Festival proves Welsh language not just for classical music
Jolene Twonney says she would be proud if Welsh music could become more influential
With SWN Festival taking Cardiff by storm, the past weekend has cast a spotlight on the “Land of Song” and its mother tongue.
Over the four-day event, Welsh language artists such as Y Niwi, Iwan Huws and Sen Segur drew strong crowds, and with the first Welsh Music Prize taking place, the burgeoning bilingual music scene has taken to the stage to combat ongoing concerns about the language’s survival.
Earlier this year, Welsh music came under threat once again when it was revealed that Welsh artists were receiving modest royalties, resulting in a strike with musicians asking BBC Radio Cymru to stop playing their music.
Whether we sing our sorrows to Welsh language music Swner rather than later is one we put to the public.