language music has numerous genres, you can find lots of great playlists  here .



]]> Thu, 09 Jan 2020 00:54:06 +0000 http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5158/the-welsh-mormons-adventures-in-the-american-west http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5158
Between the mid 1840s and late 1860s about 5,000 Welsh people, inspired by the Mormon faith, left Wales to start a new life in the far west of the United States. In  Welsh Saints on the Mormon Trail  (Y Lolfa), written by Wil Aaron, the story is told of their journey by ox-carts and on foot from the Mississippi and the Missouri to Salt Lake City, and of their subsequent lives in Utah. 
The book explores a little-known episode of Welsh history. The Welsh Mormons were crossing a continent at a particularly dramatic time in American history. The ‘49ers’ and the Pony Express shared the trails with them. They were passed by the first trans-continental stagecoaches. They saw the beginnings of the Indian Wars and the end of the Civil War. Buffalo Bill and Wild Bill Hickock rode the same trails and Calamity Jane and Crazy Horse have a place in their stories. Part of the Mormons religious responsibility was to keep diaries, and hundreds of these documents describing their adventures are now kept in the Church archive of the Mormon Church History Library in Salt Lake City. Wil Aaron has made good use of this rich resource and of the Welsh journals and memoirs collected on ‘ welshmormonhistory.byu.edu ’. 
“This is a book about the grit and steadfastness of ordinary men and women whose remarkable tale deserves a place in the history of the Welsh people,” says author Wil Aaron. 
Professor Jerry Hunter of Bangor University writes, “Here is a volume I shall return to time after time, and I know that others will do likewise. The author has consulted extensive historical resources and has discerningly deciphered them, arousing anew an interest in the story.” 
Wil Aaron’s career has been in television. He has made documentaries and factual programmes for the BBC and HTV in Cardiff and in London. His production company,  Ffilmiau’r Nant , produced many of S4C’s early successes.  
Welsh Saints on a Mormon Trail  by Wil Aaron (£14.99, Y Lolfa) is available now. BUY IT HERE
]]> Tue, 07 Jan 2020 00:43:28 +0000 http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5154/dydd-miwsig-cymru-2020-february-chwefror-7th-advance-notice http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5154

Visit the Dydd Miwsig Cymru website here:- Dydd Miwsig Cymru

Welsh Language Music Day (Dydd Miwsig Cymru in Welsh) is on the 7th February 2020. The day is about celebrating Welsh music and the language with thousands of people getting involved across Wales and further afield. This is the fifth Welsh Language Music Day, which has seen Hollywood actors Rhys Ifans and Radio 1 DJ Huw Stephens, urge fans to discover the incredible music being made in the Welsh language.
Why not get involved with the celebrations in any way that you can? Why not hold a gig and play Welsh language music, or swap your usual playlist to a Welsh language one? Welsh language music has numerous genres, you can find lots of great playlists  here .
Today's sample playlist: Canu Gwlad




]]> Fri, 20 Dec 2019 23:14:51 +0000 http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5097/welsh-terror-group-mastermind-claims-they-could-have-killed-prince-charles http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5097



EXCLUSIVE FOR AMERICYMRU READERS
AmeriCymru is pleased to announce the availability of a small number of first edition hardback copies of 'John Jenkins: The Reluctant Revolutionary?' by Dr Wyn Thomas. The hardback first edition is now out of print. Originally priced at $34.00 this important & historic biography can be yours for only $23.99 including shipping and handling (offer applies in U.S. only). New, unread and unmarked but slightly damaged with bumped corners. 
"The mastermind of a Welsh bombing campaign in the 1960s claims that the terrorist group he led could have killed Prince Charles during his Investiture as Prince of Wales fifty years ago."












...


