Imagine a city soundtracked by music. A city where the sound of hip-hop and drum ‘n’ bass rumbles over the walls of a 2,000 year old castle, where gypsy jazz floats from the balcony of Victorian arcades, and shoppers are serenaded by string quartets and blissed-out Americana-tinged folk. That city is Cardiff, this weekend.
Local artists including Rona Mac, Pigeon Wigs, Keys Collective, Kitty, Junior Bill and Siglo 6 will all take to pop-up stages across the city centre, along with brass bands, Welsh language folk and classical performers, as part of a ‘City Soundtrack’ event supported by Welsh Government and Cardiff Council.
The event, from midday to 4pm on Saturday March 23rd and Sunday March 24th, is part of Cardiff’s music strategy development work.
City Soundtrack is the first of many musical interventions planned for the coming months, all of which are designed to showcase some of the talented musicians who call Cardiff home, and put music at the heart of Cardiff’s development.
Performances will take place at Cardiff Castle, Churchill Way, Castle Arcade, Cardiff Market (St Mary Street entrance), Cardiff Train Station/Central Square and the Hayes/Barry Lane.
Saturday 23rd March:
Cardiff Castle
12pm –Keyz Collective– brand new, exuberant Drum ‘n’ Bass act from Cardiff with live instrumentation, smooth vocals and tons of energy.
1pm and 3pm –Eden Roots Afro Reggae– fusing Afro styles from leader Alex’s native Sierra Leone and sunny uplifting reggae, Eden Roots are a joyous and eclectic mixture who showcase covers and original songs.
2pm –Mirari– multi-disciplinary musician and rapper with a full live band who strikes “a balance between message and melody” and mixes grime, hip-hop and R’n’B with other styles.
Churchill Way
12.30pm –Jump.sturdy– uptempo, hip-hop infused brassy funk, featuring a fresh take on 90s and 00s classics.
1.30pm –Kitty– originally from France but now resident in Cardiff, Kitty is a hyper-pop artist influenced by Lady Gaga and Charli XCX who has gained international plaudits and airplay.
2.30pm –The St Mellonians– beating off fierce competition, The St Mellonians have become Cardiff’s leading acoustic, comedy calypso and ska busking trio.
Castle Arcade Balcony
12pm and 2pm– Xenia Porteous– Hot Club Gallois fiddle player Xenia, brings her Gypsy Jazz fiddle style to Castle Arcade.
1pm and 3pm– Omega 2– the great voice of Jane Williams and brilliant guitar of legendary guitarist Pete Mathison combine with a well-chosen repertoire of superb cover versions.
Cardiff Market Entrance (St Mary Street)
12.30pm and 1.30pm– The Box Band– self-contained trio of bass, guitar and fiddle, playing up-tempo folk tunes and originals.
1.30pm –The St Mellonians– beating off fierce competition, The St Mellonians have become Cardiff’s leading acoustic, comedy calypso and ska busking trio.
Cardiff Train Station/Central Square
12pm, 2pm and 3.30pm –Melingriffith Brass Band– world class standard south Walian brass band who boast 5 incredible bands and over 100 members, showing the world of traditional brass bands which started in mining communities is still going strong. Featuring the M2 band which has represented Wales in the National Championships.
The Hayes/Barry Lane
12.30pm and 2.30pm –Bowen-duo who play folk originals in English and Welsh.
1.30pm and 3.30pm –Aderyn String quartet– Exceptional Classical String quartet who play both classical and pop pieces.
Sunday 24thMarch:
Cardiff Castle
12pm and 2pm –Junior Bill– say farewell to the original ‘Wolves of Grangetown’ as the ska-influenced scallies tie up their tatty laces and rattle through their peerless set of songs about growing up in the city, for the penultimate time in Cardiff.
1pm and 3pm –Pigeon Wigs– riotous, excessive 70s style rock n’ roll which evokes Mott the Hoople and glam rock but also has a contemporary feel. Don’t feed riffs to these pigeons. They’ll bite your hand off.
Churchill Way
12.30pm and 2.30pm –Mantis– Mantis’s bilingual brand of “cowboy psychedelia” mixes current indie and psych tropes and strong melodies with twanging Shadows-y/Morricone style guitar.
1.30pm and 3.30pm –The Siglo 6– Led by Loz Collier (Afrocluster) this super six 6 piece offers new versions of classic jazz and funk and fresh originals.
Castle Arcade Balcony
12pm and 2pm-Omega 2– the great voice of Jane Williams and brilliant guitar of legendary guitarist Pete Mathison combine with a well-chosen repertoire of superb cover versions.
1pm and 3pm– Xenia Porteous– Hot Club Gallois fiddle player Xenia, brings her Gypsy Jazz fiddle style to Castle Arcade.
Cardiff Market Entrance (St Mary Street)
12.30pm and 2.30pm –Taff Rapids Stringband– captivating originals rub shoulders with Bluegrass standards and Welsh language folk classics as Taff Rapids fuse the sound of the Appalachians with the blue, blue grass of home.
1.30pm and 3.30pm –The Box Band– self-contained trio of bass, guitar and fiddle, playing up-tempo folk tunes and originals.
Cardiff Train Station/Central Square
12pm and 2pm –Melingriffith Brass Band– world class standard south Walian brass band who boast 5 incredible bands and over 100 members, showing the world of traditional brass bands which started in mining communities is still going strong. Featuring the M2 band which has represented Wales in the National Championships.
1pm and 3pm –Wonderbrass– Cardiff’s legendary community brassers play jazz, ska, hi-life and pop as you’ve never heard it before.
The Hayes/Barry Lane
12.30pm and 1.30pm –Rona Mac-Rona has bought her atmospheric, americana influenced lo-fi indie folk from a caravan in Wales to airwaves of Radio 1, 6 Music and beyond in recent years and has collaborated with the likes of Minas and Dan Betteridge.
1.30pm and 3.30pm –Gitân– fusing Welsh folk and Indian music, Stacey and Rajesh bring together harp and harmonium, Welsh language songcraft and sounds of the subcontinent in an unforgettable and unique combination from two world class exponents of their craft.
