Wales at the Smithsonian 2009

Last Thursday, the Senedd launched an event that promises to bring Wales into thousands of international minds: Wales Smithsonian Cymru 2009.

As a 3-month Cardiff resident, I've become quite enamoured with Wales and her ways: compassionate, community-oriented mind frames; raucously partiers and hearty pubs; Welsh cakes; breathtaking landscapes; distinct literature; and lilting language.

I know I cannot bring this country I've come to love home with me, but the Smithsonian can.

The Smithsonian Folklife Festival, an annual event, invited Wales to be showcased in June through July 2009. More than 100 Welsh performers, artists, craftsmen, linguists, storytellers, and culinary experts will attend the event.

I even met one of the cooks near a bowl of chips; food always unites people, doesn't it? She was so excited to go to Washington, D.C., and bring pieces of Wales with her. Our fast-paced conversation was soon interrupted by the beginning of the launch.

Welsh poet Gillian Clark read her poem "R. S." for R.S.Thomas (1913-2000):

His death
on the midnight news.
Suddenly colder.

Gold September´s driven off
by something afoot
in the south-west approaches.

God´s breathing in space out there
misting the heave of the seas
dark and empty tonight,

except for the one frail coracle
borne out to sea, burning.

(Menna Elfyn translated the poem into Welsh, and here's how it goes:
Newyddion hanner nos am ei ddarfod. Gaeafodd. Newidiodd y naws. Aur Medi wedi ei hebrwng gan ryw ddigwyddiad, ar droed, gwynt y de orllewin yn nesáu. Anadl Duw, allan yn y gwagle a thawch dros ochenaid y môr sy´n dywyll a llwm - heno heblaw am yr un cwrwgl brau ollyngwyd i´r lli a´i si´n ysu.)

(poem courtesy of Clark's Website, http://www.gillianclarke.co.uk/home.htm)

After several poems, the Assembly's First Minister Rhodri Morgan gave a passionate speech about the incredible opportunity this event presents.

Wales is "one of the strangest, most paradoxical countries," he said. It has "the strongest hangover and heritage from medieval time" and is also able to move into the future.

Wales must "bring back that spirit of having challenged ourselves to say, 'What is the best of Wales?'"

Well, everything! Except the chavs. Don't know what a "chav" is? Good; keep it that way (or check it out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chav).

As I pondered what I would pick to bring home, a folk group comprised of fiddler Sille Ilves, singer Julie Murphy, and acoustic guitarist Martin Leamon played two songs that melted me into a colorful emotional puddle.

Here's how Murphy described those songs:

"The first piece was a composit of two folk songs, Lisa Lan and Ffoles Llantrisant, the first one is a really intense love song from the point of view of a young man and the second is a much lighter song from a young girl's perspective. By putting them together it was like the two were having a conversation along the lines of 'I love you so much I"m going to kill myself' (him) to 'I'm too young to settle down, you're being too intense' (her). Well at least that's how I think of it!
We recorded that one especially for the folkways CD ( to be released next May I think). The last song we did was 'Y Folantein' - love and lust in a poetic metre called a triban."

The Folkways CD will be released in 2009 to coincide with the Smithsonian show. I highly encourage everyone to buy it. Until it's released, however, check out Murphy's Website: http://homepage.mac.com/juliemurphymusic/juliemurphy/.