Dafydd Iwan, Dos i Ganu, Sain SCD2600

Dafydd Iwan, Dos i Ganu

Dafydd Iwan sings 11 songs on this album “Dos i ganu”, 7 of which are brand new compositions, 2 recent songs by Tudur Huws Jones, one traditional love song, and also new lyrics by Dafydd to “You raise me up”, which he dedicates to his wife Bethan for helping him through the dark days.

The album, together with the title-song, was inspired by a banner placed on a bridge in Caernarfon during the May 2008 elections, following the furore caused by a plan to re-organise Gwynedd schools. “I was the whipping-boy then”, says Dafydd, “so there is inevitably a personal and political undercurrent to many of these songs, sometimes in earnest, but often in more frivolous vein.”

One song sure to raise a few smiles (and possibly a few grimaces) is “Mwstasho y gaucho”, the words by an anonymous poet, possibly with Patagonian links, but possibly about a real-life person. Dafydd invites suggestions! For the first time ever, Dafydd expresses his anti-war views from the point of view of a Welsh soldier injured in Iraq, “What is worse to my mind than sending our young people to die in war, “says Dafydd, “ is to send them to die in an illegal war such as the Iraq war”. Another theme running through many of these tracks is the power of the song, and how songs can boost the spirits and help keep the faith.

Tracks –

01 - Dos i Ganu

02 - Tyrd, Aros am Funud

03 - Mae Gen i F'egwyddorion

04 - Mae Cymru'n Mynnu Byw

05 - Mwstasho y Gaucho

06 - Cana dy Gân

07 - Cân y Milwr

08 - Cysura Fi

09 - Ambell i Gân

10 - Angor

11 - Amser Maith yn Ôl.

Mae Dafydd Iwan yn canu 11 o ganeuon ar ei albym yma, DOS I GANU. Mae 7 o’r caneuon yn newydd sbon danlli, dwy yn rhai diweddar o waith Tudur Huws Jones, un yn draddodiadol a’r llall yn eiriau newydd gan Dafydd ar alaw “You raise me up”. Cyflwynir y geiriau hynny, “Cysura fi” i’w briod Bethan am ei gynnal yn y dyddiau anodd.

Sbardunwyd yr albym, a’r gân-deitl, gan y faner a osodwyd ar bont yng Nghaernarfon adeg etholiad Mai 2008, yn dilyn helynt ad-drefnu ysgolion Gwynedd. “Roeddwn i’n gocyn hitio go iawn yr adeg hynny” medd Dafydd, “ac felly mae yna arlliw bersonol a gwleidyddol i’r caneuon hyn, weithiau o ddifri, ac weithiau rhwng difri a chwarae, gyda thipyn o gellwair hefyd.”

Un gân sy’n siwr o dynnu gwên (a gwg o bosib!) yw “Mwstasho y gaucho”, y geiriau gan fardd gwlad anhysbys, a does neb yn siwr a ydi gwreiddiau’r gerdd ym Mhatagonia, neu a yw gwrthrych y gerdd yn berson go iawn. Am y tro cyntaf erioed, mae Dafydd wedi cyfansoddi cân o safbwynt milwr o Gymro, sy’n mynegi ei wrthwynebiad i ryfel Irac. “Beth sy’n waeth yn fy meddwl i na gyrru pobol ifanc i gael eu lladd mewn rhyfel” medd Dafydd, “yw eu gyrru i gael eu lladd mewn rhyfel anghyfreithlon fel rhyfel Irac”. Thema arall sy’n rhedeg drwy nifer o’r caneuon ar yr albym yw grym caneuon, a gallu’r gân i godi calon a chadw’r fflam ynghyn.

Traciau –