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WALES’ FIRST BILINGUAL CHARITY BUSKATHON

Pro’s & Celebs Busk in Cardiff Shopping Centre for The Ecoshelter Appeal

The first official Bilingual Charity Buskathon was held in Cardiff’s St David’s Centre on Saturday, 28th January 2006 from 9am-6pm and raised more than £600 for The Ecoshelter Appeal!

A variety of professional Welsh musicians and comedians (see list and biogs below) lined up to perform 15 minute slots each, in both Welsh and English, at a pitch in the shopping centre’s St David’s Way to raise awareness and funds for The Ecoshelter Appeal.

The Buskathon was organised by Heather Jones and Gwenno Dafydd, both well known on the Welsh language and entertainment scene.

Following recent tragic events such as the South Asia Earthquake, the South East Asia Earthquake and subsequent Tsunami, the US/Gulf/Caribbean hurricanes and wars and famines in Africa, it has been recognised that there is a pressing need for more and better post-disaster shelters.

“The Bilingual Charity Buskathon is the first of a series of fundraising initiatives throughout Wales and the UK,” said Gareth Strangemore-Jones from Tsunami Relief. “We are very grateful to Gwenno, Heather and The St David’s Centre for helping us stage this event,” he added.

If you’d like to hold your own Buskathon where you live, or have any other event or

fundraising ideas, please contact The Ecoshelter Appeal by phone on 02920 493100 or

by e-mail info@ecoshelter.org.

ECOSHELTER BUSKATHON BIOGS

Frank Hennessy

Cardiff born and Cardiff bred - as his Cardiff Anthem says - Frank is a true son of the capital city. He currently presents BBC Radio Wales' Monday and Friday afternoon programme and his Saturday night folk roots and acoustic music show, Celtic Heartbeat. Frank has also presented several music series for BBC Wales television, including Way Out West - tracing the roots of Cajun, Appalachian and Cape Breton music, and Way Down Under, which took a distinctly Celtic look at the music and culture of Australia. His love of music began with family sessions and when his father gave him a guitar for his 13th birthday he took to it immediately. Although Frank was apprenticed to an electrical engineering firm, the musical pull was irresistible.

In 1966 along with his musical partner Dave Burns he won Cardiff City Council's Spotlight on Youth competition paving the way for the boys to turn professional shortly afterwards and prompting a move to Ireland where they honed their skills on the thriving folk music circuit. After writing to BBC Wales to ask for help in finding the words to a Welsh folk song, Frank's group, The Hennessys, became increasingly involved in traditional Welsh music and Welsh language broadcasting. In the seventies Frank took a break from music, got married and had a family, and in 1978 he was asked to present a programme for the new Cardiff independent radio station CBC, a role he found most enjoyable. In 1984 BBC Radio Wales invited him to act as a stand-in presenter. He's been a regular ever since.

Dave Burns & Iolo Jones

Dave Burns and Iolo Jones have been amongst the foremost Welsh folk artists on the domestic and international scene for some thirty years now. Their repertoire is wide and varied and reflects both their own individual musical journeys as well as their various collaborations over the years. Their music blends Dave’s lyrical mandolin playing and soaring vocals with Iolo’s superbly flexible violin playing, which ranges from the sensitive accompaniment to the virtuoso reel or jig. They initially worked together as founder members of Wales’ most successful traditional group Ar Log. During this period they performed and recorded dozens of familiar and less well-known traditional songs in Welsh, and popularised a large number of dance tunes which have since become staples of sessions and dance bands. Iolo also contributed a number of original tunes in traditional style which have also become popular. This material still forms an important part of their work as a duo. For the past fifteen years or so they have been members together of another prominent Welsh folk group, the Hennessys. Their music in this case is firmly rooted in the vocal and instrumental traditions of Wales, with influences from Ireland and beyond. They perform well-known and more unusual Welsh dance tunes and airs, and traditional folk songs in the Welsh and English. A large part of their repertoire is based on the song-writing genius of Frank Hennessy, whose strongly folk-based output ranges from the heartfelt love song or the committed ecological plea, to the humorous skit on life in Wales in general and Cardiff in particular. A number of these songs have found their way into Dave’s personal repertoire. Dave and Iolo continue to make an individual contribution to musical life in their own right. Dave is well known as a solo singer specialising in the rich repertoire of folk songs describing the lives of the working people. He has entertained in primary schools and old people’s homes, in private parties and in international music festivals.

Iolo is a leading light in the fiddle scene in Wales, and is in demand as a teacher, interpreter and arranger of Welsh fiddle music. Together Dave and Iolo provide an entertainment which spans a large musical and emotional range, interspersed with good-natured humour and anecdotes. The whole adds up to a polished, professional and memorable performance.

Heather Jones

Heather, a former member of folk trio ‘Bara Menyn’ (along with Meic Stevens and Geraint Jarman) emerged to become a pivotal figure in Welsh music from the 1970’s onward. The end of the sixties and beginning of the seventies was a key period in the development of Welsh pop, and Heather Jones with her mix of rock, ballads and traditional folk was an important cog in the music machine. Heather performed in the first Welsh rock event where electrical instruments were used, in the ‘Sachlian a Lludw - Sackcloth and Ashes’ performance in the Bangor Eisteddfod back in 1971. She was invited to play the lead role in the classic rock opera ‘Nia Ben Aur (Nia of the golden head) in Carmarthen Eisteddfod in 1974. Heather has been a professional singer since that period, singing her own compositions and performing in a variety of styles but traditional songs are her first love. She still performs regularly and is a keen supporter of events targeted at Welsh learners. She has had her own television series, produced numerous c.d’s and has travelled the world representing Wales in song. See www.sain.wales.com under ‘Cymraeg’, then ‘Artist’ then ‘H’.

