The non-Welsh speaker’s guide to Welsh language pop music

Out of interest (and because I want to follow answers to this fascinating article), does the title of this piece (An English speaker's guide...) suggest that your efforts to get out of the bottom set of Welsh failed? No suggestions though I am afraid, other than to add a mention to my old uni friend Neil Rosser (a'i fand wrth gwrs).

Try Brigyn

Women make a huge contribution to the Welsh language music scene, something that this list fails to acknowledge.

Not a genre I often listen to, I must admit (I'm more a William Mathias and Daniel Jones man), but I must put in a mention for Gwilym Bowen Rhys's two ventures, Y Bandana (what I would call traditional guitar-led pop) and Plu (gentler music sung with what I believe are his two sisters). If we're allowed to delve back 20 years or so then Huw Chiswell is my all-time favourite Welsh pop singer. I defy anyone to listen to Rhywbeth o'i Le (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKEKcMN0z5c) without a tingle down their spine.

Where’s Anhrefn?

Back in the late 70's early '80s a few of us surprised our Welsh teacher, by saying we regularly watched a Welsh language programme on BBC Wales which had the bands of that time on. I remember the names of Crys and Ceffyl Pren and being a teenager myself at the time there was a girl who headed up a rock band and part of the reason we kept tuning in, being typical delinquent adolescents. We didn't speak Welsh at all, but this was a programme at that time, that worked. Can't remember the name of that programme or much else. Surprised in terms of current stuff that Yws Gwynedd hasn't got a mention yet, but certainly seems to tick the right boxes currently.

Great article! Some familiar names and others to explore. My 2c would add, in no particular order: Yr Eira Swnami Ows Gwynedd Y Cledrau Mr Phormula Mei Emrys Dafydd Iwan Candelas Super Furries (for Mwng) Take a listen to the C'est Bon (Yws Gwynedd) playlist on Spotify

If you like rock - go for Y Reu or Y Ffug (also known as FFUG) , I Fight Lions, Masters in France, Mattoidz or We are Animal Folk - Al Lewis Band, 9bach (won bbc best folk album few years ago), Public Broadcasting Service and Lisa Jen Brown of 9bach have a song 'You + Me' which shows how beautiful it is to sing in Cymraeg & English. As mentioned in artice, I think Bwncath's album is one of the best of any language for many years, Elidyr Glyn's tone is so unique. Pop - Kizzy Crawford Indie / Electro - Cadno (similarities to Dolores O'Riordan of Cranberries) , Casi Wyn - she's played SXSW in Austin, Texas and is a star - I would check out a session that she did with other musicisans called Clwb Cariadon - Sesiwn Unnos - Un nos means one night, so 5 musicians were placed together for one night and they created these songs..... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOacPL9YQz0 unbelievable talent. Omaloma - Aros o gwmpas. Rap - Mr Phormula - Ed Holden - the first Welsh speaking artist to perform at the MOBO's - in Cymraeg. Tystion is my favourite rap Cymraeg - anti establishment and great lyrics. My favourite bands are Incubus, Deftones, Rage Against the Machine, Super Furrys - but this golden age of cerdd Cymraeg makes you realise the variety that's out there, and gives you hope for the future. And let's not forget Wales probably has more classical trained singers per capita than anywhere in the World. They're all performing in the top Opera houses of Europe and most of us wouldn't even know.

WH Dyfodol, Gwenno, Casi Wyn, Crash Disco, Plyci, Ty Gwydr, Pop Negatif Wastad

Although I am glad to see an article like this, I think we need to be honest with ourselves. Our musical tastes are very varied. - I love the bands you show, but many learners and English speakers from different backgrounds will like totally different sounds. This list is more the 25-50 year old demographic 'guide' ... I am 30 years old but love Welsh language based choir/folk/ electro / hip hop/ rock / pop rock etc..... also I love alternative bands like 9bach - and as a commentator said above there are lots more women bands out there, but I respect your personal taste. Mwynhewch! Enjoy :)

I really enjoyed this........................it didn't masquerade any politics

My nominations - 'Y Niwl' by Y Niwl [The Mist] (original instrumental-only tunes by Shadows-influenced rockers from Caernarfon); 'Tir A Golau' by Plu [Feathers} (beautifully sensitive blood harmonies and super lyrics from two sisters and a brother); 'Dere Mewn' by Colorama (aka Carwyn Ellis and Friends) - a diverse album covering a range of genres, and 'Bendith' by Bendith - an absolutely superb themed album written and led by Carwyn Ellis in association with Plu. Mwynhewch!

