Welsh board wanted English-song Duffy banned
by Martin Shipton, Western MailA MUSIC promoter who helped singing sensation Duffy in her early years has claimed the Welsh Language Board wanted her banned from performing at a concert because she would be singing in English.
Paul Brett, who has lived in Pwllheli for 10 years and used to run the A&R record label, makes the allegation in an article for Music Maker magazine.
Last night both Meirion Prys Jones, the board’s chief executive, and Rhodri Williams, who chaired it at the time, said they had no recollection of the incident, which Mr Brett says happened in 2002.
Duffy, a fluent Welsh speaker who comes from Nefyn, on the Lln peninsula, has taken the British and American scenes by storm. Her debut album Rockferry has sold more than 700,000 copies in the UK and her song Mercy won the 2008 Song of the Year Mojo award.
In his article, Mr Brett writes: “A few years ago, a young local girl asked my partner, Michele Breeze and I, to help her with her singing career. She was a teenager who had her eyes on being a star in today’s music industry. What’s her name ? Aimee Duffy, better known to the world simply as Duffy.
“We were running the Pwllheli Music and Arts Festival in the summer of 2002. We suggested to Duffy that she enter our talent competition along with quite a few other local singers. She did so and won her heat hands down. We had eight finalists appearing in the festival talent contest. Again, she was voted the best of those on show.
“Shortly after the festival, in the autumn of that year, we sponsored and ran a Pop Cymru show at our local theatre (Neuadd Dwyfor), to give any local young bands and singers the chance to perform in a serious theatre venue to a seated audience.
“Helping us put this show together was a legendary figure in Welsh punk music, Rhys Mwyn, the bassist in Welsh punk band Anhrefn. Rhys is now a top manager in Wales, involved in many projects working with and for acts globally. We were funding the show and Rhys booked the local bands apart from Duffy, who we included in the programme.
“Rhys called me one day and said the Welsh Language Board were impressed with the idea and wanted to contribute the grand sum of £100 towards the event.
“On the day of the show in the morning, I had a nervous and somewhat embarrassed call from Rhys to tell me that the Language Board had insisted that Duffy was taken off the show because she was singing in English. The other eight bands were singing entirely in Welsh, their choice.
“I took a deep breath, thought about it and told Rhys that it was not in our remit to dictate to young talent what they should perform, or in what language they should sing. He wholeheartedly agreed. I then spoke directly to the local guy from the Language Board who had called Rhys and he passed the buck, saying it wasn’t him but his boss in Cardiff who had insisted on Aimee being taken off the show.
“Surprisingly enough, there are two words in the English language that mean exactly the same in the Welsh language and I trust you people who are reading this article know which two I mean.
“So I promptly told the local guy to pass these words on to his boss in Cardiff and instead of taking Duffy off the bill, I took them off and saved taxpayers’ money.
“We never told Duffy about this situation because I fear if we had at that stage in her life, it may have damaged her confidence for the future.
“Saving and promoting a language is admirable, but denying someone the right to speak theirs is a criminal and morally unacceptable thing, especially when it’s being funded by the UK taxpayer.”
Language board chief executive Meirion Prys Jones said: “I was deputy chief executive at the time and have no recollection of this. We have no problem funding bilingual events.”
Rhodri Williams, who chaired the board at the time and is now director of Ofcom in Wales, said: “I have no recollection of this at all. A grant of £100 would not come before board members. I would not have countenanced any decision to refuse a grant on the grounds that one of the performers was singing in English.”
Thursday, June 26, 2008
26 Jun: Welsh board wanted English-song Duffy banned
This story from Walesonline.co.uk today:
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
There's nothing the Western Mail likes better than stirring up a good old language controversy and this should keep the letters' page boiling over for a couple of weeks.
Since the WM drafted in their Chief Reporter to write-up the story it's a pity he didn't bother to get Rhys Mwyn's slant on things. At the moment the story has to be classed as gossip rather than fact.
It's the Taffia I tell you!
I know Paul Brett and he's anti anything Welsh even though he lives in the most Welsh area of the country! Don't believe a word. I saw that pop thing btw!
I too know of Paul Brett and would'nt believe anything he says... at all, ever.
If this had got out at the time, and PB would have been just the sort to have made something out of it, then I think I'd remember.
Paul Brett is a well-know anti-Welsh voice who ironically enough have chosen to settle in the heart of Welsh-speaking Wales. His letters to the papers are full of it.
In any case, if the Welsh Language Board exists to promote music in Welsh, why should they spend money to promote music in English. It's not their job. After all, Welsh-language arts promoters don;t get grants from English-language funds. Now that doesn;t mean they're anti-Welsh because they don;t do the same for Welsh, it simply means they use that specific money for English.
My God the anti-Welsh lobby are scraping the barrell with Mr Brett.
To all the people on this blog who doubt my word, as usual, you Nats do not bother to tell the truth in any way. You only paint that picture which suits you and your narrow minded views. Further comments by the actual guy who worked for the WLB at he time in the Western Mail revealed and proved I was absolutely correct. Neither am I anti Welsh. My letters to the press reflect a dislike for so called nationalists who spend their lives with their snouts in the grants trough, thus denying he majority of Welsh residents any chance of improving their lot. And do have the guts to put your real names to the trash you write.
Paul Brett
Post a Comment