The mastermind of a Welsh bombing campaign in the 1960s claims that the terrorist group he led could have killed Prince Charles during his Investiture as Prince of Wales fifty years ago. 
John Barnard Jenkins plotted a long and audacious bombing campaign with the Welsh nationalist group  Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru  (the ‘Movement to Defend Wales’ – generally known as MAC) that caused damage to water pipes and government buildings throughout Wales from 1963 to 1969. In a new biography of Jenkins, he claims that they could have killed Prince Charles in 1969. He says in the book, published exactly fifty years since the Investiture, “We could have killed him... For one thing, I was a sergeant in the British Army’s Dental Corps, and was on duty in Caernarfon that day. I could have carried a rifle and I could have shot him there and then if I wanted. Furthermore, if I’d said ‘Right, I want a couple of people   who are prepared to do something and not come back from it’, I know at least two who would have come forward and volunteered. I’m talking about a suicide operation.” 
During the period leading up to the investiture many targets were bombed, with one device killing two of the bombers themselves in Abergele. Another bomb injured a child, though Jenkins insists their intention had been only to attack infrastructure and not to injure anyone. 
The campaign was undertaken in the belief that the political voice of Wales was being ignored. There had been mass protest in Wales earlier in the decade about the plan to evict the Welsh-speaking community of the Tryweryn Valleyso as to turn it into a reservoir to supply water to England. Despite the fact that not one Welsh MP voted in support of the Bill, it was passed in Parliament and the project was allowed to go ahead. In 1966, a huge spoil tip collapsed onto the village primary school in Aberfan, killing 124 people, most of them children. Although the National Coal Board had been warned of the danger beforehand and was found responsible for the disaster by the ensuing inquiry, it was not prosecuted or   fined. John Jenkins says that both incidents influenced MAC’s campaign. 
John Jenkins: The Reluctant Revolutionary?  by historian Dr Wyn Thomas reveals the international interest in the Welsh bombing campaign, with offers of help coming from Libya and Communist East Germany. John Jenkins also discusses how his campaign influenced the IRA, with their cell system based on the one he devised for MAC. 
The author, Wyn Thomas, said: “What John Barnard Jenkins did in spearheading  Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru ’s bombing campaign in Wales and England during the 1960s is unparalleled in Welsh if not British history.”
Since the group’s bombing campaign ended with John Jenkins’ arrest in 1969, questions have been asked about what motivated MAC’s formidable leader and strategist’s course of action. Wyn Thomas’ authorised biography provides the answers, throwing light on this complex and hitherto guarded individual. As the group’s bombing campaign intensified, the authorities were desperate to locate MAC - and its anonymous controller. But unknown to all but the smallest band of associates, John Jenkins was in fact hiding in plain sight, as a serving member of Her Majesty’s Forces. The story of John Jenkins and MAC has been engulfed in a fog of speculation, innuendo and rumour, but for the first time, with the publication of Thomas’ biography, the true extent of the threat posed by the group is shockingly revealed. 
This meticulously researched appraisal has been written on the back of fifteen years of interviews conducted by Thomas with John Jenkins, and – among others – former police officers and members of MAC and their families. The result is monumental: the amount of fresh information surrounding the narrative is astonishing, and each disclosed detail offers a fascinating insight into the shadowy world of MAC and its brilliant, if flawed, organiser. It is not just a study of one man, but also an absorbing social history which considers the political and cultural background to, and impact of, MAC’s campaign. The extraordinary life of John Barnard Jenkins is as complicated as the campaign of militant activism he so effectively led. The title of the biography is a question:  John Jenkins: The Reluctant Revolutionary? This is based on the emotional turmoil that Jenkins apparently experienced when increasingly compelled to orchestrate a campaign of militant activism in the name of Welsh political freedom. Other observers maintain, however, that far from being resistant and ultimately resigned to his role of leading MAC, John Jenkins relished the challenge and the task of providing a worthy opposition to the British state.






...


From the Wikipedia - Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru :- "Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru (Welsh: [ˈmɨːdjad amˈðiːfɨn ˈkəmrɨ], Movement for the Defence of Wales), abbreviated as MAC, was a paramilitary Welsh nationalist organisation, which was responsible for a number of bombing incidents between 1963 and 1969. The group's activities primarily targeted infrastructure carrying water to the English city of Liverpool.
MAC was initially set up in response to the flooding of the Afon Tryweryn valley and the flooding of the village of Capel Celyn to provide water for Liverpool. Its founders were Owain Williams, John Albert Jones and Emyr Llewelyn Jones. On 10 February 1963 a transformer at the dam construction site was blown up by three men, of whom one, Emyr Llywelyn Jones, was identified, convicted and sentenced to one year imprisonment. MAC blew up an electricity pylon at Gellilydan on the day of his conviction. This led to the arrest and conviction of Owain Williams and John Albert Jones. READ MORE HERE


