麻豆社 Wales - Music - Content

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Abertillery Orpheus Male Voice Choir

The historic Abertillery Orpheus MVC, one of Wales' premier ensembles for over 100 years.

Aber Valley Male Voice Choir

The Aber Valley Male Voice Choir was founded in 1959 and counts performing at the Houses of Parliament as one of their many highlights.

Akira The Don

Hip hop maverick from Anglesey sharing a label with 50 Cent and Eminem.

Alarm

One of the most enduring arena rock bands, The Alarm were one of the 80s' best-selling Welsh acts.

Aled Jones

Aled Jones was a ubiquitous presence in the 1980s after millions watched him on TV.

Allan Yn Y Fan

Newbridge's Welsh traditional band Allan Yn Y Fan have carved a reputation as one of the top Celtic-influenced bands on the 21st century, with three albums and international tours under their belt.

Al Lewis

Al Lewis is a bilingual singer-songwriter who's working with Paper Aeroplanes' Sarah Howells and releasing his first English album in 2010.

Alun Hoddinott

Composer Alun Hoddinott was born in Bargoed in 1929. His compositional talents developed early, and he won a university scholarship at the age of 16.

Amen Corner

Amen Corner formed in south Wales in 1966, bringing together six musicians from around the area, plus vocalist Andy Fairweather-Low.

Amy Wadge

The Cardiff-based singer-songwriter with a steadily rising profile.

Ar Log

Ar Log (Welsh for 'for hire') are a long-running folk outfit who have over the years had many members and many records.

Attack! Attack!

Attack! Attack! are a Cardiff rock band whose work ethic and background in bands over the past decade have made them a name to watch.

One of the most exciting new bands to have emerged from Wales in recent times, The Automatic formed in the not-very-rock 'n' roll town of Cowbridge, but their disco punk sound easily established them as stars.

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Badfinger

Few bands have attracted tragedy like Badfinger. From a promising start as a late 60s pop act through to the messy legal problems that dogged their later years, it was an unfortunate fall from grace.

麻豆社 National Orchestra of Wales

The 麻豆社 National Orchestra of Wales is one of the UK's leading ensembles. Critically acclaimed for the quality of its performances, they are also renowned for their reach beyond the confines of the concert hall.

Beatbox Fozzy

Beatbox Fozzy is a precocious Cardiff human beatboxer who has won fans from Dizzee Rascal to Rhys Ifans.

Fans outside the Capitol Theatre, Cardiff

Beatles and Wales

From their first Welsh concert, in Rhyl in 1962, to the few days spent in Bangor with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in the Summer of Love, join us for a mystery trip back in time with The Beatles in Wales.

Big Leaves

Hailing from the small village of Waunfawr, near Caernarfon, Big Leaves came together as a band before the members had even reached their teens.

Blackout

One of the most hotly-tipped new hard rock/punk acts to come out of Wales in recent years, The Blackout are a heavy but poppy sixpiece who combine furious drumming, soaring melodies and a dual vocal assault.

Bonnie Tyler

Born Gaynor Hopkins on 8 June 1951, the artist known as Bonnie Tyler began her musical career in the picturesque village of Skewen, near Swansea, where she grew up listening to Tamla Motown and 1960s blues records.

Brecon Jazz Festival

The internationally-renowned Brecon Jazz Festival has relaunched after much-publicised difficulties.

Bridgend Male Choir

Formed in 1960 as the Bridgend Police Choir, it later became Bridgend and District Male Choir before evolving into Bridgend Male Choir in 2006.

Bryn Terfel

Bass baritone Bryn Terfel is a towering presence in the international music world, whether in opera, art song, folk song, oratorio or popular song, live or recorded.

Budgie

Formed in 1967 in Cardiff, Budgie's influence always outweighed their sales. Important bands often do, and Budgie, it's safe to say, were an important band.

Bullet For My Valentine

Originally known as Jeff Killed John, Bullet For My Valentine formed in 1999 while studying music at Bridgend College.

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Caesars Rome

Since forming in 2007, this Welsh rock band is one of the new scene of likely contenders.

