New Single & Video ‘Impossible’ Out Now!
‘Impossible’ is the first track to be released from the new Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18 album, ‘Fontana Rosa’. Recorded at the legendary Toerag Studios in London (sadly now no longer) and featuring the incredible voice of Elan Rhys, the song is about knowing the futility and hopelessness of a romantic situation but continuing regardless – love is love, after all!
In stylistic terms, the song is inspired by the current wave of glorious Chicano soul emanating from California – a style I first came across on my travels to Japan in 2023. Thank you, Takashi-san at Pleased To Meet Me record shop in Nara for introducing me to this world! The beautiful letterpress art comes courtesy of the Amplifier Press in Cardiff.
‘Impossible’ is available to stream NOW.
There’s also a beautiful new stop-motion animated video to accompany ‘Impossible’ – it’s made by Lucy Anne Watkins and it’s up on YouTube now if you’d like to see it.
NEW ALBUM Fontana Rosa – Pre-Order NOW!
Well hello there, how are you doing? Has the sun come out where you are?? Cardiff is basking in the first warm rays of sunshine of the year and we’re loving it. So when better to announce the NEW ALBUM by Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18?
Fontana Rosa sees us drawing inspiration from slightly different musical corners, including Chicano Soul, Nuyorican pop, and Salsoul disco – Latin sounds filtered through the cultural spectrum of the U.S.A. And it’s available to pre-order on limited edition LP and super limited edition cassette NOW!!
Most significantly though, the album was among the last ever to be recorded by the acclaimed producer Liam Watson at his legendary studio and shrine to all things analogue, Toerag Studios – a huge inspiration and influence on myself, and a cornerstone in my life as a musician.
The album sessions draw together an all-star band for this last hurrah at the fabled studio, including incredible musicians from Venezuela, Brazil, USA, Colombia & the UK.
On Liam’s last day at Toerag, he transferred the tapes to digital so we could finish the album at Sain Studio in Llandwrog, North Wales with the brilliant engineer and producer, Aled Wyn Hughes.
We’d had such a Latin-infused ball at Toerag this one last time, and we know Liam did too. The place has had such an impact on my musical life and I wanted to see it go out in a blaze of tuneful glory. Job done!
Hear “Impossible”, the first track to be taken from the album, featuring the sublime voice of Elan Rhys HERE
Fontana Rosa’s Rio 18 aka the Toerag gang. A more melodious and hilarious bunch you’d be hard pressed to find. L-R Baldo Verdú, Liam Watson, Carwyn Ellis, Rupert Brown, Elan Rhys, Shawn Lee, Little Barrie, Chiara Banfi, Kassin and Jim Hunt. Wait til you hear the fruits of these sessions! Album out via Légère Recordings May 23rd…
Hwyl am y tro,
xC
New Year, New Music!
Hiya – Happy New Year! I hope you’re keeping well – I’m not so bad myself, thank you. Especially as I’ve got some NEW MUSIC for you! I’m especially excited to share this as it’s a tune that’s very close to my heart. Allow me to explain: it’s a special one-off collaborative song recorded in Auckland, Aotearoa (New Zealand) and features Māori artists Mārei, Rob Ruha and award winning producer, Kings and is sung in both the Welsh and Māori languages.
The backstory to the song is intriguing to say the least (if I say so myself)… Last year I was fortunate enough to travel to Auckland to participate in a collaborative project involving Te Reo Māori and Welsh speaking artists. It was a very moving and enlightening experience, one that will stay with me forever.
The welcome I and my friends from Wales had was truly special. Before music making began we were formally received at a Marae, a sacred communal meeting house adorned with beautiful, deeply symbolic carvings which echo generations of ancestors. Here we met with our Māori whanau, our new family, for the first time – and exchanged our perspectives on our respective languages and cultures. It was a beautiful day, filled with laughter and song.
And I wanted to sing about it! So during the Songhubs session that followed, that’s what I did – with the help of my new friends Mārei (Mareikura Nathan), Rob Ruha and Kings on production duties. I’m really proud of the results – as you probably know by now, I love collaborating with artists from other cultures, and the uplifting and enriching benefits that come from such encounters. I’m sure you’ll like it too. 🙂
“Marae” is a song in Cymraeg & Te Reo Māori and is available to stream NOW!
