(Credits: Far Out / Press)
During Kneecap’s phenomenal 2024, which saw them release a stunning semi-biopic film alongside their already renowned catalogue of Gaelic rap, I felt a conflicted sense of encouragement and curiosity at the rise of interest in Celtic language music. While I ultimately found myself thrilled at the overall impact of Kneecap‘s success, questions around the continued oversight of Welsh music and, more specifically, Welsh language music soon rose.
For years, the Welsh language has been at the forefront of a healthy output of nuanced and innovative music. Yet, between the home nations, there still seems to be an undercurrent of disrespect in the general reception of such a small country’s prolific output.
While the complexities of that are steeped in generational history and, let’s face it, miseducation, I hoped the emergence of Ireland’s brilliant and defiant three-piece would pave the way for a similar celebration of Welsh music.
Perhaps the line in Kneecap’s 2024 self-titled film that encapsulates the sentiment of language protest best is: “Every word of Irish spoken is a bullet fired for Irish freedom”. So in the spirit of that, and following the orders of one of Wales’ finest musicians, Cate Le Bon, who sang, “Cod dy fwa cym saeth sy’n syth a saetha”, which translates to “Lift your bow with a straight arrow and shoot”, I am going to lift my bow of creative intrigue and hit you with my definitive list of the five best Welsh language artists.
Five essential Welsh language artists
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