Carwyn Ellis | |
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| Birth name | Carwyn Meurig Ellis |
| Born | 9 August 1973 |
| Origin | Benllech, Isle of Anglesey, Wales |
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| Instrument(s) | |
| Years active | 1999–present |
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| Website | |
Carwyn Meurig Ellis (born 9 August 1973) is a Welsh musician, composer, arranger, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He is known as the frontman of Welsh alternative band Colorama,[1] as a member of the Pretenders[2] and as a long-time collaborator with Edwyn Collins.[3] In 2014, they worked together on the soundtrack to the film The Possibilities Are Endless which won the Mojo 'Film of the Year' Award.[4][5]
Ellis has also recorded electronic music as Zarelli,[6][7][8] releasing an album, Soft Rains in 2015 which featured the voice of Leonard Nimoy narrating the Ray Bradbury short story There Will Come Soft Rains.[8] In 2017 Ellis formed the Welsh folk group Bendith[9][10] and their self-titled album was nominated for the Welsh Music Prize[11][12][13][14] and went on to win the Welsh Language Album of the Year 2017 award at National Eisteddfod of Wales.[9][15][16]
Since 2016 Ellis has hosted a regular themed radio show on Soho Radio.[17]
In 2019, Ellis embarked on the first solo project under his own name, Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18. A collaborative project sung in Welsh and recorded mainly in Rio de Janeiro. The album, Joia! was nominated for the Welsh Music Prize. A documentary film on the making of the record, Carwyn Ellis: Ar Y Cei Yn Rio went on to win the Best Welsh language short Film award at the Wales International Documentary Festival.[18][19]
In 2020, Ellis releases Single Cherry Blossom Promenade and EP Ti to raise funds for personal protective equipment (PPE) for Welsh health and care workers.[20]
During lockdown in UK, Ellis released Chaos Wonderland under the Colorama project on 31 July 2020 [21] and the follow-up to 2019’s Welsh Music Prize shortlisted Joia!, Ellis released Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18's second album Mas on 25 February 2021.[22]
The most recent album Yn Rio by the Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18 features the BBC National Orchestra of Wales was released on 22 October 2021, originally performed live and broadcast in March 2021 on BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 6 Music.[22]
- ^ "Music - Colorama". BBC. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
- ^ "Simple Minds & The Pretenders to perform GRANDSLAM 2018". Liz Hobbs Group.
- ^ "Listen: Edwyn Collins x Carwyn Ellis - 'Fulmar'". Clash Magazine. 6 June 2017.
- ^ "NME Best Music Film". NME.
- ^ "Louder Than War : The Possibilities Are Endless: Music From the Film: Edwyn Collins & Carwyn Ellis". Louderthanwar.com. 14 November 2014.
- ^ "ZARELLI (feat. Leonard Nimoy) - Soft Rains". Bronzerat.limitedrun.com.
- ^ Tomlinson, Graham (3 June 2015). "In Conversation with Carwyn Ellis". Walesartsreview.org.
- ^ a b "MOJO - Watch A Cosmic Tribute To Star Trek's Leonard Nimoy". Mojo4music.com.
- ^ a b "Bucks Music Group". Bucks Music Group. Archived from the original on 1 September 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
- ^ Selar, Y. (25 September 2016). "Cyfweliad: Carwyn Ellis yn cyfri Bendith-ion". Y Selar.
- ^ "Welsh Music Prize Nominees 2015". Welshmusicprize.com. Archived from the original on 31 May 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
- ^ "Welsh Welsh Music Prize 2017 shortlist announced including Gruff Rhys, Bendith, Georgia Ruth". Getintothis.co.uk. 21 September 2017.
- ^ "Welsh Music Prize 2017 Shortlist Announced". Wales Art Review. 21 September 2017.
- ^ "Welsh Welsh Music Prize Nominees 2016-2017". SWN. Archived from the original on 17 December 2017. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
- ^ "Bendith win the Welsh Language Album of the Year Award | National Eisteddfod". Eisteddfod.wales.
- ^ "Bendith yn ennill Tlws Albwm y Flwyddyn". Bbc.co.uk. 11 August 2017.
- ^ "Carwyn Ellis – Soho Radio London". Sohoradiolondon.com. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
- ^ "S4C - Carwyn Ellis: Ar y Cei yn Rio". BBC.
- ^ "S4C Clic". S4C.
- ^ "God is in the tv : NEWS: Carwyn Ellis releases EP 'Ti' to raise funds for PPE in Wales". 1 May 2020.
- ^ "ALl Music: Chaos Wonderland Review". AllMusic.
- ^ a b "Greedy For Best Music : Yn Rio : Carwyn Ellis Delivers 3rd Album Of Welsh Tropicalia Performed W/ The BBC National Orchestra Of Wales". 27 October 2021.