FEATURE:
The Lockdown Playlist
IN THIS PHOTO: The Anchoress (Catherine Anne Davies) is one of the shortlisted artists for this year’s Welsh Music Prize for her second studio album, The Art of Losing
Songs from Albums Shortlisted for the Welsh Music Prize 2021
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BECAUSE the shortlist…
for this year’s Welsh Music Prize (Gwobr Gerddoriaeth Gymreig) has been announced, I wanted to compile a playlist of songs from the amazing artists featured. There is always so much attention when it comes to ceremonies like the Mercury Prize and BRIT Awards. A lot of focus is on English artists. In fact, when you look at the winners of the Mercury Prize the past few years, it has not gone far out of London! There is such a rich and fertile scene in Wales - and there has been for many years. So many wonderful and worthy artists who deserve a lot of acclaim. The shortlist for this year’s Welsh Music Prize is typically outstanding and filled with terrific albums! Grabbing from the Prize’s official website, this is what the Welsh Music Prize represents:
“Founded in 2011, the Welsh Music Prize celebrates the finest music made in Wales or by Welsh people around the world. Originally originally launched to co-incide with Swn Festival it has now grown into its own, taking place each Autumn.
With a commitment to diversity and fine production, the Welsh Music Prize will continue to champion the best new music in Wales”.
The twelve shortlisted albums this year are: Afro Cluster – The Reach, The Anchoress – The Art of Losing, Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18 – Mas, Datblygu – Cwm Gwagle, El Goodo – Zombie, Gruff Rhys – Seeking New Gods, Gwenifer Raymond – Strange Lights Over Garth Mountain, Kelly Lee Owens – Inner Song, Mace the Great – My Side of the Bridge, Novo Amor – Cannot Be, Whatsoever, Private World – Aleph, and Pys Melyn – Bywyd Llonydd. I am going to include two songs from each album. The standard and quality is the highest it has been for many years! We will find out who the winner is later in the year. Until then, here are tracks from albums made by…
TRULY wonderful Welsh artists.