Cynefin: PPL Momentum Accelerator
New Cynefin Album – ‘Shimli’
‘Cynefin’ (pr. kuh-neh-vin) is the creative vision of West Wales native Owen Shiers. Fascinated by music and history, it is a bid to give a modern voice to Ceredigion’s rich yet neglected cultural heritage. Starting out from his home village of Capel Dewi in the Clettwr Valley and traveling through the local musical landscape, Owen unearths seasoned songs, poems and stories, some never before recorded, and gives them new life in the present.
‘Shimli’, is the title of the sophamore album from the project, following on from the acclaimed 2020 debut ‘Dilyn Afon’. The new album draws heavily from the folk poet tradition in Ceredigion and explores some of the systemic challenges facing rural Wales in the 21st century.
As great as a DIY indie attitude is, artists often end up shouldering too much of the financial and personal burden of album production. In these days of albums as loss leaders, it’s easy to cut corners. PRS funding is therefore crucial in enabling the new Cynefin album to be made – and released with the highest possible professional standards. It’ll also help the music reach new audience across the border and raise the profile of Welsh language music within the wider UK scene.