In conversation with Pedair

We’re four women who’ve been making music since before we can remember. We are all from north and mid Wales - Gwenan Gibbard from Pwllheli, Pen Llŷn; Sian James from Llanerfyl, Powys; Gwyneth Glyn from Llanarmon, Eifionydd and Meinir Gwilym from Llangristiolus, Ynys Môn. 

Having enjoyed varied careers as individual artists, we’ve thrown our musical perspectives into a cauldron to create a sound that’s true to all of us, and yet quite different from our individual styles. Melding folk and original compositions, our music has no specific genre: But we call it ‘music rooted in the heart.

We all have a strong connection with the areas we live in - areas which encompass the coast of North West Wales and the hills of Powys in Mid Wales. Everyone has their own story of ‘belonging’ and ‘connection’, and after some years of travelling and living in various places throughout Wales and beyond, all four of us now live and work in the area where we were brought up. And so the connection with this land is incredibly strong as indeed is our sense of belonging. 

Legends and stories are an inextricable part of all our lives the world over - whomever we are, and wherever we are. Welsh legends are both diverse and complex - each area owning its own local legends which can be both enlightening and life affirming, as well as being the stuff of nightmares! The canvas for creativity with such stories at its root is therefore incredibly colourful. 

Pedair’s music is a fusion of both the traditional and the original - and for us there is a certain magic in the merging of the old with the new and attempting to blur those lines of time and place.

With a different language comes a different perspective, and while the language itself is not on all Welsh people’s tongues, it’s influence, it’s shape and it’s perspective is in all our souls. How can you tell? Watch a non-Welsh speaking Welshman or woman shed tears while listening to a folk rendition on the harp, or a heartfelt performance of Myfanwy, and it’s easy to tell.

The words and movement of Welsh music is old, ancient; among the oldest in Europe in fact- and among the oldest living, still sung and celebrated languages in the World. And yet Welsh lends itself effortlessly to evolve and become a pop anthem, a meld of folk lyrics with rock chords, and RnB beat with and old Welsh folk tune flying above. It is ancient, and yet it is also the music of today, and tomorrow. ‘She’- the Welsh language- connects us, to each other, to the land, and to ourselves.

Wales has always told its own story; belted out in battle cries, whispered in lovers' ears, sung low in a lullaby... (The oldest recorded lullaby in these islands, Pais Dinogad, was sung in Welsh! But that's another story...) We are a people who thrive on stories. Our legends of the Mabinogi are full of strong women and themes of transformation; they empower us to embrace possibilities. Despite the difficulty of the last few years there is a great sense of confidence and potential in the new sounds emerging from Wales. We are a nation with an appetite to forge a new identity, not hindered by tradition, but rather enriched by it.

Being Welsh we can't escape the feeling of belonging to a group of Celtic nations. Linguistically, spiritually and historically the links between Wales and Scotland, Ireland, Brittany, Cornwall and the Isle of Man, and also the Celtic diaspora further afield, is something we as individuals and as musicians are very much aware of and we feel proud to share this heritage. 

Over the last few years, all four members of Pedair, as solo artists, have enjoyed forging new musical relationships with our Celtic counterparts and performing in most of the Celtic countries while also welcoming those musicians here to Wales. We have a common identity and celebrating our uniqueness as individual Celtic nations while also embracing the strong connections between us is at the forefront of Pedair's mindset. At the moment we are working towards a project which will see four female musicians, from Scotland and Ireland, joining us for a performance in Wales in August 2022. It will be a valuable opportunity to share songs and tunes, to hopefully inspire each other and to create new music based on our mutual respect and admiration of our Celtic traditions. 

We would love to explore any opportunities there might be to collaborate and perform with like-minded musicians who have a passion for sharing the story of their songs and music. Singing exclusively in the Welsh language it would be of special interest to us to work with other artists who perform through the medium of other minority languages. 

We have been fortunate as solo artists to have travelled to various continents and to perform at several renowned music festivals in Europe, Canada/North America and Asia. Our hope, through Showcase Scotland, is to be able to re-visit some of these fantastic festivals, but this time, together, as Pedair, and to represent our music and country on the world stage. We have a story to our music - a story which isn't often heard and therefore appreciated - and we look forward to sharing it.