Welsh Wednesday #13

#13: Mera Desh [remix] by Llwybr Llaethog

MrsRobster recently went on a business trip to Blaenau Ffestiniog in north Wales to see cheese being made. One of the cheeses concerned is matured in caves in a slate mine. She and her colleagues had to travel deep into the caves in a tiny narrow-gauge railway in order to see the products for themselves. The same location also plays host to the world's largest underground trampoline, and one of Europe's biggest zip wires. The wife's party didn't get to experience such fun and thrills sadly, but nonetheless she found it fascinating.

Equally fascinating is the finest band to have come out of Blaenau Ffestiniog: Llwybr Llaethog. The band was formed following founder John Griffiths spotting a group of youths breakdancing in New York. Inspired, he and long-time friend Kevs Ford married the ethos of hip hop with their far-left political leanings, dub reggae and the Welsh language. Hailed by John Peel, they were initially prolific but releases tailed off come the 90s and have been somewhat sporadic ever since. They are still around though and have 10 studio albums to their name, the most recent being 2011's 'Curiad Cariad'.

For today's track, I've gone for a single they released in 1997 entitled Mera Desh. More precisely it's a remix taken from the 2000 compilation 'Hip-Dub Reggae-Hop'. More interesting than cheese in a cave, if you ask me...