In other news, my dear old friend Edwyn Collins has a new single out now called “Knowledge” which is taken from his forthcoming album, “Nation Shall Speak Unto Nation” which I’m really proud to have contributed to – it’s out on March 14th but can be pre-ordered HERE
Brenton Wood, Sam Moore and David Lynch RIP
Hwyl am y tro,
xC
Rio 18 Tour!
Hiya! Time for a last minute reminder that we’re out on tour starting THIS FRIDAY! It’s our first run of shows as a trio and we’ve got loads of new music for you 🙂
01/11 – CARDIFF Clwb Ifor Bach
We’re delighted that the brilliant Elijah Minnelli will be joining us for all the shows, performing his magical dub folk. So be sure to come down early!
Radio Chévere by Rio 18
Out Now!
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“The whole package is a ray of sunshine” – Songlines
Well – we finally did it: “Radio Chévere” is available now! On LP, CD or via your preferred streaming service. After two years in the making, it’s ready and waiting for you HERE
This album is about love. Love which transcends borders and boundaries. Be it romantic love, love and respect for our fellow beings or just the sheer love of joyous music, this is a tropical-tinted celebration of L-O-V-E. Taking the form of a super eclectic radio show, it features songs in no less than four languages (Spanish, Portuguese, Welsh and English) and includes collaborations with Brazilian legends the +2’s (Moreno Veloso, Kassin and Domenico Lancellotti) on the tender samba ballad, “Oh Minha Querida”, transatlantic Yacht Rock gods Young Gun Silver Fox (“She’s In LA”), Sao Paulo’s finest Silvia Machete on the sweaty funk “Maybe Man” and Venezuelan Llanera and Joropo queen Luzmira Zerpa sings “Padre Tiempo”, set to an incessant Afro-Venezuelan pulse.
All bound together by the magical voice of guest DJ Coco Maria as our guide, “Radio Chévere” takes us on a journey through myriad musical styles and stories. Stopping off at Uruguay, Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico, California, New York and countless other sonic destinations, “Radio Chévere” is also a musical metaphor for migration – a journey from one continent, one life to another.
And you can hear it NOW!!
In case you missed it – the incredible artwork is by Bogota’s amazing Yodax__
New single from Rio 18 –
Casa Loca!
“Casa Loca”, the new single from Rio 18 is the opening song from our new album, “Radio Chévere”. A sensational slab of psychedelic salsa, “Casa Loca” (“mad house” in English) is fronted by Baldo Verdú, our super talented Venezuelan percussionist, multi-instrumentalist and singer.
Funky, brassy, sassy and jazzy. On one level, “Casa Loca” invites you into a wonky fairground-type house where nothing is as it seems. On another level however, it’s about leaving our troubles at the door and dancing the madness away: as guest DJ Coco Maria says on the song’s intro on the new album, “The world might be a mad house, but here, we’re all good.”
“Casa Loca” is available to stream on all platforms now. The new album via Légère Recordings is due to arrive any day now and we cannot wait!!
The amazing artwork is once again by Bogota’s finest, Yodax__
August // Solo Gigs // Awst
8 – Caffi Maes B / Eisteddfod Genedlaethol
9 – Chesters Wine Merchants / Abergavenny
12 – Settlement Stage / Green Man Festival
17 – Sounds of Summer / Carnaby Street, London
Radio Chévere
RIO 18 – SEMPRE AMOR
Summer is back. Which can only mean one thing: the return of Rio 18! On the new single, ‘Sempre Amor’ , the incredible voice of Elan Rhys takes us away for a secret romantic rendez-vous out of the city and into the wide beyond. A perfect Italo disco / Samba pop cocktail (the title is in Portuguese) and recorded between London and Rio de Janeiro, this one is guaranteed to get you dancing and dreaming all night long.
‘Sempre Amor’ is available to stream on all platforms now. A new album via Légère Recordings is just around the corner so keep your eyes peeled!
The amazing artwork and official lyric video are by Bogota’s finest, Yodax__
Big Sky Love EP Out Now!