...
]]> Tue, 27 Aug 2019 19:18:48 +0100 http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5058/mischievous-black-cat-to-inspire-people-to-learn-welsh http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5058
Teach Your Cat Welsh has been developed due to the huge popularity of the dog version, as well as numerous requests by cat-lovers who are learning Welsh!
“The popularity of the series has been amazing! I was thrilled when Teach Your Dog Welsh was re-printed for the first time – but I’m amazed that it’s been reprinted three more times since! A lot of cat lovers approached me personally or contacted me over social media asking if there’d be a cat version of the book,” says author and illustrator Anne Cakebread.
The mischievous black cat in the book, who – unlike the very obedient dog in Teach Your Dog Welsh – often ignores instructions, has been inspired by two cats: one being Chanel, the cat of Anne Cakebread’s two nieces. Mari and Elin are thrilled to have Chanel in a book.
“Chanel made a lovely model as she’s nice and plump and full of character,” said Anne Cakebread. “The other cat that inspired the personality is the local black tom cat with yellow eyes who prowls and hunts around the old Abbey ruins, and is a bit of a legend here in St Dogmaels. He’s a seriously tough character!”
Originally from Cardiff, Anne and her partner moved to St Dogmaels on the west Wales coast. She wanted to improve her Welsh as it was important to her to become part of the lively Welsh-speaking community in the area.
“I first had to unlearn the Welsh I'd been taught in school as it's nothing like the Welsh people speak here. That's why I've made the expressions in the book colloquial, as a large part of learning is listening to what people say around you.”
The original book was inspired by Frieda, a rescue whippet, who only understood Welsh commands when she was first homed with Anne and her partner. Slowly, whilst dealing with Frieda, Anne realised that she was overcoming her nerves about speaking Welsh aloud by talking to the dog, and her Welsh was improving as a result – this gave her the idea of creating a book to help other would-be learners whilst also using her skills as an illustrator.
Summoning up the confidence to use a language you’re learning can be daunting at first, and a number of books are available to help with vocabulary and pronunciation, but the light hearted context and the beautiful illustrations mean that this book is a bit out of the ordinary. Lefi Gruffudd from Y Lolfa says:
“This book is both a practical and a fun way to practise Welsh, and hopefully it will be a useful resource to Welsh learners.”
Carolyn Hodges, Head of English Publishing at Y Lolfa, who developed language-teaching materials for Oxford University Press for many years, said: “Some people have a bad experience of learning Welsh at school and that puts them off trying again as adults. One of the key factors in motivating someone to start learning and using a new language is to make it enjoyable. Teach Your Cat Welsh really brings the language to life and makes it fun – it’s a really positive (re)introduction to this wonderful language.”
“It was particularly fun for me to edit the book as I started learning Welsh on my own in Oxford, where the only ‘person’ I had to practise on was my cat! This book would have been really useful!”
There are plans to expand the Teach Your Cat Welsh and Teach Your Dog Welsh series to include translations into other minority languages including Cornish and Irish. Teach Your Dog Māori is already available as an e-book, and there will be a special travel edition teaching Japanese to coincide with the Rugby World Cup in the autumn.
Anne Cakebread is a freelance illustrator with over 20 years’ experience in publishing and TV, including cover art and illustrations for numerous books, magazines and adverts. She also illustrated sets and props for Boomerang on S4C’s award-winning ABC. She grew up and went to school in Radyr, Cardiff and now lives with her partner, two whippets and lurcher in St Dogmaels, where she runs a B&B Oriel Milgi.
Teach Your Cat Welsh by Anne Cakebread is available now (£4.99, Y Lolfa).

]]> Wed, 08 May 2019 18:30:16 +0100 http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5054/a-hole-in-my-heart-the-size-of-wales-an-interview-with-john-mouse http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5054




