Calan
Last updated: 06 August 2009
Calan are a new, vibrant five-piece folk band who are breathing new life into traditional Welsh music.
Sparkling melodies, foot tapping tunes and a spirited and energetic performance of Welsh step dancing. They blast their way through some of the old favourite reels, jigs and hornpipes with fast paced and uplifting arrangements before melting into some of the most beautiful and haunting songs.
Four of the members met up in Sweden in 2005 while taking part in Trac's Wales-Sweden exchange programme, visiting the Ethno summer school. They are all in their teens and early twenties, and come from different parts of Wales - the Lleyn Peninsula, Swansea, Bryn Mawr, Newport and Bangor.
Patrick Rimes - fiddle, pipes and whistle - twice junior Celtic fiddle champion he is a multi instrumentalist who's been called the rising fiddle star in Wales.
Bethan Williams-Jones - accordion, piano, vocals and champion step dancer. Nominated in 2007 for the coveted Bryn Terfel Scholarship.
Llinos Eleri Jones - learned her craft from the traditional players in Wales giving Calan that magical ingredient - the sound of the Welsh harp.
Angharad Sian Jenkins - is not only folk player. Her talents are also being sought out by rock bands and singer songwriters. She recently toured Ireland, Holland and Brittany.
Chris ab Alun - brings a mixture of traditional rhythms and a hint swing guitar to give the over all sound and racy feel.