Hiya folks! I hope all’s well with you wherever you may be. Following on from the release of my latest single, ‘Big Sky Love’ (Song For Sachiko) I’m pleased to tell you my friends at Bubblewrap Collective have expanded it into an EP, which is out today!
It features three additional tracks: ‘Cherry Blossom Promenade’ is about springtime in Japan and the ‘beautiful burst of life’ which the cherry blossoms bring every year. This song was originally released only on Bandcamp in 2020 to raise money for PPE equipment for health workers – it sees it’s first full release for streaming here. Two other brand new songs round out this first musical instalment of 2024 from me: ‘Just So You Know’ is a brooding ballad featuring beautiful cello by Liz Hanks and ‘Drift Away’, a balearic/ambient tune about wishing a loved one a peaceful journey on leaving one plane (not the aircraft type) for another.
The Big Sky Love EP is available on streaming platforms NOW
A word of thanks to everyone who came to my recent run of shows – they were all sell outs, and the welcomes I received in Caernarfon, Manchester, Swansea, Trelech, Aberystwyth, Brecon and Penarth were unforgettable. I might not wait another decade until my next tour – you’ve been warned! Thanks also to the brilliant artists who joined me – Elan Rhys on my first shows, and Domenico Lancellotti & Ricardo Dias Gomes for Aber, Brecon and Penarth. All an absolute delight to play and sing with.
Ok, that’s me for now. No more solo stuff for a bit – there’s some exciting Rio 18 news right around the corner….
Until then, take care of yourselves and of each other.
NEW SINGLE!!
Hi all! I hope you’re keeping well and out of trouble. I’m delighted to announce the release of my new single, ‘Big Sky Love’ (Song For Sachiko) which is available to stream on all platforms from today.
‘Big Sky Love’ (Song For Sachiko) is dedicated to Sachiko Kanenobu, the legendary Japanese singer-songwriter with whom I’ve formed a friendship over recent years. Sachiko is a super supportive friend and I wanted to give something back – what better than a song which uses her kind words?
Kanenobu herself is something of a mysterious legend in her native Japan – her 1972 debut LP, ‘Misora’ produced by Harry Hosono is an absolute classic – a timeless and perfect album – but although it did well, Kanenobu ‘disappeared’ or rather got married and relocated to California, where she still lives. I contributed to her ‘Fork In The Road’ album last year and am a big fan: her songs and music are still really otherworldly – there’s no-one like Sachiko. Wim Wenders used her amazing track ‘Aoi Sakana’ in his recent Oscar-nominated movie, Perfect Days. I’m honoured to be able to call her my friend.
Big Sky Love (Song For Sachiko) is part of an EP which will be released on May 10th.
Tour Announced!
Tocynnau ar werth RWAN / On Sale NOW
Hot on the heels (ish) of my latest album, ‘Ni A Nhw’ I’ve decided to embark on a run of solo shows, my first such jaunt in YONKS – perhaps even a decade or so. I’ll play some faintly recognisable songs and maybe some new ones too… And I honestly can’t wait!! More news to come but tickets are available now. See you there!
Dyma’r daith solo gyntaf i fi ers bron degawd a wir ichi, fi’n methu aros – a mor ddiolchgar am y cyfle i chwarae mewn cymaint o fannau hynod sbeshal. Welai chi yna!
EBRILL / APRIL 2024:
Sat 13 – CAERNARFON – Galeri
Sun 14- MANCHESTER – The Yard
Fri 19 – ABERTAWE / SWANSEA – Tŷ Tawe
Sat 20 – TRELECH – Capel Y Graig
Mon 22 – ABERYSTWYTH – Bank Vault
Thu 25 – ABERHONDDU / BRECON – Muse
Sat 27 – PENARTH – St Augustine’s Church
Listen to ‘Ni A Nhw’ HERE
Test Pressings to Raise Money for Gaza
New Rio 18 & More!
Cachetón also features an INCREDIBLE animated video by Diego Medina, as psychedelic as anything you’ll ever see from Porto Alegre in Brazil, which is where Diego is based. The video also features exquisite dance moves from none other than Verónica Verdú, our Baldo’s sister, and she was filmed in their home town of Caracas in Venezuela. The Rio 18 vibe is far and wide!