AmeriCymru: Hi John and many thanks for agreeing to this interview. Care to tell us a little about your new (forthcoming) single 'There's a hole in my heart (an area the size of Wales)'?
John: Hey, its what I thought was a breakup song, but it turns out that the main character is speaking from the grave, but it is still probably a break up song.
A meriCymru: Will there be a new album forthcoming soon?
John: Hopefully, yes. Though as much as I love the form I have been told that it isn't the best vehicle to promote an artist work anymore.
AmeriCymru: We learn from a recent press release that your 'most recent album “The Fen Sessions” was written and released over a weekend and then deleted on the Monday.' Why? Are there any plans to resurrect it?
John: It was a conceptual idea that I had. I wanted to see how many people pay attention to my social media, as that was the main vehicle of promotion prior to and during the sessions. I also like to challenge the creative process and force myself into producing material. I think consumers of music expect the music always to be available and to be free, so I was questioning this concept. One thing I didn't expect to come from the sessions was that many of the people who downloaded the songs actually ended up paying for them. I think this was because they had invested in the process, some of them followed it throughout the weekend, and maybe limiting the release availability gave the album some monetary value.
AmeriCymru: After your 2014 album 'The Death of.....', John Mouse went away for a while. Why was this and why did he return?
John: I had had enough about not reaching a larger audience. I sort of gave up. Now, I'm liberated by this fact and so do what I want knowing that no-one really cares.
AmeriCymru: The track 'Happy I am Not' from 'The Death of John Mouse' seems to sum up the album and is a personal favourite of mine. Care to tell us a little more about the song?
John: That is an oldie! Right, so I mashed up Heaven Knows I'm miserable now, by the Smiths, Lets move to the country, by Smog and Considering a move to Memphis by The Colourblind James Experience. Just have a listen to those three songs and you'll understand Unhappy a little more.
AmeriCymru: Another intriguing track from 'Death of....' is 'Ilka Moor'. Punk versions of old standards are not unheard of, 'The Dickies', 'Banana Splits' and 'Eve of Destruction' spring to mind, but why 'Ilka Moor'?
John: I had this old folk song book and the lyrics for Ilka Moor really stood out. It's so bizzare, eating your mate, turns out it's about sexual disease though.
AmeriCymru: What is your creative process? Do your lyrics simply come to you fully formed or do you work for days/weeks carefully polishing them to perfection?
John: I do a lot of pre-editing, inhaling, before I write the words. I don't really change them much, sometimes move some sentences around so that they rhyme or that the words rhythmically fit.
AmeriCymru: How would you caharacterize your writing and recording process in general? How closely do you collaborate with the other musicians on arrangements etc?
John: It just depends. Sometimes I write by myself and tell people I work with what I'd like to achieve on the instruments I can't play. Sometimes I just let them write the song, for example this new one is written entirely by Phil.
AmeriCymru: What music are you currently listening to? Are there any artists you would claim as an inspiration?
John: New music that I am listening to include Fontains DC, John Maus (I know), Yak, Beak, King Gizzard and the Lizzard Wizzard, but I'll always go back to albums by Bill Callahan and anything Arab Strap related.
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the members and readers of AmeriCymru?
John: Thanks for reading, and please do spread the word.
]]> Fri, 03 May 2019 19:34:53 +0100 http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5053/keys-new-single-black-and-white-out-may-3rd-on-libertino-records http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5053
‘There you will find them, tucked away in between The Stooges ‘Fun House’ and John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band the KEYS, the band you never knew you needed until they changed your life.
Over four Albums, Eps and countless Singles during this millennium the KEYS have become a mythical presence on the Welsh musical landscape. The timeless quality of the band’s music, touches on the wide eyed wonder and boundless possibilities of the sixties pop song, West Coast harmonies, Motown backbeat and the aggression of post 1968 proto-punk, sets them apart as true believers in the communion of Rock and Roll. KEYS are very much a band for the here and now, shaping music from the moon dust of the past into a re-imagined future that is all theirs for the taking.’ – Libertino Records ‘Black and White’ is the confident and bold return of the KEYS. The single was recorded during the productive two days session for the band’s new album in Miner’s Welfare club, lost in the Neath Valley.
Matt Evens, the band’s singer and songwriter, explains the background and the writing process of ‘Black and White’: “I wrote it while playing the drums on my own one morning. I was trying to write a modern-day nursery rhyme so it’s kept really simple. Then it went through the KEYS machine and came out all reverb guitars and maracas. It starts off Scout Niblett and ends up all Stooges with some Ron Asheton-style wah-wah thrown into the mix. It’s still a very sparse arrangement though which is the point. The lyric comes from something a photographer said to us once “Don’t worry, they’ll look alright in Black and White”; Gwion (Lead Guitar) used to quote it all the time in a jokey way so it ended up finding a melody.”


Fe wnewch chi ffeindio’r KEYS, rhwng The Stooges ‘Fun House’ a John Lennon/ Plastic Ono Band - KEYS, y band sydd ei angen ar bawb.
Ers rhyddhau pedair albym, sawl EP a sawl sengl yn ystod y mileniwm diwetha, mae’r KEYS wedi bod yn bresenoldeb chwedlonol yn nhirwedd cerddorol Cymru. Mae ansawdd bytholwyrdd cerddoriaeth y band yn cyffwrdd â rhyfeddod diderfyn caneuon pop y chwedegau, harmonïau West Coast a Motown backbeat gydag ymosodiad porto-pync 1968, sy’n eu gosod arwahan fel credinwyr cryf Rock n Roll. Mae’r KEYS yn fand cyfoes, yn siapio cerddoriaeth o lwch lleuad y gorffennol i ddyfodol dychmygus, disglair.
Mae’r KEYS yn ôl gyda’r sengl hyderus a chadarn ‘Black and White’. Recordiwyd y sengl yn Miner's Welfare Club, Cwm Nêdd yn ystod sesiwn dau ddiwrnod o recordio eu halbym newydd. Esbonia Matt Evans, canwr a chyfansoddwr y band, y stori sy’n perthyn i ‘Black and White’:
“Ysgrifennais y gân wrth chwarae’r drymiau ar ben fy hun un bore. Fe driais i ysgrifennu hwiangerdd fodern, felly cadwyd y gân yn syml. Yna, aeth y gân trwy beiriant KEYS ac allan daeth reverb gitars a maracas.
Scout Niblett yw’r dechrau a'r Stooges yw’r diwedd gyda ychydig o steil Ron Asheton-wah-wah-aidd wedi’i daflu i’r gymysgedd. Mae’r geiriau yn dod o rhywbeth ddywedodd ffotograffydd wrthon ni unwaith “Peidiwch â phoeni, bydd e’n edrych yn iawn mewn du a gwyn”; Roedd Gwion (gitar flaen) yn arfer dyfynnu’r linell drwy’r amser mewn ffordd bryfoclyd, felly roedd rhaid rhoi’r dyfyniad hwn i mewn i’r gân.”



