ELWYN WILLIAMS

Born in Hirael, Bangor / Forced to play piano at a young age……torture at the time, but not regretted now / Discovered the guitar in early teens and said farewell to the piano exams of the Guildhall School of Music… and to playing football / Discovered rock’n’roll with Iwan Llwyd and the other members of Doctor in the bad old Thatcher days / Many years of playing, recording and song-writing with different people in various locations / Learned a lot from all of them and had many opportunities that I wouldn’t have had otherwise, thanks to the music / Been living in Aberystwyth for fifteen years   ……and still learning to play the guitar and tinkle the piano keys (sometimes)

Stephen Rees

Stephen Rees is a musician who has been deeply involved in the traditional music of Wales for more than 30 years. Brought up in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire, he has made North Wales his home since 1988, lecturing in music at Bangor University and more recently working for the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol. After a grounding playing accordion for Welsh folk dance at school, he joined the group Ar Log in 1982, and toured with them in the UK, Europe, and in North and South America. He recorded five albums with them between 1982 and 1996. In 1999 he formed the group Crasdant who toured extensively in Wales and North America; Crasdant released three albums on the Sain label. Between 2006 and 2011, he was joint musical director of Y Glerorfa (the Welsh Folk Orchestra).

As well as appearing on many recordings by other artists, Stephen also performs with Siân James and with the singer-songwriter, Steve Eaves. Recently, he has revived his fiddle duet partnership with Huw Roberts (Cilmeri, Pedwar yn y Bar), but this time augmented by Huw’s son, Sion Gwilym, on guitar and percussion: they perform as ‘Triawd’ (‘Trio’). In April 2014, he toured Wales as one of ten traditional musicians selected to create ‘Cylch Canu/Songchain’.

He was a founder member both of Clera (1996) and trac (1997), and has led many traditional music workshops throughout Wales.

GWYN JONES (GWYN MAFFIA)

EXPERIENCE

1978                            Co-founding rock band “Weiran Bigog” local gigs.
1980                            Co-founding Maffia Mr. Huws:

Best Rock Group (“Sgrech!” awards) 1983 -’84 – ’85

3 albums, 3 singles a 3 E.P.s

Regular gigs in Wales and Brittany.

Frequent S4C / BBC appearances.

Composing / Recording “Heno Heno” signature tune for S4C.

Gigs with bands: Louis a’r Rocyrs, Rhiannon Tomos, Ffenestri and others.

1986                            Drumming for theatre productions and various bands: Theatr Gwynedd, Welsh Youth Theatre, Hwyl a Fflag.

1988                            Joined Burke Shelley (Budgie) and Tich Gwilym’s (Racing Cars – Geraint Jarman) Cardiff based band the “Superclarks”. Constant gigs in England and Wales.

Session Drummer for “Cwlwm” HTV.

1989 – ’91                    Joined Welsh punk rockers “Yr Anhrefn”.

Constant gigs in Wales, England, Germany, Scotland, France, Czechoslovakia, Basque Country, Austria and Switzerland.

Frequent S4C / BBC appearances.

Gigs and Recording with Geraint Jarman

1992                            Founded and chaired the music based project “Tabernacl (Bethesda) Cyf.” in Bethesda, Gwynedd.

Promoting gigs in N. Wales with Mike Peters (The Alarm) and others to promote above project.

Session work with several bands.

1994 – ’98                    “Tabernacl (Bethesda) Cyf.” project continuing. Constant work as pro drummer with, Sian James, Bryn Fôn, Steve Eaves, Tra Bo Dau, Ci Du, Meic Stevens, Celt, Dafydd Iwan, Bob Delyn a’r Ebillion and others. Gigs, TV touring (UK and abroad).

Organised gig with Super Furries for ” Tabernacl (Bethesda) Cyf .”

1998 -’01                     Continued session work with Siân James and others (total of 8 albums + gigs in UK Europe and USA).

2001 – ’08                    Set up Bos Records and Cyhoeddiadau Bos. Opened Stiwdio Bos. Recorded/mixed several bands/artists for albums/singles/BBC sessions etc: MC Mabon, Siân James, Anweledig, Bob Delyn, Vates, Gai Toms, Gwibdaith Hen Fran, Gwilym Morus, Parti Cut Lloi, Gwyneth Glyn, Heather Jones & many others. Recorded and produced soundtrack for “Llythyrau Ellis Williams” and “Pendalar” for Sianco (S4C), Theme tunes for BBC Radio Cymru, Uned 5 (Cwmni Antena) and others.

Playing regularly with Maffia Mr. Huws (Bryn Terfel’s Tan y Ddraig), Siân James, Steve Eaves, Martin Beattie and others.