NI A NHW, OUT NOW!
‘Ni A Nhw’ (‘Us And Them’) is a new collection of songs by Carwyn Ellis, sung mostly in his native Welsh. Drawn from his catalogue under four different guises – Colorama, Rio 18, Bendith and solo as Carwyn Ellis – it features songs spanning over a decade, most of which have not been available to stream before. Or on vinyl for that matter! Available from today via Bubblewrap Collective.
Dyma gyhoeddi casgliad newydd o ganeuon gan Carwyn Ellis, ‘Ni A Nhw’. Mae rhan helaeth o’r traciau yn Gymraeg eu cyfrwng ac wedi eu tynnu o gatalog pedair pennod Carwyn gan gynnwys Colorama, Rio 18, Bendith a Carwyn ei hun. Bydd y casgliad, sydd wedi eu hysgrifennu dros gyfnod o ddeng mlynedd, ar gael i’w ffrydio am y tro cyntaf rwan drwy Bubblewrap Collective.
To celebrate, we’re delighted to share this short film, ‘Down By The River’ made by Kieran Evans and originally shown on the lovely Caught By The River website in 2011. Filmed with Carwyn on the beautiful banks of the river Cynin in Trelech, west Wales (his ancestral home), it’s available to watch on YouTube now and includes the first performance of ‘Valley Song’, the only song in English on the new album. Feel free to click on the beautiful image above by the amazing Asami Fukuda (who also did the artwork for the Bendith album) to watch. And enjoy!
Take care of yourselves and of each other.
ALLAN HEDDIW!
OUT TODAY!!
‘Llythr y Glowr’ (‘The Miner’s Letter’) is a Welsh language translation of the Colorama song ‘In Your Memory’, which featured originally on the ‘Some Things Just Take Time’ album in 2017. The Welsh version saw only a very limited release at the time (only via YouTube and Bandcamp) but has become something of a favourite with the DJs and listeners of BBC Radio Cymru over the years since then. The song itself takes the form of a final letter written by a miner trapped underground, addressed to his sweetheart whom he implores to carry on with her life and be strong, but to never forget him.
The music features the fine choral voices of Cordydd as well as sublime fiddle playing by Emma Smith (Bas Jan / Jarvis Cocker / Pulp), was produced with the brilliant Sean Read (Dexys / Edwyn Collins / Manics) and is available to stream everywhere from Friday November 17th, as well as on vinyl and CD via the forthcoming Carwyn Ellis collection, ‘Ni A Nhw’.
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Cyfieithiad Cymraeg o’r gân ‘In Your Memory’ yw ‘Llythr y Glowr’, a ymddangosodd yn wreiddiol ar albwm 2017 Colorama, ‘Some Things Just Take Time’. Er mai ar YouTube a Bandcamp yn unig oedd y trac yn ymddangos bryd hynny, mae wedi dod yn ffefryn gyda DJs a gwrandawyr BBC Radio Cymru dros y blynyddoedd er hynny. Mae’r gân wedi’i ysgrifennu fel llythyr gan löwr sydd wedi’i ddal dan ddaear, ac yn erfyn ar ei gariad i barhau â’i bywyd hebddo, ond iddi beidio byth â’i anghofio.
Mae’r gerddoriaeth yn cynnwys lleisiau o gôr Côrdydd yn ogystal â’r ffidil arbennig gan Emma Smith (Bas Jan / Jarvis Cocker / Pulp), a chynhyrchwyd gyda Sean Read (Dexys / Edwyn Collins / Manics). Bydd ar gael i’w ffrydio ym mhobman o ddydd Gwener Tachwedd 17eg.
I performed a new, even more stripped back version of the song at the Gate theatre in Cardiff which was filmed by my lovely friends at On-Par Productions. Feel free to click on the above image if you’d like a gander. That’s all for now – I’ll be back in touch with more news in the near future. Until then, take care of yourselves and of each other.