]]> Thu, 02 May 2019 19:28:53 +0100 http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5049/eisteddfod-competitions-north-american-festival-of-wales-aug-29-sept-1-2019 http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5049
Hold your beer… are you thinking about The North American Festival of Wales in Milwaukee later this year (Aug. 29 - Sept. 1)? Then how about entering one of our Eisteddfod competitions!
Once again, we have seven different competitions in singing or poetic recitation - suiting all ages and different levels of proficiency in Welsh (from zero to “lots”!) Singers can join our Semi-Professional competition to win a generous cash scholarship for travel to compete at next year's National Eisteddfod of Wales (Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru) in Tregaron (Ceredigion). And as an eighth stage competition… we’re reintroducing Instrumental Solo, open to unaccompanied soloists on any musical instrument. All stage competitions are on Fri. and Sat., Aug. 30 and 31, and are time-limited to help you enjoy everything else at the Festival!
Also, the new Visual Arts Competition is open to entrants submitting visual artistic submissions (painting, sketch, sculpture, etc.) based on a Welsh theme, for popular adjudication at the Festival (setup is Fri., Aug. 30 and viewing is that day and Sat., Aug. 31).
Finally, the new Hymn Composition Competition in honor of Daniel Protheroe, with a single grand prize, invites the creation of an original hymn set to the meter used by Protheroe in his well-known “Milwaukee”.
Go to the link shown here for information and guidelines on all of our competitions! You will also find there our new online entry form for the stage competitions and Visual Arts (deadline Aug. 20, 2019). (For Hymn Composition, see the guidelines at the link for further information on entering; deadline July 1, 2019.)
Contact the Eisteddfod Committee with any questions ( eisteddfod@nafow.org ), and we’ll see you – or your creative work - soon in Milwaukee!
(NAFOW Eisteddfod link: http://thewnaa.org/eisteddfod- competition.html )
]]> Wed, 24 Apr 2019 18:47:25 +0100 http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5031/walking-the-pembrokeshire-coast-with-a-harp-welsh-folk-musicians-crazy-adventure http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5031
In the summer of 2012 musician Delyth Jenkins walked the 186 miles of the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path over a period of 17 days. With her she carried her Welsh harp and hoped to give a series of impromptu path-side concerts. That Would Be Telyn (Y Lolfa) is an inspiring account of her adventures and the people she met and played for along the way.
Delyth set out to challenge herself both physically and creatively and combined three things that she loved: walking, playing the harp and the Pembrokeshire coast.
“The walk itself was a creative process. I had no idea when I started the walk that I would end up writing a book. I have also composed new music inspired by the walk – one of the pieces, Cofio , is on DnA [her instrumental duo with daughter Angharad]’s album Llinyn Aur ,” said the Delyth, adding:
“People seemed genuinely moved to hear my music. A couple from Spain felt that my music had magically  managed to dispel the mist and bring out the sun. I played ‘Happy Birthday’ to someone who was absolutely delighted to be able to celebrate his birthday with the expected song but in the most unexpected of locations!”.
That Would Be Telyn   is an account of the journey, but also a memoir. As she walked, she thought and remembered and the text is interwoven with autobiographical flashbacks including memories of her childhood, her life with her late former husband, the poet Nigel Jenkins, and her career in the world of theatre and Welsh traditional music. The book also includes a hitherto unpublished poem by Adrian Mitchell.
“What I discovered was that my music was not merely a form of expressing myself, but it also gave me the extraordinary privilege of having an insight into other people’s thoughts and emotions, and brought home to me that music is not just about the performer but just as much about the audience,” said Delyth of her experience.
Since completing the walk, Delyth has given several performances about the journey, including a show in collaboration with the poet Emily Hinshelwood called Salt On Our Boots . The overwhelming response from audiences has been that they would like to read about what was described during performances.
“I realised with some force that I don’t want to let life pass me by, and I am keen to take on more physical and creative challenges whilst there is still time. But probably my main reason for writing the book was that I wanted to write it. I felt very much that I had a story to tell, which I wanted to share,” says Delyth.  
That Would Be Telyn has received high praise:
“A musician’s miniature odyssey, full of epiphanies, gentle meetings and haunting personal reflections.” - Stevie Davies  
“Delyth writes just as she lives and plays music: with honesty, humour and a warm curiosity in other people and in the ancient land she travels through.” - Andrew Green  
“Her descriptions lead the reader to wish they’d been there – had chanced upon this wandering minstrel and heard her play the Telyn while the waves crashed far below and the seagulls swooped overhead.” - Jo Mazelis.