Beth am Calan? ;)

Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog are delightful. Curated some great bands at Green Man's Settlers Stage last year too. Rheinallt H Rowlands were a great band too. Can't think of many better gothic, baroque pop bands. Their Bukowski LP is brilliant

Some Welsh songs I like: from my childhood Chwarae'n Troi'n Chwerw by Caryl Parry Jones and a few other Caryl songs, maybe more 'middle of the road' than pop. A few Edward H Dafis songs, Ysbryd y Nos and Breuddwyd Roc a Rol, for example. Y Cwm by Hyw Chiswell - I'm not a big fan of the other song of his mentioned above. One particular song by Beganifs. More recently Sebona fi by Yws Gwynedd, Dere Mewn by Colorama (also mentioned by a poster above) , Anifail and Llwytha'r Gwn by Candelas Maybe not really pop, but Anfonaf Angel and Hafan Gobaith have been very popular in recent years. Anyone who's interested in the 80s scene can watch this documentary on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxXyOda7lXI

Great article, really helps open up what is available in Welsh that is otherwise difficult to get into as an English speaker. It'd be great to have more articles like this.

Thanks for this list. I’m looking for new music. Yes, to Plu and Huw Chiswell. I also love Brigyn. Cerddoriaeth Cymraeg yw’r gorau!

I found Welsh language music to be a great help when I was learning the language. I spent many a happy hour attempting to translate the lyrics so I could better understand the song. I spent quite a bit of my hard earned on cassettes, LPs and latterly CDs. most of which I've now ripped to mp3 format so they can now reside on my phone. Surprisingly no one has mentioned Geraint Jarman a'r Cynganeddwyr whose output was quite prolific, or Steve Eaves a'i Driawd/Rhai Bobol. Both are still producing/performing. Steve Eaves should, in particular, inspire learners of Welsh, as he himself learned the language. There are of course, a host of other bands to keep an eye out for, though most are now part of history. Melys was a particular favourite of mine, and from the late 20th century we have deliciously wacky bands such as Y Cynghorwyr with songs like, 'Oes Gan Arch Ted Moult Hardwood Surround' or 'Ystlymddyn', which is a real hoot. I don't think that any of Y Cynghorwyr's songs were at all serious, but the band were so obviously very talented both musically and lyrically. Another band worth a mention is 'Bob Delyn a'r Ebillion' which most are probably aware of. Another performer now largely forgotten is Bryn Fôn in his guise as Sobin a'r Smaeliaid. Immensely popular in his time, around the late 80s/early 90s, and included the anthem that got him into trouble, Meibion y Fflam https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdnuIKIJbZQ He was arrested when police, desperate to quell the holiday home arson campaign found some wires in a wall on land owned by Bryn Fôn precisely when the song was at it's most popular. It was a crass move by the authorities, but it probably did a lot to make the son even more popular, and the cause, whether people agreed with the arson campaign or not, aware of the issues behind it, and that they were far more than the simple, black and white, anti Englishness that Plaid and the rest of the establishment would like us to believe. The song, with it's very politicised lyrics stops short of anything like incitement, but does pose questions as to why there is an arson campaign in the first place. It was this kind of popular culture that gave Plaid Cymru sleepless nights, and showed them up for the spineless appeasers they are. I often think that we are far worse off now that Welsh language music has become so politically sanitised, and no longer poses challenges to both those moving here or those born and bred here. We had that period popularly known as Cool Cymru at the end of the 20th century, just as the Assembly was getting off the ground. Whatever you may think of this kind of thing, it was a period when young people, for perhaps the first time, felt comfortable in expressing, with pride, a Welsh identity. Since that time, anything largely Welsh seems to have been diluted, and now we may have Welsh language music, but it's largely been completely devoid of any political edge. We need more music that reminds us of who we are, and the political context we live in. Sobin a'r Smaeliaid may have been the nearest to pop music that has existed in Wales, and it was genuinely popular, as much of it appealed to an audience of ordinary young people, a section of the Welsh population largely ignored and abandoned by the likes of Plaid Cymru and Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg who seem more interested in creating comfortable middle class jobs for themselves than fighting for the interests of ordinary Welsh people. There are exceptions, of course, none more so that Neil McEvoy, but most of the rest seem content to replicate the comfy status quo. Perhaps we need Welsh language music to once more question who we are, and perhaps satirise our Dic Siôn Dafydd politicians.

Really glad a couple of you have mentioned Gwenno Saunders already. I would also highly recommend her sister Ani, who produces a particularly electronic brand of Welsh language music that I can't get enough of.

Great Article, Diolch! (Bookmarked! ;-)

Very good article, but I have no idea why it's in News rather than Opinion.

I can't think why I didn't mention Anelog in my earlier post, but since nobody else has I'll mention them now. Their track Siabod (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLeEnX4wYds) is the alarm track on my phone; equally good to go to sleep to or wake up to.

The two that should be on any 2018 list (IMHO...), would be 1) Candelas - probably the biggest band there is at the moment. 2) Endaf Emlyn - not because of the Pobol y Cwm jingle obviously! Might not make everyone's list, but Lleuwen Steffan would be on my top ten list - also in the Breton top ten list as well I suspect!

any Welsh speaking south Walian bands on the list or are they all gogs....sorry north Walian :)

The Alarm or (for the Welsh Releases) Yr Alarm - I know most of the band's output - certainly in recent years has been in English, but there have been a few Welsh Language releases - Newid, and Tân spring to mind.