Kizzy Meriel Crawford is one of the rising stars of the Welsh folk scene. She's just 18 and has been performing for little more than two years, but has already played Glastonbury (on the BBC Introducing stage last year) and on the eve of a show in Kansas in February, was booted out of the States by US immigration numbskulls for no apparent reason despite having been let in the day before!
Her single releases usually contain an English and Welsh version of each song. Her most recent track Shout Out / Yr Alwad soundtracks the 2015 Visit Wales ad campaign (in both languages). Kizzy hails from Merthyr Tydfil, but has Bajan (Barbados) heritage which gives her a pretty unique pot of cultural reference points to draw from. She's got a great soulful, jazz-tinged voice. I'm not sure if she's appeared on Jools Holland's show yet, but she's right up his street I reckon, and she'd go down a storm with viewers.
I've chosen to feature a track from her debut EP 'Temporary Zone' from 2013 called Caer O Feddyliau (trans: City of Thoughts). She describes it as "a song about giving women an anthem and a voice to express all that we are and to celebrate ourselves as strong welsh women. To break free from the chains of centuries of patriarchy and misogyny." Err... Go Kizzy!?
Anyway, it's just a mere example of Kizzy's extraordinary talent. I reckon she's destined for big things. Let's hope so.
Stunning. Listened to the track and then watched the video.
ReplyDeleteThe technology these days. Just the one person doing all that, makes it sound like an entire band is there. Amazing. Would have never heard of her if it wasn't for you.
Terrific Robster
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