Ni A Nhw
‘Ni A Nhw’ (‘Us And Them’) is a new collection of songs by Carwyn Ellis, sung mostly in his native Welsh. Drawn from his catalogue under four different guises – Colorama, Rio 18, Bendith and solo as Carwyn himself – it features songs spanning over a decade, most of which have not been available to stream before. Or on vinyl for that matter! Available from December 8th via Bubblewrap Collective.
Dyma gyhoeddi casgliad newydd o ganeuon gan Carwyn Ellis, ‘Ni A Nhw’. Mae rhan helaeth o’r traciau yn Gymraeg eu cyfrwng ac wedi eu tynnu o gatalog pedair pennod Carwyn gan gynnwys Colorama, Rio 18, Bendith a Carwyn ei hun. Bydd y casgliad, sydd wedi eu hysgrifennu dros gyfnod o ddeng mlynedd, ar gael i’w ffrydio am y tro cyntaf ddydd Gwener 8fed o Ragfyr drwy Bubblewrap Collective.
Gwely’r Môr, OUT NOW!
Well hello there, how are you doing? ‘Gwely’r Môr’ (‘Sea Bed’) is the latest (third) in a series of collaborative single releases this year by Rio 18. The singer is Elan Rhys, one third of magical Welsh folk trio, Plu who has collaborated extensively with Rio 18 since our inception in 2018.
This Welsh language song is a whimsical (and bilingual!) paean to underwater reveries, set to a summery samba soul beat. The introductory refrain in English spells it out nicely:
Under the waves we could be,
Just you and me
Dreaming away as we sleep
In the deep blue sea
As ever, the personnel is as incredible and international as can be: Elan Rhys and yours truly from Wales take care of vocals and keys respectively, Shawn Lee from the USA drums and produces and Andre Siqueira and Kassin from Rio de Janeiro take care of percussion and bass, with Kassin also mixing.
And it’s available to stream in all your favourite places now!
There is also a gloriously whimsical video to accompany the song, made by Japanese illustrator and animator, Tomo Oriyama. I first saw Tomo-san’s work on the amazing video to ‘Float’ by The Altons and I knew I wanted to work with him straight away. His style works perfectly for this song and he’s been a dream to work with. We’re even more taken by the idea of becoming sub-aquatic beings now! The video was commissioned by the lovely folks at Lŵp / S4C and is over at their YouTube page. Feel free to watch and drift away…
In other news just off the press, I’m delighted to announce our first Mexican dates! Me and our Baldo Verdú will be playing some duo shows at the following venues:
28 September – Musak, Mexico City
1 October – Jazzatlán, Mexico City
7 October – La Brújula, Xalapa
Come and see us if you’re around! CAN. NOT. WAIT.
That’s all for now – enjoy the music and we’ll see you on the other side. Until then, take care of yourselves and of each other.
NEW RIO 18 SINGLE!
Well hello there, how’s it going? No matter the weather Rio 18 keep bringing you the sonic sunshine, this time with two covers of artists close to my heart: “Gorffennaf” (meaning “July” in English) is my Welsh translation of the Italian summer pop classic “Luglio’” by Riccardo del Turco – an infectious ear worm if ever there was one. Hopefully we’ve retained some of it’s summery sumptuousness!
“Esa Tristeza” (“That Sadness”) is originally by the legendary Uruguayan group, El Kinto and is a Spanish version (my first!) of the song which appears on the forthcoming tribute compilation to its composer, Eduardo Mateo. It also features guest appearances by our dear Rio 18 pals, Nina Miranda on vocals and Little Barrie on guitar.
Two international delights for your enjoyment, adorned with lovely artwork by the amazing Welsh painter, Meirion Ginsberg. Available via your favourite streaming platforms now – enjoy!
BRAND NEW RIO 18!!!
New phase! New look!! New sounds!!! After three albums as Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18, all of which bearing our trademark tropical tunes sung in Welsh, I’m stepping back from the mic to focus on showcasing the group’s other members, alongside collaborations with some of the magical friends we’ve made along the way. First up: Young Gun Silver Fox, featuring velvet voiced Andy Platts (also of Mamas Gun) and Shawn Lee, the platinum polymath who has played on and co-produced many of Rio 18’s records right from the get go. Together we bring you ‘She’s in L.A.’ – a new strand of lowriding West Coast funk, telling a story about the joy of finding a new life in the City Of Angels, the metropolis by the sea. And it’s available NOW on all platforms plus lovely vinyl 7″ single (in EU & UK). It’s got a gorgeous video made by our dear friend Chiara Meattelli in some pretty iconic locations too. Enjoy!!!