Calan

Calan are a new, vibrant five-piece folk band who are breathing new life into traditional Welsh music.

Cantorion Colin Jones

Colin Jones established this North Wales male choir in 1991, with members travelling up to 100 miles to rehearse in Betws-y-Coed.

Cardiff Ardwyn Singers

The Ardwyn Singers are recognised as a formidable choral force on the national and world stage.

Cardiff Big Weekend

The Admiral Cardiff Big Weekend is the UK's largest free outdoor music festival.

Cardiff Multicultural Mela

Asian culture and music is celebrated in spectacular fashion each year in Cardiff's Roald Dahl Plass, otherwise known as the Oval Basin.

Catatonia

Equally cursed and blessed, few bands from Wales have fallen from grace quite so spectacularly as Catatonia, and few bands leave behind a legacy so full of success and failure.

Cate Le Bon

Cardiff's folk rock multi-instrumentalist and singer songwriter is a name to drop on the indie and alt-folk scenes, and she already has friends in high places.

Catrin Finch

Britain's foremost harp performer, former Royal Harpist to Prince Charles and classical crossover success.

Catrin O'Neill

In the world of traditional Welsh music, Catrin O'Neill chucks in the kitchen sink, the waste disposal unit and the slightly leaky u-bend.

Cerys Matthews

Time was when the public couldn't get enough of Cerys Matthews. The public face of Catatonia, for a time she was everywhere: on every TV show, in every magazine, all over the front page.

Charlotte Church

Charlotte Church was the ultimate teenage star, swept to fame and fortune with classical records before deciding to persue a pop career.

Choirs and brass bands

Wales doesn't quite have a male voice choir on each street corner, but there are many choirs and brass bands popularising the styles.

Christopher Rees

For Christopher Rees, seeing Velvet Underground founder John Cale was something of a revelatory experience.

Claire Jones

Claire Jones, the royal harpist, will be performing for the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton in April 2011.

Classical and opera

There is a considerable wealth of classical music and opera in Wales. The popular perception of a tradition of the harp and the male voice choir is a long way from the 21st century reality of a growing number of hugely talented singers, instrumentalists and composers, making an impact not just in Wales but across the world.

Colwyn Male Voice Choir

Located in one of the principal towns on the North Wales coast, the original choir was founded in 1895.

Crook Family

In a gradual and very natural way that suits their Pembrokeshire roots, the Crook Family formed in 2006 when vocalist Tim Williams met double bassist Jon Sharpe. To complete the trio, Tim's long lost cousin Sarah Richards joined on piano.

Culprit One

One man, a bank of keyboards and a bagful of dirty beats and bleeps.

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Dance and electronica

While Welsh music is perhaps best known for either its choral tradition or the indie stylings of 'Cool Cymru' bands, there's a great underground of Welsh dance artists packing the dancefloors.

Darling Buds

Formed in Cardiff in 1986 by the 19-year-old Andrea Lewis, The Darling Buds were for six years one of the most promising acts coming out of the UK indie scene.

Datblygu

Hailed as the first truly modern Welsh-language group, Datblygu's (Develop) influence on Welsh music is immeasurable.

Dave Edmunds

Born in Cardiff in 1944, Dave Edmunds began playing in local blues bands The 99ers and The Raiders. In 1966 he left Wales to join The Image, and The Human Beans the following year.

Dave Stapleton

"Dave Stapleton is a real find for British Jazz... a young musician of real maturity and vision." So says jazz music magazine Jazzwise.

Dead Residents

Dead Residents are a Cardiff troupe with a fine pedigree and even finer grasp of humour-laced hip-hop.

Dennis O'Neill

The Welsh have been called "Italians in the rain" - a term which could have been coined for Dennis O'Neill.

Donna Lewis

Born and raised in Cardiff, Donna Lewis emerged from the Welsh College Of Music And Drama with flute and piano qualifications and a voice that set her on the path to world stardom.

Dorothy Squires

In the days before 'pop' existed in the cultural vernacular, popular artists recorded and performed songs written by professional songwriters, backed by specialised orchestras. Carmarthenshire's Dorothy Squires was one of the most popular singers of the pre- and post-War music world.