'IOn these stones the horizon sings,” reads a striking copper inscription above the entrance to the Wales Millennium Centre, an arts venue in the heart of Cardiff Bay. The six-foot-tall words, written by poet Gwyneth Lewis, speak to the diversity of creative voices in the city, where the music scene has long been ignored and its diverse and tenacious people undervalued.
Located just a short distance from Butetown, one of the UK's oldest multicultural hubs, the venue forms a key part of the new month-long Cardiff Music City Festival. Existing events such as Sŵn, a weekend event focused on new music, include a new operatic art installation, an inclusive “Little Gig” for school-age performers, and unique one-off shows (Leftfield and Orbital double billing, etc.). . Cult pop artist Fabiana Palladino and Porridge Radio join the lineup alongside experimental composer Gwen Xiong. His work 'Llwch a Llechi' mixes field recordings of one of Wales' oldest male choirs with electronic instruments made from wood and slate. Plus Tuareg rock, Butetown jazz and Western Australian Noongar songs.
Cardiff Music City is more than just a newcomer to the UK festival market, it is the culmination of two fierce counterattacks by the city's cultural scene. In 2017, the independent venue on Womanby Street in the city center was threatened by the planned opening of a new housing development and Wetherspoons Hotel, and the resulting noise complaints. In response, local residents took to the streets to formally recognize the vitality of this 'music district', from dedicated rock and metal club Fuel to internationally renowned Club Ifor Bach. put pressure on Congress. “It was a powerful moment that brought thousands of people together,” says Adam Williams, Clwb's head of music.
Several weeks of gatherings were a success. “That moment started us thinking seriously about the value of music to our city,” said Hugh Thomas, leader of Cardiff City Council. The redevelopment planning application for Womanby Street was completely withdrawn and by December cultural consultancy Sound Diplomacy had been commissioned by Cardiff City Council to develop a strategy to support the development of the city's music scene in the aftermath of the march. Ta. “We knew we had to listen to the voice of the field,” Thomas says.
However, in the months leading up to publication, Cardiff music strategy In April 2019, several venues elsewhere in the city closed due to a sharp increase in business rates and plans to convert each venue into a commercial venue. These included DIY-oriented Gwdihŵ (Welsh for owl) and indie bar Buffalo. These losses and further campaigning and The collective action they inspiredWe have further detailed the report's 12 recommendations to protect and promote music at all levels in the Welsh capital, including Cardiff Music City Festival.
Thomas said the council is now focused on “developing talent in our schools, protecting our grassroots music venues, and building the infrastructure we need to achieve our goal of becoming a world-class music city.” said. The strategy will also establish a music committee made up of councilors, venue operators and journalists, and the council will also have a dedicated music officer “who will be solely focused on working with industry”. says Mr. Thomas. “It has helped us get to a place where people working in music in Cardiff understand that we can't solve every problem, but if there's a way to solve it, we'll solve it.”
This strategy was the first of its kind in the country – belfast (He also engaged in healthy diplomacy) and liverpool It has since strengthened Cardiff by publishing similar reports to help their respective music scenes recover post-pandemic, says Tom Rees of local indie band Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard. “Councils and local funding bodies are keen to support existing individuals contributing on the ground and this is certainly an improvement over where we were before,” he says. This started with A series of outdoor gigs at Cardiff Castle to support local independent venues After the pandemic, earlier this year, the Music Committee Contributing to securing new premises Go to Multi Art Hub Porters.
Reese wrote the 2021 single Crescent Moon Man vs. Demolition Dan After the Save Gwydiff protests, the venue “didn't get the support it deserved” from the council, he said, and more grassroots space was still needed to make up for what was lost. added. It hasn't completely gone away and many artists in Cardiff still feel disillusioned with the industry, but I respect the efforts that are being made to address it. ” He says Cardiff Music City Festival is also worthwhile and “a good opportunity to reflect on all that has changed”.
Reggae artist and Welsh Music Awards nominee Alecia Scott agreed, saying: “Wales is known as the land of song, so it's only natural that the capital would be its home.” Five years of positive progress, he added. This strengthened the collaborative spirit among Wales' up-and-coming talent, which was reflected across the Cardiff Music City line-up. Next month, Scott will share appearances with soul and hip-hop artists and the Welsh bilingual drill rapper. sage totsas part of a show co-organized with the Mobo Awards.
Returning to the Wales Millennium Center, creative director Graham Farrow wants the festival to continue to promote this kind of community and a particular local flavour. “People have always been humble about what Cardiff can offer,” he says. “We hope this festival can not only reverse that trend, but also start shouting out that this is a place with a truly distinctive voice.”
