Meic Stevens, Icarws

Hotel de la France, Douarnenez

Hi everyone, Initially I wanted to do something with the rock opera that I wrote some years ago with Rhydwen Williams, about Dic Penderyn - a TV or stage production, but unfortunately this fell on deaf years. Instead, I was asked by Dafydd Roberts to record a new CD for SAIN. I didn’t have many songs at the time so I went into the ‘archive’, in other words, the old books and pieces of paper I’ve kept around the place for all these years. I also decided to record some of the songs I’d written for other people, and by the end of the recording session I had 15 tracks, however not all of them have found their way on to this CD.

I also wanted to show on record the musical talent of the band that I’ve been performing with for over ten years now, I’m sure you all know them! And Bill Fleming from Jacksonville, Florida joined us on the pedal steel; he’s been studying at Aber(ystwyth) University. Also my stepson Marcel Batin came to play some electric guitar along with Pwyll ap Siôn on piano and synths, and Kevin Lewis on the banjo. I’m also grateful to Heather Jones and Lleuwen Steffan for agreeing to sing with me on some of the tracks. I wrote all the songs, and Geraint Jarman helped me translate some that we’re originally written in English….. and that’s it, I think! Time to open another bottle….

Hwyl fawr,

Meic

Tracks -

01 - Adenydd Icarus

02 - Merch yn y canol

03 - Canu cân o dristwch

04 - Digon o le

05 - Oes rhywun yna

06 - Canu gwlad

07 - Ann Llwyd

08 - Gwenllian

09 - Caru fi ddim mwy

10. - Troi y clychau

11 - Georgie.

Cyflwyniad i'r albym gan Meic Stevens : Hotel de la france, Dournenez - Mehefin 2007

Shwmae bawb? I ddechre, o'n i eisiau gneud rhywbeth gyda'r opera roc wnes i sgwennu gyda'r diweddar Rhydwen Williams ar fywyd Dic Penderyn, fel cael rhywun i gynhyrchu perfformiad newydd i'r teledu neu'r llwyfan, ond doedd dim llawer o ddiddordeb gan neb. Gofynnodd Dafydd Roberts yn lle hynny imi recordio CD newydd i SAIN.

Doedd dim llawer o ganeuon 'da fi, so es i mewn i'r 'archive', hynny yw, hen note books a darnau o bapur o'wn i wedi cadw o gwmpas y lle dros y blynyddoedd. Penderfynais recordio cwpwl o ganeuon oedd pobl eraill wedi canu a recordio, nes bod yn y diwedd ddigon i wneud CD. Yn wir, erbyn pen y daith, roedd pymtheg o ganeuon, er nag y'n nhw gyda ar y ddisg hon.

Oedd hefyd chwant arna'i ddangos ar record werth cerddorol y band dwi wedi bod yn chwarae gyda nhw ers bwrw am ddeng mlynedd; mae'n siwr eich bod yn ei nabod nhw erbyn hyn! Ymunodd Bill Fleming o Jacksonville, Florida ar y pedal steel guitar. Buodd e'n myfyrio yn y Brifysgol yn Aber. Hefyd daeth fy llysfab Marcel Batin i chwarae dipyn o gitar drydan. Dwi'n ddiolchgar iawn i'r foneddiges Heather Jones a Lleuwen Steffan, merch Steve Eaves, sy'n canu gyda fi ar sawl un o'r caneuon hyn. Fi sgwennodd y caneuon i gyd, a ma Geraint Jarman wedi helpu gyda cyfieithu rhai o'r Saesneg gwreiddiol... dyna fe te, dwi'n meddwl... mae'n amser agor botel arall.