Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18
The Gate, Cardiff
Thurs 10 Oct
Carwyn Ellis has jumped around from project to project: from being frontman of psych-pop band Colorama since 2008, to touring with The Pretenders, to – most recently – releasing an S4C documentary alongside new album Joia! as Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18, with other ventures in between. Ellis has genre-hopped so many times now, it’s a wonder he has any left to go to – but this latest musical creation was recorded in Rio de Janeiro, Caernarfon and London, and the influences from each country are clearly recognisable. Sunshine and celebration are unmistakable elements in its Welsh-language lyrics layered over Latin American backing, and Joia! is undeniably unique in this sense. It’s an album of firsts in many rights, including being the first Welsh language album to ever be recorded in Brazil.
Despite his previous experience, this is the first time that Ellis’ name has accompanied his music directly, and having worked with one of Brazil’s finest, Kassin, it’s no wonder that Joia! has been received so well. Carwyn Ellis and Rio 18’s live performance at The Gate is a promising one. With plenty of performing experience under his belt and an intriguing new sound, it’ll be interesting to see how Ellis’ latest reinvention of himself takes to the stage.
Tickets: £12.50. Info: 029 2048 3344 (GE)