Delyth Jenkins was born in Oswestry. She studied at University College, Swansea and has lived in the city ever since. It was here, in her early twenties, that she started learning Welsh and the harp. She started her career with the Swansea-based folk band Cromlech, and then went on to form the pioneering instrumental trio Aberjaber. She has made many albums both as a member of groups and as a soloist. She has toured extensively in Britain, Europe and America. She has also worked as an actor, composer and musician for various theatre companies, and has collaborated with poets and storytellers. But it is perhaps her collaboration with her daughter Angharad Jenkins that gives Delyth the most pleasure. Delyth and Angharad released their second album Llinyn Arian in 2018.
Delyth Jenkins will be reading extracts from the book and performing pieces inspired by her walk. Tickets are £5 can be ordered from Mission Gallery (01792 652016 | info@missiongallery.co.uk ) and will include a glass of wine or soft drink. For more information about the event, please contact Delyth Jenkins delyth.harp@gmail.com or Gwenllian at Y Lolfa gwenllian@ylolfa.com | 01970 832304.
That Would Be Telyn by Delyth Jenkins (£8.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.

]]> Wed, 27 Mar 2019 22:29:33 +0000 http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5028/an-interview-with-anisha-johnson-winner-2019-wce-short-story-competition http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5028
Read Anisha Johnson's  winning entry here:  Flapper Girl


AmeriCymru: Hi Anisha and many thanks for agreeing to this interview. When did you first decide to start writing?
Anisha: I've been writing for as long as I can remember! My mother taught me to read when I was three and put a pencil in my hand as soon as I could hold one, so I was always encouraged to read and write as much as I could.
I was homeschooled by my mother my whole life, so I had the chance to write not just essays but also creative writing pieces for school. However, I wouldn't say that writing really became one of my hobbies until freshman year of high school, when I started to write outside of school hours as well. I started writing poetry first, and I finally decided to tackle the challenge of writing a novel when I participated in National Novel Writing Month in 2015. After that I set myself the goal of writing a novel every year, and I've continued to write short stories and poetry since then.
AmeriCymru: What is your writing process? Do you rely largely on observation or are your stories pure products of the imagination?
Anisha:   Both, actually, although I would say that the latter is usually more prevalent. I've been writing a lot of historical fiction lately, which has seemed to require more observation and research than imagination, but whenever I write fantasy, short stories, or poetry, I tend to write from my own imagination as much as I can. As fantasy is usually my genre of choice, I spend a lot of time with my eyes shut just thinking about various possibilities and ideas (this is usually what I'm doing when I'm caught daydreaming). I feel obligated to think of all my worlds and characters completely on my own, because it somehow seems like cheating to borrow from something that I saw in real life (that being said, if I'm really stuck and desperately need inspiration, I tend to get it from my writer friends. I’ll tell them about my ideas and ask them to pitch in and give ideas of their own, and sometimes by the end of these conversations the story has changed completely!).
My writing process is very haphazard. I hate writing outlines, so I usually just trust myself to remember all of my ideas, although sometimes if I have an idea for a particular line or scene I'll write it down in a document full of notes related to that particular writing project. For all of my novels, I basically just have these twenty-page long documents full of random ideas and pieces of dialogue, that I scroll through periodically to remind myself. It's complete chaos, but it's worked for me so far. And it's very gratifying to finish writing a novel and delete the last random idea from my notes, knowing that I have incorporated everything I wanted to into the book.
I also try to write for at least an hour a day (even if I'm writing trash! Writing stuff that I know I'll throw away later is better than writing nothing at all, and many of my best ideas have come from short stories or false starts that were eventually deleted). Discipline is a very important part of my writing process. Consequently, I don't usually write out-of-sequence; I like to write all of my scenes in the order that they're going to appear in the final version.
I guess you said say that my writing process consists of organized chaos…
AmeriCymru: In his adjudication Mike Jenkins says:- "...in the end I went for 'Flapper Girl' by Anisha Johnson, which really caught a moment in time very well." Did you have a particular effect on the reader in mind as you wrote this story?
Anisha:  Sort of, but I didn't put as much thought into it as I'd like to pretend I did. I mainly just wanted readers to put down the story and immediately start wondering what would happen to the character next. I think that everybody has experienced difficult situations where telling the truth could lead to disaster, and struggled with the outcomes of such situations. It's easy to feel sympathy for people going through similar situations, and I had this in mind when I wrote this story. I wanted readers to feel pity for the character trying to make a difficult decision, but I also wanted them to feel proud of her, in a way, for finally choosing to take the hard-but-right path, in the same way that we all feel proud of ourselves when we do the right thing despite the hardship that sometimes entails. Other than that, I really just wanted readers to enjoy the story!
AmeriCymru: Have you published anything else? Where can readers go to find more of your work?
Anisha:  Yes! One of my poems, ‘human’, was published as a winner in the California Coastal Art and Poetry Contest, an consequently published in an electronic issue of Chapman University’s TAB: A Journal of Poetry & Poetics. My poem ‘sometimes’ was published in the Live Poets Society of NJ’s anthology “My World” in summer of 2018. And my short story ‘The Fog’ was published as an Honorable Mention in Bluefire, the literary journal of the Leyla Beban Young Authors Foundation.
AmeriCymru: What's next for Anisha Johnson?
Anisha: I graduated from high school in June 2018, and am taking a gap year before attending Mount Holyoke College this fall to study computer science, film, and creative writing. I have several more writing projects in the works, ranging from novels to poems, and I hope to learn screenwriting in the near future as well.
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the readers and members of AmeriCymru?
Anisha:   Thank you for reading my story and my interview — it means the world to authors like me who are just starting out in their careers! Writing really would mean nothing without people to read it. Every new audience that I write for helps me grow as an author, so thank you for being one of those audiences.
]]> Sat, 23 Mar 2019 02:14:24 +0000 http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5004/interview-for-st-davids-day-sion-jobbins-welsh-author-parade-organiser http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/americymru/blog/5004