REFUGEE WEEK
BENEFIT SHOW
As part of Refugee Week, the good people at Oasis Cardiff will be hosting a fundraiser at Clwb Ifor Bach in Cardiff on June 22nd.
I’ll be performing my ‘Across The Water’ album for the first (and only?) time with a special band of friends put together for the occasion. The album was made in aid of Oasis Cardiff so this is the perfect place for it to be performed.
Don’t miss it!
(Dal) Yn Rio
Dear friends, we’re delighted to announce the release of (Dal) Yn Rio, the extended edition of 2021’s Yn Rio album, made with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. It includes previously unreleased instrumentals plus two tracks hitherto unavailable on any streaming platforms: ‘Ti’ and ‘Yn Y Gwaed’, our song for legendary harpist Llio Rhydderch. This means that all the original material we recorded in our session with the orchestra is now available across all streaming platforms, and that you can hear the majestic arrangements by Chris Oyens, Owain Gruffudd Roberts and Carwyn Ellis as never before.
And it also means that we’re getting ready to release BRAND NEW material imminently! 💜
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Annwyl gyfeillion, mae’n bleser gennym gyhoeddi ein bod yn rhyddhau (Dal) Yn Rio, y fersiwn estynedig o’r albwm Yn Rio, a wnaed gyda Cherddorfa Genedlaethol Gymreig y BBC. Mae’n cynnwys traciau offerynnol sydd heb eu rhyddhau o’r blaen ynghyd â dau drac nad oedd ar gael hyd yn hyn ar unrhyw lwyfannau ffrydio: ‘Ti’ ac ‘Yn Y Gwaed’, ein cân deyrnged i’r delynores chwedlonol, Llio Rhydderch. Mae hyn yn golygu bod yr holl ddeunydd gwreiddiol a recordiwyd gennym yn ein sesiwn gyda’r gerddorfa bellach ar gael ar draws yr holl lwyfannau ffrydio, sy’n eich galluogi i glywed y trefniadau swmpus gan Chris Oyens, Owain Gruffudd Roberts a Carwyn Ellis fel na fedrwyd erioed o’r blaen.
Mae hynna’n meddwl ein bod ni’n paratoi i ryddhau rhywbeth NEWYDD SBON yn fuan iawn! 💜
Cynara 🌹
I’m very sad to hear of the passing of Cynara Faria, one of my musical favourites. With Quarteto Em Cy she was a member of one of the greatest vocal groups of all time, and her solo album Pronta Pra Consumo is one that I adore.
I’m so glad I had the chance to meet her in Rio de Janeiro in 2019 – in our correspondence she was very kind and supportive of me and Rio 18 and had even appeared in one of our videos. Recordings that Cynara sang on were some of the biggest influences on my Rio 18 songs, and our vocal sound.
Our song Cynara was made for her.
My sincerest condolences to Cynara’s family and friends and to all of the wider Quarteto Em Cy family. Rest in peace, legend. xC 🌹
Here is my Soho Radio tribute to Cynara and Quarteto em Cy. Enjoy x
Colorama – Liar
Watch the Video Now!
Stream the song across all digital platforms now, or purchase on Bandcamp
LIAR – A new song by Colorama.
Available to stream from Thursday December 1st!
ACROSS THE WATER NOW AVAILABLE ON LP & CD!
After a digital only release earlier this year, I’m happy to announce a very limited run of ‘Across The Water’ on LP & CD. Released in conjunction with the brilliant Bubblewrap Collective, it’s available to pre-order via Bandcamp now with 50% of all proceeds going to the Oasis Centre for Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Cardiff, Wales. The vinyl LP version is a limited edition of 100, while the CD is an edition of 200. So don’t delay – pre-order today!
“This album is dedicated to the brave people who’ve crossed the oceans across the millennia in search of a better life – people to be admired and respected, not vilified and scorned. And it is dedicated to the memory of the many who tried but did not make it, but hopefully found peace instead.”
