Alffa
For the 17th edition of the Homeless World Cup this week, Getinthis’ Cath Holland notes a healthy contemporary Welsh music scene reflected in the line-up.
The musical line up of The Homeless World Cup taking place in Cardiff in the coming days is undeniably impressive, with established artists and new emerging names on independent Welsh labels making the festival a celebration of the homegrown.
Up and coming feisty blues rock duo Alffa’s (Dion Wyn Jones and Siôn Eifion Land, the latter a student at university in Liverpool) latest single Pla reached one million streams on Spotify last week, becoming the third most streamed Welsh language track since the online platform began.
It’s beautifully serendipitous that both Alffa who release a further single shortly plus details of their debut album, and Gorky’s’ Euros Childs will be taking part in the festival’s live music segment. The most streamed Welsh language song of all time is 2018’s Gwenwyn also by Alffa, the second Patio Song by Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci. The fourth to hit a million streams is Sbia ar y Seren also by Gorky’s.
Other artists performing include The Joy Formidable, The Manics‘ James Dean Bradfield, Gwenno, Charlotte Church’s Late Night Pop Dungeon.
Actor Michael Sheen played an active role in bringing the Cup to Wales; the week long gathering of football, music and debate at Bute Park in Cardiff aims to do exactly as it says on the tin – harness the power of sport and music to transform the lives of people experiencing homelessness and social exclusion.
The football matches involved 500 players from 50 nations. Debate and spoken word includes the award winning podcast The Guilty Feminist.
‘It’s…a huge opportunity to challenge the way we think about the issues surrounding homelessness, issues that affect us all – housing, mental health, criminal justice and inequality, just to name a few,’ said Sheen.
‘We’ve created a programme of debates, talks and comedy for the Bevan Tent designed to stir the emotions, to make you laugh, cry, angry or excited, and to see how we can work together differently for a better future,’ he added.
‘Wales is famous for song and we can’t wait for our visitors from around the world to experience the live sounds of (homegrown) artists… and for a local crowd to come along and help show our visitors a warm Welsh welcome.’
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Following their appearances at Glastonbury and Deeper Cuts in Liverpool last week, retro rockers Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard will perform the official Homeless World Cup Cardiff 2019 song, the Bolan-esque stomper Daffodil Hill, as part of a set on finals day
The Homeless World Cup is free to attend, and takes place at Cardiff’s Bute Park Saturday July 27 to Saturday August 3.
Full music line-up:
28 July – Euros Childs, Wigwam Monday
29 July- Gwenno, Rosehip Teahouse
30 July- James Dean Bradfield, Alffa
1 August- The Joy Formidable, Mellt
2 August- Papur Wal, Charlotte Church’s Late Night Pop Dungeon
3 August – SYBS, Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard
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