The ‘Buskathon’ was Heather’s original idea and after a conversation with singer and actress.

Both Heather and Gwenno worked exceptionally hard since then to make the Buskathon a sweeping success.

Gwenno Dafydd

Gwenno has been a professional actress, singer and writer for the last twenty-five years working in television, radio, theatre, cabaret, theatre in education and concerts all over Europe, but predominantly in Wales. She has written a one-woman show about Edith Piaf called ‘No regrets’ which has recently been re-published in ‘One Woman, One Voice’ by Parthian Press. She will be sining some songs from the show in French. For additional details about her performing career go to: www.equityoriel.co.uk/english/actDetailsE.asp?actorID=32 and see details under Actor and Variety (comedy acts). She has written over a hundred original songs in Welsh and English with her songwriting partner Heulwen Thomas who will be performing today with her gypsy jazz band 5goswing.

Maggie Tomkins

Gwenno will be accompanied today by Maggie Tomkins on the accordeon. Maggie is a classically trained musician but only found her musical voice when she took up the accordion. She quickly discovered that this humble instrument in various guises is played all over the world and that there is a gratifyingly large repertoire to draw upon. Her musical taste is eclectic and includes French, Gypsy, Klezmer, Celtic, Eastern European Folkdance, and Tangos. She performs in the Canton Café Orchestra, various ceilidh and twmpath bands, and in a violin and accordion duo with her husband, Phil. She is interested in all forms of world Music and has participated in various events with Samba Galez, combining Brazilian Samba with Jazz, Celtic and Macedonian tunes.

5goSwing

‘5 go Swing' are a talented band recreating the sound of the 1930's Paris Jazz Cafe! We play largely 'Gypsy Jazz' style music inspired by the original Django Reinhardt band 'The Quintette of the Hot Club of France'. We also infuse Latin and Spanish sounds into some of our pieces therefore creating a truly European flavour.

If you need more information please visit the website: www.5goswing.com

Tara Bethan

To anyone who knew of her upbringing, it was no surprise to see Tara on stage. Born to a family steeped in show-business, and the daughtr of one of Wales' most colourful characters, performing was in the genes, and Tara achieved early success on the eisteddfod and concert stage as a gifted singer and dancer. By now that natural talent has flowered to create a mature performer; the same vivacity is there as in the early days, but it is now polished by the sensitivity of the true arsist; the same power is there, but tempered to convey subtlety as well as passion. She will be accompanied on the guitar by actor and musician Sion Llwyd. For information about Tara Bethan’s first c.d. go to: www.sain.wales.com then click on ‘English’, click on ‘Music’ on the left hand side, click on ‘New’ go to page 2 and you will find details of Tara Bethan’s first CD ‘D’oes neb yn fy nabod i – No one knows me’

Elin Fflur

Elin Fflur has rightly won her place as one of Wales’ most promising Welsh medium singers. She has won numerous accolades and awards and sung with many of the nation’s great. Recently she sang in front of her biggest crowd, before the Wales versus Azerbaijan football match at the Millenium Stadium. See her website for additional information. www.elinfflur.com and www.sain.wales.com for details of her CD's.

Marc Elton

‘I make a living from playing and teaching the violin. Diversity is my forte and so I play almost as many different styles as pertain to my instrument. I play bluegrass, Celtic or Jazz styles as well as Classical and Baroque. I have played in Rock and pop bands, Klezma bands and many others. Also performed in community threatre and made many Radio and TV appearances in Wales.

I sometimes lead the Welsh Baroque Orchestra (which is based here in Cardiff) or play in various bands further afield. I also play in the only Tango band in Cardiff called the ‘Canton Café Orchestra’. For additional details see: www.welshbaroqueorchestra.co.uk

Lowri Evans

A talented singe/songwriter with a distinctive voice performing a blend of original Welsh and English jazz, blues and folk. Lee Mason will be playing original and thought provoking lead guitar.

For additional details please see her website on http://www.freewebs.com/lowrievans/

Lou Noble

Lou Noble is a Cardiff-based Singer-songwriter, well-known to many of the acoustic venues of Cardiff, she has been playing to audiences over the last 5 years and has been gathering momentum with her writing and playing since moving to Cardiff from London. Lou's songs are honest, passionate reflections of life! She has a jazzy-bluesy sound and has been described as "one of the leading lights of Cardiff's acoustic scene!" (Paul Clarke, Meltdown). Lou loves to play to different audiances, but is committed to playing at events where Raising Awareness is the key! "We bring together many people through music, people feel connected and no longer on their own. The Ecoshelter Appeal is a truly amazing and life-changing concept. We have the means to give to those with nothing. Ecoshelters can change lives dramatically and not only that, we can give some faith and hope to the rest of humanity - I'm all for that!" For more information, email lounoble@yahoo.co.uk.