AmeriCymru spoke to Welsh author and St David's Day Parade organiser, Sion Jobbins. Here is a list of Sion's published works:
Llyfrau | Books
The Welsh National Anthem: its story, its meaning
The Red Dragon: The Story of the Welsh Flag


 


....




AmeriCymru: What made you decide to organise the St David's Day parade in Aberystwyth? What was the inspiration and what was the original aim?
Sion: The first Aberystwyth St David’s Day Parade ( http://gwyldewiaber.cymru) was in 2013. I founded it in response to the disappointing results of the 2011 census which had just been released. I felt we needed to lift people’s spirit and show we were “yma o hyd” (still here).
I’d also been a great supporter of Cardiff’s St David’s Day Parade and felt every town should have one. In fact, I suggested that in an article I have on St David’s Day in my book, ‘The Phenomenon of Welshness: How many Aircraft Carrieres would an Independent Wales have?’ I felt that Wales had always been to quiet and too, well boring, in its celebration of our patron saint, especially compared to the Irish. Although I felt St Patrick’s Day could seem a little naff at times, I admire their zeal and confidence in celebrating their national day.
I had considered holding a Glyndwr Day Parade rather than St David’s Day one as Glyndwr would be a secular event and so not offend or leave a bitter taste for those who wish celebration of St David’s Day to be more nationalistic and those who wished commemoration of St David to be more religious. In the end, after holding a small meeting, the consensus was that people were more familiar with St David’s Day and that Glyndwr Day Parade may not appeal to such a wide cross-section of society.
AmeriCymru: Who are the main organisers and do they get funding? Who takes part?
Sion: The Parade is organised by a small group of volunteers. I’d like the Parêd to grow to be a week-long event of music, discussion, comedy, food and fun. But I, and the others, don’t have the time. So, we try to do one thing well.
We receive money from Aberystwyth Town Council who are very supportive and the parade wouldn’t happen without it. We’ve also received money in the past from places like the Lottery and also from private businesses.
AmeriCymru: Tell me about some of the unique elements that you have in the Aber parade. How has it grown over the years and how do you see it growing in the future?  
Sion: I’m a great believed in invented tradition and in thanking, celebrating an elevating our heroes. I’m also a fan of flags. So, this Parade includes all those strands.
We’ve invented our traditions such as having a bagpiper to lead the Parade. The pipes are Welsh pipes or Galician. The tunes are Welsh – Calon Lân for instance.
Behind the piper in the Parade is the ‘Tywysydd’ (leader). Every year the Parade choses a local person who we believe has made a contriution to Welsh language life in the town and possibly nationally. The first Tywysydd was the late Dr Meredydd Evans, the musicologist and later head of BBC Cymru Wales Light Entertainment. He and his American wife, Phyllis Kinney, had made a huge contribution to the study and celebration of Welsh folk music – as well as other things. This year’s Tywysydd, by contrast, is Dilys Mildon, who’s from Aberystwyth and returned to the town in 1985 to open Gannets a very popular bistro in Aber. She retired last year. Gannets was a hub of Welsh language life and was one of the few places in the 1980s and 1990s which never shied away from using and promoting Welsh at a time when people were more averse, or even dismissive, of their business being seen as ‘too Welsh’.
AmeriCymru: What are the economic benefits to the area?
Sion: It’s hard to quantify, but the town is fuller on the Saturday afternoon. It’s ovious that people come in with their families either to take part in the Parade or to watch. We’ve also in the past organised music and events in some of the shops and cafes on the day of the Parade. We hold a free folk gig and music session at the Llew Du pub. There’s certainly a buzz on the day.