You can pre-order and find out more about the album HERE
FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT
(Rio 18 Remix)
We’re delighted to announce the release of Freedom Of Movement (Rio 18 Remix) – a new version of the song from Carwyn’s recent solo album, Across The Water, only this time it’s produced by the mighty Shawn Lee and features members of Rio 18 too!
As with the album, 50% of the proceeds of this track will go to the Oasis Centre For Asylum Seekers And Refugees in Cardiff, Wales so please give generously if you can 🧡
For more info about the tune and to download or donate, visit:
carwynellisrio18.bandcamp.com/track/freedom-of-movement-rio-18-remix
Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18 Summer Dates!
21 August – Green Man Festival
27 August – Ara Deg Festival, Bethesda
3 Sept – The Gate, Cardiff
4 Sept – Jazz Cafe, London
New Carwyn Ellis Solo Album – Across The Water
I’ll be releasing my first solo album ‘Across The Water’ this Friday May 6th.
It will be a digital release available exclusively via Bandcamp for the time being with 50% of all proceeds going to Oasis Cardiff, a centre for asylum seekers and refugees in Cardiff, south Wales.
More info to come but you can hear the title track in all the usual places now.
“A document of our times” – Mojo
“Musically effective” – Uncut
“Continued excellence from a musical treasure” – Shindig
GREEN MAN 2022
Delighted, no thrilled – no ASTOUNDED to announce that Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18 will be performing at Green Man Festival in August WITH THE BBC NATIONAL ORCHESTRA OF WALES!! That’s right – full band and orchestra. I think it will be very, very good. Get a ticket if you can.
LONDON DATE ANNOUNCED!
New Dates
Hello there. After more than two years away, Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18 are finally going to be playing live shows again!
I’m delighted to say that we’ll be opening for the magnificent Bebel Gilberto at the Royal Festival Hall in London as part of the La Linea Latin Music Festival on Sunday March 27th. You can find more info and tickets HERE
The following weekend we’ll be back in Cardiff, performing at the BBC Radio 6 Music Festival at the Tramshed on Saturday April 2nd. More info and tickets HERE
These shows will be our first together since 2019 so they’re going to be SBESHAL. Can’t wait!
YN RIO New Vinyl Edition
The Yn Rio LP by Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18 with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales is back in stock! The re-press is available in a gorgeous handcrafted tip-on sleeve, classic-style. Available in record shops, our Bandcamp (UK) and Légère Recordings (EU).
Yn Rio – Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18
with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales Out Now!
Late in 2020 as a global pandemic was raging, BBC Radio Cymru approached Carwyn Ellis with a view to performing a radio concert with Rio 18 and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.
There would be no audience present. The orchestra would have limited numbers due to social distancing measures. And as the pandemic worsened, it became clear that Rio 18 themselves would not be able to travel or rehearse together either.
But the show must go on! So Carwyn adapted. He came up with these songs, and began recording them alone at home. Then, he sent them to his co-producer Shawn Lee who added drums and percussion at his studio in London. With these elements, the rest of the band were able to add their contributions from wherever they were, with Shawn co-ordinating the group’s recordings into the super tight tracks you hear here. Rio 18 did not see each other, or play together at all during the course of this process! Which is truly remarkable because the energy, joy, love and pure magic is palpable in these recordings.
And so, at 8pm on March 20, 2021, Carwyn Ellis sang and played these songs with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales in one take, over the course of an hour or so. The full show was broadcast the following day on BBC Radio Cymru (no time for re-takes or overdubs!) and was more than we could ever have hoped for. This record is a document of the thrilling new music created in that performance.
These are songs of hope, history and harmony, recorded in exceptionally challenging circumstances but in a spirit of international brother- and sisterhood, showing just what we can achieve if we dream, work and play… together.
You can read more about this epic undertaking (and hopefully enjoyable listen) on the Bandcamp page.
“I sat in the room when the BBC National Orchestra of Wales accompanied Carwyn Ellis at this very special concert. I’m so glad this record is being released; it shows the depth of Carwyn’s talents and takes us somewhere very special!”
