MARTYN JOSEPH: Roots Unearthed, Lefel 3, St David’s Hall, Cardiff, November 29, 2016 It was a brilliant, celebratory homecoming for Martyn Joseph. The Penarth-based guitarist, wonderful singer and unique songwriter was just into his Winter Tour, with shows and concerts all over the depth and breadth of the UK, with America and Europe beckoning on…
Penarth singer-songwriter Martyn Joseph, acclaimed as “one of acoustic music’s most original voices”, had the honour of being nominated at the AIM Independent Music Awards at The Brewery in London in the closely contested category of Hardest Working Band or Artist. Known for his astute songs of compassion and as one of the finest live…
ALLAN YN Y FAN Llantrisant Folk Club, Pontyclun Institute Athletic Club, August 31, 2016 The six members comprising Allan Yn Y Fan kicked off the mammoth promotional tour showcasing their lastest offering, the new CD Newid, at Llantrisant – and judging by the roars of appreciation and calls for an encore that went up, it…
LAURA-BETH SALTER & JENN BUTTERWORTH Llantrisant Folk Club, Pontyclun Institute Athletic Club, August 17, 2016 It promised to be an ecstatic, brilliant night; Llantrisant Folk Club quickly filled up, the starter session was cooking along nicely with the two Scotland-based guests joining in, Nanu Bouthillier from Ploërmel, Brittany played her fiddle and sang her Gallo…
SWEET LIBERTIES: Roots Unearthed, St David’s Hall, Cardiff, November 27, 2015 Six musicians, including the charismatic and mesmerising Martyn Joseph and BBC Folk Singer Of The Year Nancy Kerr, staged this fascinating show, celebrating 800 years of democracy since the signing of Magna Carta and 750 years since the Simon de Montfort parliament. The English…
The village of Pentyrch, which lies north of Cardiff, has earned a reputation as the music and folk-roots hot-spot – thanks to husband and wife Hywel Wigley and harp virtuoso Catrin Finch, who bought the ancient Capel Horeb and converted it as the concert base for their Acapela Studio. The month of May is looking…
Spectacular musicians and dancers from all over Wales and Europe will be heading for the breathtaking Welsh surroundings of the historic Tredegar House in The City Of Newport, for the 27th Tredegar House Folk Festival, which opens on the evening of Friday, May 6, 2016, and runs until Sunday, May 8 for a packed weekend…
It’s the festive season and the turn of the year, and time for the Mari Lwyd to be calling at houses and pubs and wishing them good luck. The Mari Lwyd – a horse’s skull carried by one of the party, disguised by a white sheet – used to be a purely a local custom, bounded…
FAIRPORT CONVENTION takes the stage at St David’s Hall in Cardiff city centre for their self-styled “Wintour” this Sunday, January 31 at 7.30pm. Hailed as the originators of British folk-rock music, the five musicians have been one of Britain’s best-loved bands for nearly 50 years. The five musicians have been described by The Guardian as…
Allan Yn Y Fan? A funny name, that. When I first got to hear of this bunch of five musicians causing mayhem at dances around the Gwent valleys, I always translated it as “Out In The Van” – which was quite appropriate for a busy little combo. That was harking back to 1996, and Allan…