AmeriCymru: What can you tell us about the Ras yr Iaith?
Sion : Ras yr Iaith ( http://rasyriaith.cymru) is a different event. It’s a fun run for the Welsh language – to rasie profile and again, confidence in the language and also raise money which is then donated as grants to initiatives which support and use Welsh.
Ras yr Iaith (race of the language, language race) is based on other hugely successful language runs in the Basque Country (the first one) called the Korrika; Redadeg (Brittany), Rith (Ireland). Every different country has its own version but they are all non-competative and clubs, societies, families, businesses pay to sponsor a km of the route with the profit made given back as grants to support the native language.
Our Ras yr iaith happens every two years, the next one will be in July 2020. We run through the town centres along a route through Wales. With our run more than one institution or club can sponsor the same km. There have been 3 Ras yr Iaith so far (first on In 2014) and we’ve given out a lot £30k in grants during that period. So, it’s a way to raise money for the language independently of the state and it’s also a great way to draw supporters of the language – be they Welsh speakers or not – together as they run or help steward the event.
I founded Ras yr Iaith, in 2012. I hoped ‘someone else’ would do it, but then realised I was that ‘someone else’.


AmeriCymru: Care to tell us a little about your book:- 'The Red Dragon - The Story of the Welsh Flag.'?
Sion: I like flags! The Red Dragon has to be one of the best flags ever, and its history is very interesting. The great thing about flags is that they are simultaneously an obvious manifestation of what and how a nation wishes to see itself represented to others, But the history behind the flag, the choices of flags and designs not made, the time it was constructed and flown, also betrays so much about the nation.

The Red Dragon was officially made flag of Wales in February 1959 when Westminster recognised it – though the present design itself was older of course.

AmeriCymru: In the book you propose that the 28th May to be commemorated annually in Wales as 'Flag Day'. Care to explain why? What has been the reaction to your suggestion?
Sion: I’d like to initiate 28 May as the Flag Day as it was on that day in 1865 that the oldest reference to the Welsh flag being flow is made as the Welsh settlers for Patagonia raised it on the Mimosa ship as it sailed out of Liverpool.
I haven’t had much reaction to be honest, though, Rhys Llewelyn, who organises the Pwllheli St David’s Day Parade is interested in promoting the idea further. Part of the problem is that Wales, nor the UK, has much of a tradition of ‘flag day’ so, people aren’t aware of the tradition. Also, many people no fly the flag at every day of the year. However, it’s something I’d like pursue.
I’d also like to promote my design for the Maritime Flag which is a Red Dragon flag but with the green half brought down to below the claws of the Red Dragon so that the red doesn’t deface the green. This will make the flag (and Dragon) easier to recongise from a distance. The current national flag design breaks the ‘Rules of Tincture’ which were, ironically, written by Welshman Humphrey Lhuyd in the 16th century.
AmeriCymru: What's next for Sion Jobbins. Will you be organising more marches? Do you have any new books planned?
Sion: What next? Well, no new books is one certainty, I’m afraid. I’m now Chair of Yes Cymru the grass roots, non-party political movement for an independent Wales. Things are moving quickly here with a big independence march in Cardiff on 11 May. I’ve also started and I present on Radio Yes Cymru – which is a rather grandiose name for an online broadcasting outfit – though I’d like to develop that more. Check out Yes Cymru and Radio Yes Cymru online and on Facebook and Twitter.
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the readers and members of AmeriCymru?
Sion: Keep in touch with Wales, support and promote Wales when you can, and try and enjoy life and see the best side of people – we’re only on this planet once – “do the little things” as St David said.


]]> Wed, 27 Feb 2019 21:40:00 +0000