Dafydd Iwan (born 23 August 1943), is a Welsh folk singer and politician. He is the president of Plaid Cymru, The Party of Wales. {| style=float:right; |- | |- | |} is the 235th day of the year (236th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Plaid Cymru (IPA:; English: ; often referred to simply as Plaid) is a political party in Wales. ... This article is about the country. ...

Dafydd Iwan Jones was born in Brynaman in Carmarthenshire, Wales, he spent most of his youth in Bala in Merionethshire before attending the University of Wales, Cardiff. He rose to fame as a singer-songwriter, writing and playing folk music in the Welsh language. Brynamman is a village sitting on the south facing side of the Black Mountain, part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. ... Carmarthenshire (Welsh: ) is a one of thirteen historic counties and a principal area in Wales. ... Bala is a market town in Gwynedd, Wales, formerly an urban district of Merionethshire. ... Merionethshire (Meirionnydd in Welsh) is a traditional county of Wales. ... The main building of Cardiff University Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Cardiff University Cardiff University (Welsh: Prifysgol Caerdydd) is a leading university located in the civic centre of Cardiff, Wales. ... The term singer-songwriter refers to performers who both write and sing their own material. ... Folk song redirects here. ... Welsh redirects here, and this article describes the Welsh language. ...

Musical career

Dafydd Iwan's earliest material was Welsh translations of tunes by American folk / protest singers: Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, and Bob Dylan. Soon enough, Dafydd Iwan commanded the initiative to write his first ballads. The most prominent of these were political. His most famous satirical song, Carlo ("Charlie"), was written on the occasion of the investiture of the Prince of Wales in 1969. Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (July 14, 1912–October 3, 1967) was a prolific American songwriter and folk musician. ... Peter Seeger (born May 3, 1919), almost universally known as Pete Seeger, is a folk singer, political activist, and author. ... This article is about the recording artist. ... 1867 edition of Punch, a ground-breaking British magazine of popular humour, including a good deal of satire of the contemporary social and political scene. ... Investiture, from the Latin (preposition in and verb vestire, dress from vestis robe) is a rather general term for the formal installation of an incumbent (heir, elect of nominee) in public office, especially by taking possession of its insignia. ... This article is about the title Prince of Wales. ...

It should be noted, however, that Dafydd Iwan was equally at home writing love ballads and variations on traditional Welsh folk tunes.

By the late 1960s he was receiving television coverage both for his music and for his political activities, including being imprisoned in 1970 as part of the fight for Welsh language rights, an event commemorated in his song Pam fod eira'n wyn? ("Why is snow white?") Welsh redirects here, and this article describes the Welsh language. ...

During the 1970s, Dafydd Iwan's political interests (and songs) took in such themes as Pinochet's Chile; Welsh Devolution; the Vietnam War and the Northern Ireland troubles. His inherent internationalism continued in following decades, as his songs mention events such as the Tiananmen Square massacre (1989), the Gulf War (1990) and opencast mining in the south Wales valleys (1995). His biggest hit to date, "Yma O Hyd" ("Still Here"), released in 1981, has become an anthem in his homeland. The Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, commonly referred to as the Tiananmen Square Massacre,[1] were a series of demonstrations led by students, intellectuals, and labor activists in the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) between April 15 and June 4, 1989. ...

In 1982 and 1983, Dafydd Iwan embarked on two momentous tours (and accompanying records) with the folk group Ar Log. The standard of Ar Log's musicianship raised Dafydd Iwan's own performance to new heights. Indeed, it was the success of the Ar Log which persuaded Dafydd Iwan to continue in a musical capacity, entertaining small venues (clubs, village halls, Eisteddfod events, Plaid Cymru nights etc.) throughout Wales. Ar Log is a Welsh folk music band. ...

Around the turn of the millennium, Dafydd Iwan signalled an end to regular performances, although he remains an occasional performer on an ad hoc basis. It was fitting by many fans that the end of his career should coincide roughly with the establishment of an elected National Assembly for Wales and the beginning of a new generation in Welsh politics. Type Unicameral Presiding Officer Dafydd Elis-Thomas Members 60 Political groups Labour Plaid Cymru Conservative Liberal Democrats Last elections May 3, 2007 Meeting place Senedd, Cardiff, Wales Web site http://www. ...

Public life

Dafydd Iwan was one of the founders of Sain Recordiau Cyf (Sain Records Ltd), one of the main Welsh music labels, a business he still manages today. Sain (Welsh for Sound), in full - Sain Recordiau Cyf (Sound Records Ltd) is an influential Welsh record label, which was instrumental in the Welsh folk revival. ...

Dafydd Iwan is a Plaid Cymru councillor in Gwynedd A councillor is a member of a council (such as a city council), particularly in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and other parts of the Commonwealth. ... This article is about the county of Wales. ...

Dafydd Iwan's long service to the Welsh language led to him being made an honorary member of the Gorsedd of Bards at the National Eisteddfod at Bangor in 1971. A gorsedd (SAMPA /gO:rsED/), occasionally spelled gorseth, plural gorseddau, is a community of bards. ... The Bard (ca. ... The Eisteddfod (literally sitting) is a Welsh festival of literature, music, and song. ... Bangor, in north Wales, is one of the smallest cities in the United Kingdom. ...

Dafydd Iwan escaped a driving ban (for speeding offences) in October 2003 on the basis that he needed to drive for his musical and political duties. This incident led the satirical Private Eye magazine to question "Is Plaid Cymru a political party or a racing team?"

Dafydd Iwan became President of Plaid Cymru in 2003. He is regarded as a unifying force within the party in the context of several damaging internal splits in recent years. Bradwr yw hwn! Plaid Cymru (IPA:; English: ; often referred to simply as Plaid) is a political party in Wales. ...

Albums (in rough chronological order)

• Yma Mae 'Nghân (1972)
• Mae'r Darnau yn Disgyn i'w Lle (1976)
• Carlo a Chaneuon Eraill (1977)
• 20 o Ganeuon Gorau
• I'r Gad (1977)
• Bod yn Rhydd (1979)
• Ar Dan (Live) (1981)
• Rhwng Hwyl a Thaith (with Ar Log) (1982)
• Yma o Hyd (With Ar Log) (1983)
• Gwinllan a Roddwyd (1986)
• Dal I Gredu (1991)
• Caneuon Gwerin (1994)
• Cân Celt (1995)
• Y Caneuon Cynnar (Early recordings) (1998)
• Yn Fyw Cyfrol 1 (Live album) (2001)
• Yn Fyw Cyfrol 2 (Live Album) (2002)
• Goreuon Dafydd Iwan (2006)

Further references

• E. Wyn James, 'Painting the World Green: Dafydd Iwan and the Welsh Protest Ballad', Folk Music Journal, 8:5 (2005), pp.594-618.[1]
• C. Fowler, ‘Representations of nationalism in the music of Dafydd Iwan’, ‘Folklore and Identity’ Celtic Folk Studies Conference, Cardiff University School of Welsh, 22 July 2005.
• Llion Iwan (ed.), 'Dafydd Iwan : bywyd mewn lluniau : a life in pictures'. Llandysul, Ceredigion, Cymru : Gomer Press, 2005. ISBN 1-84323-488-2. (Welsh and English)

External links

• Dafydd Iwan's Website
• 100 Welsh Heroes
• Sain biography