Hi, my name is Manon and I'd like to share with you my experiences of performing in Welsh as a Welsh singer-songwriter in Swansea over the past year. I’ll also explore Welsh music and provide some background information and emphasize its importance in our lives today and how wonderful it is to share our language with the rest of the world.
Singing in Welsh is a beautiful art form that is an essential part of our country's cultural identity. Welsh singing has a unique sound and melodic tone and has continued to flourish and grow allowing us to share its beauty with the rest of the world. Music is something that is greatly valued in Wales and we understand its importance. Singing is a significant part of our national identity, especially as we’re known as the "Land of Song". The beauty of singing in Welsh lies in its ability to convey emotions and stories, making it a powerful vehicle for cultural expression and a source of joy. Welsh is a language that extends to a diverse range of genres including rock, modern folk, pop and jazz.
So many amazing and influential artists share and practise the art and beauty of singing in Welsh. We're very fortunate to have many free festivals to discover Welsh music like Gwyl Tawe and Tafwyl. I've discovered several amazing artists through Gwyl Tawe for example, artists such as Mali Haf (last year), and since then I've been listening extensively to her music. But my best find was at the 2024 Tawe Festival with HMS Morris, who I’m a big fan of. They’re an incredible band that fit into the psychedelic electro-pop genre. They sing in Welsh and English and are famous for their adventurous genre-bending sound and striking visual aesthetic, under the leadership of singer and multi-instrumentalist Heledd Watkins. The band has evolved greatly but have always stayed true to form, respecting their fundamental ethos and bravery, showcasing a hefty dose of extravagance and mysterious lyrics.
I started writing songs in 2014 and took inspiration from Future Blood, an incredible music project where I was tasked with picking up my guitar and writing my own songs. I compose music in three languages (English, French and Welsh), but Welsh is my favourite of the three languages as I can best express myself through using its phraseology. Performing in Welsh also brings the best out of me and my voice tends to sound better when I sing in Welsh, as it makes me sound more powerful. This is an empowering feeling. Since joining the College I’ve fallen in love with singing and performing in Welsh language venues as it enables me to continue to express myself through the medium of Welsh. I didn’t necessarily get a chance to do this after leaving my Welsh-medium school as my parents do not speak Welsh. In addition, the audiences are always more welcoming and encouraging when I sing in Welsh, and this has helped me to grow further as a performer. I’ve performed at a wide array of gigs since starting in 2024 but one of the more memorable gigs must be Gwyl Tawe 2025, which was an incredible experience. In the same year, I released my first single Amryliw and filmed a great music video. I also performed at Fel Na Mai festival and when I first performed at Tŷ Tawe I supported the amazing Tara Bandito. This year I’ll be performing at Tafwyl on June 21 and I’m very excited to do so.
