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B&L003 - LP
8437018437047B&L003CD - CD
8437018437054
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*VINYL BACK IN STOCK* Carwyn has spent much of the last two years touring the world as a sideman with the Pretenders, and it was Chrissie Hynde herself who noticed how many records he was buying while on tour in South America in early 2018 and suggested he make a Latin-flavoured Welsh language album.“I've been a big fan of Brazilian music for many years now, having been introduced to the music of Joao Gilberto initially, and then via him to Baden Powell, Vinicius de Moraes, Quarteto Em Cy (myfavouritevocal group) and eventually a multitude of other wonderful artists from the Bossa Nova and MPB era through the Tropicalia, Samba Soul and funk styles to the anything-goes hotbed of influences that is current Brazilian alternative music,”explained Carwyn.“The tour with the Prentenders was my first time on the continent and it had a huge impact on me.”She then introduced him to Kassin, the legendary Brazilian producer and multi-instrumentalist. The two hit it off immediately when they met in London in the Summer of 2018, and Kassin suggested that Ellis travel to Rio to work together on an album, along with some of Rio's finest musicians. This they did,and Ellis took the resultant recordings back to Wales to add some further Welsh magic to them.“Last October, Kassin called to tell me he had a week free in November and would I like to come to Rio to record. Yes, I said-of course! So, we had the dates. Now I just had to write something,”explained Carwyn about the start of the process of working with Kassin.“So I rocked up in Rio last November with a batch of fresh songs, all in Welsh, and began recording with Kassin at his Audio Rebel studio. He'd assembled a team of phenomenal musicians to join us:Domenico Lancellotti(the +2's, drummer with Gilberto Gil and brilliant artist in his own right), Andre Siqueira (incredible percussionist and member of Ivan Lins' band) and the magical Manoel Cordeira,mercurial guitarist from Belem in the Amazon Delta in the far north of Brazil. Amazing musicians and wonderful people every one.”Having finished off the album with sessions in London and Wales with the great producer and multi-instrumentalist, Shawn Lee,Carwyn shared Duwies Y Dre, the first fruits of the sessions, earlier this year.The track was accompanied bya documentary film on the making of the album, 'Carwyn Ellis: Ar Y CeiYn Rio' (named after a famous poem by T.H. Parry Williams), which was broadcast on S4C in March. Directed by Griff Lynch, it follows Carwyn to Rio and shows him meeting and working on the new songs in the studio with Kassin and the other musicians, who together have since become known as Rio 18.A truly unique and original collection of songs Joia! looks set to be one of the summers more surprising and joyous albums.
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Press
BBC IPlayer 'Making of' documentary currently screening. **** MOJO. One of the best records i've heard all week, ALL YEAR! - Gilles Peterson