Welsh singer brings old poetry form into the mainstream

Stephen Price

Talented Welsh artist Llio Heledd has released her first solo single, “Afon,” using an ancient form of Welsh poetry she learned from her father.

Llio is originally from Swansea and Welsh is her first language.

After studying at the universities of Aberystwyth and Utrecht, she moved to Cardiff and began writing songs and poems in her spare time, using the Welsh form of Cynghanedd in her original works.

Cynghanedd

In Welsh poetry Subscribe to (which literally means “harmony”) is the basic concept of sound arrangement within a line using emphasis, alliteration, and rhyme.

The different forms of Subscribe to appear in the definitions of all formal Welsh poetry forms, such as awdl And cerdd dafod.

Although of ancient origin, Subscribe to and variations of it are still used today by many Welsh-speaking poets, for example Llio.

A number of poets experimented with the use Subscribe to in English verse, for example Gerard Manley Hopkins. Some of Dylan Thomas’ works are also influenced by Subscribe to

Happy

Llio previously played in a small Welsh folk band called Beca Band and since studying the Welsh language has rediscovered her love of folk guitar playing and songwriting.

Cynghanedd is a difficult form to master. How did you become aware of it?

“I was very fortunate that my grandfather wrote poems in the Welsh form of Cynghanedd, and I liked the musical quality of that form.

“This was passed down to my father, who passed on to me the joy of Cynghanedd.

“I am definitely still learning and I am glad that I can learn from my father and grandfather about a type of poetry that is very special to Cymru.”

This song is really something special. I loved it from the first time I heard it. Have you ever heard it in the wild?

“It was really nice to hear my songs on the local radio stations and I hope people listen to my music and enjoy it.”

What does it mean to you to sing in your native language?

“I would say that it was never a conscious decision that I made, as it was quite natural for me to sing in my mother tongue and in the language in which I can express myself best.

“It’s important to me to be understood by other Welsh speakers while celebrating the Welsh music scene and culture.

“I grew up in a Welsh-speaking household and my first language is Cymraeg.”

Have you ever done this anywhere?

“I played in a band called Beca and we’ve played a lot of gigs, from festivals to singing in pubs.

It’s important to me that my music evokes emotions in people and live performances are a big part of that. I’m looking forward to it and hope to be able to perform the new song soon!”

Who else will be performing with you on the track?

“I’m a solo singer/songwriter and play guitar, and that’s the case on this track.”

Are there any plans for a video?

“I was very grateful to have a Swansea artist, ‘Arwel Micah’, design and create the artwork for the single cover and I think it is wonderful and captures the essence of the song well.

I would love to create a music video for this song and have already edited a few videos that I think would be a good fit!”

It’s still early days for Llio, but with her soft and soothing voice and natural talent, we can expect to hear a lot more from her in the future.

Follow Llio on Instagram.

Listen to Afon on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Music. And be prepared to hit the replay button.