Cerys Hafana in Conversation with Gary Raymond
Cerys Hafana’s distinctive style brings a contemporary twist to the Welsh triple harp. Gary Raymond caught up with her at the Celtic Connections Festival in Glasgow.
Cerys Hafana’s distinctive style brings a contemporary twist to the traditional sound of the Welsh triple harp. Gary Raymond sat down with her at the Celtic Connections Festival in Glasgow to discuss tradition, iconoclasm, and ranting on Facebook.
Gary Raymond: I'm really interested in some of the points you brought up in your essay for the Welsh [Plural] anthology. Do you find that when people come to your music, they're expecting something a little bit different to what they get because of where it sits within ideas of traditional folk music?
Cerys Hafana: Yeah, I think people have quite fixed ideas about what harpists look like and what Welsh folk music should sound like, and I don't fit those stereotypes. So, they kind of get a sense quite early on that I'm going to be doing something different. That article I wrote for Welsh [Plural] has followed this album launch around a bit, getting brought up in The Guardian and stuff. I mean, it's great, but it’s kind of strange as well. I do feel like there are a few parts in the essay that can be taken out of context quite easily and that has happened a few times. There has been some kickback from it…
Read more at Wales Arts Review.