– Huw Stephens (BBC Radio Cymru / BBC 6 Music)
New Single Out Now!
We’re very pleased to share with you ‘Y Bywyd Llonydd’ (‘The Still Life’), the second single from ‘Yn Rio’, the gorgeous new album by Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18 with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.
With the group’s principal producer, the Rio de Janeiro-based Brazilian polymath Kassin unable to participate in this album (it was written and recorded during the depths of the Covid winter of early 2021), Carwyn set about thanking him in the purest possible way, translating Kassin’s beautiful bittersweet break-up song ‘A Paisagem Morta’ to create ‘Y Bywyd Llonydd’. “It actually means ‘still life’, but the titular Portuguese words literally translate as ‘the dead landscape’, which in itself is beautiful.”
With another superb arrangement by the Brazilian maestro, Christiaan Oyens, and amazing artwork by Michael Gillette, ‘Y Bywyd Llonydd’ is available to stream on all your favourite paltforms now!
Olá! – Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18
Out now!
‘Olá!’ Meet the first single taken from the forthcoming album, ‘Yn Rio’ by Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18 performing with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.
A truly international project, it features players from Wales, Brazil, Venezuela and USA – and the simple Portuguese greeting, ‘Olá!’ is coupled with a message of hope, friendship and working together for the better times to come!
Musically, ‘Olá!’ Is a love letter to the Samba music of Brazil and the video, our third to be made by Tocavideos of Rio de Janeiro, illustrates this wonderfully. It was filmed on location at Portela Samba School in Rio – one of the samba schools which compete at the carnival and are places where the community can learn instruments, dancing, costume making and all sorts of arts and crafts. And proudly represent their neighbourhood! The samba schools are the beating heart of samba music and culture in Brazil.
We’d like to sincerely thank the Portela Samba School and community for allowing us into their world and letting us share a glimpse with you. Enjoy!
New Album ‘Mas’ Out Now!
Never one to sit still, Carwyn Ellis is continuing his voyage into Latin Americana with the release of a new album with Rio 18, ‘Mas’.
Like it’s predecessor, the acclaimed ‘Joia!’, this album is a collection of songs sung in Welsh combined with distinct pop and South American flavours drawn from Bossa Nova, Cumbia, Samba and Tropicalismo styles, recorded in Rio de Janeiro, Caernarfon and London.
Mas feels strangely right for our times: an album whose title means several things, as befits its global outlook. Mas means “out” in Welsh, “more” in Spanish, and “but” in Portuguese: these meanings filling that single syllable with promise, potential, but also the subtle edge of a warning. It’s a mood that fits the more political tenor of Rio 18’s second turn around the world, as Carwyn and his friends explore some substantial subjects: the drowning of villages, climate change, migration and the rise of megacities. They do so not in sober, serious settings, but beautiful, uplifting songs. Other tracks also celebrate the vivid pleasures of love, nature and our essential humanity.
Mas is a record of beautiful songs that says, wait, listen, delight, come together, then act. We owe it to ourselves, to each other, to our beautiful world.
LAWR YN Y DDINAS FAWR
A song equally influenced by Georgie Fame, Sergio Mendes and Kassin (its producer), Lawr Yn Y Ddinas Fawr (‘Down In The Big City’) concerns those hours around dawn between throwing out time at the clubs and when people start to go to work. A time of limbo, wherever you are in the world. But a great time to see a city, when there’s no-one around. So long as you can stay awake!
Available to stream now.
AR ÔL Y GLAW
The first song to be taken from the forthcoming album by Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18, ‘Mas’, Ar Ôl Y Glaw [After The Rain], is a “lockdown-flavoured reaction to the horrible swirling nastiness in America that we saw earlier this year,” says Carwyn Ellis. The song talks of the hope that we have to cling to after such troubling events, its mood inspired by a YouTube clip Carwyn loves of Donovan and Sergio Mendes singing Donovan’s song, ‘There Is A Mountain’ together. Marged Rhys (of Welsh folk trio Plu) co-wrote it, Carwyn sending her the original demo and chorus, which she finished, he laughs, “unlike me, at lightning speed”.
Ar Ôl Y Glaw is available to stream now.