Advertisement
A B C D E ^ Top
Abertillery Orpheus Male Voice Choir

Abertillery Orpheus Male Voice Choir

The historic Abertillery Orpheus MVC celebrates its centenary in 2008, having over 100 years established itself as one of Wales' premier ensembles.

Adelina Patti

Adelina Patti

Adelina Patti, the greatest soprano of her day, will always be associated with her castle in the Upper Swansea Valley. She gave it the romantic name of Craig-y-Nos - the Rock of Night.

Akira The Don

Akira The Don

Hip hop maverick from Anglesey sharing a label with 50 Cent and Eminem.

The Alarm

Alarm

One of the most enduring arena rock bands, The Alarm were on the the 80s' best-selling Welsh acts.

Aled Jones

Aled Jones

Aled Jones was a ubiquitous presence in the 1980s after millions watched him on TV.

Allan Yn Y Fan

Allan Yn Y Fan

Newbridge's Welsh traditional band Allan Yn Y Fan have carved a reputation as one of the top Celtic-influenced bands on the 21st century, with three albums and international tours under their belt.

Alun Hoddinott

Alun Hoddinott

Welsh composer Alun Hoddinott was born on 11 August 1929, in Bargoed, Glamorganshire. His compositional talents developed early, and he won a university scholarship at the age of 16.

Amen Corner

Amen Corner

Amen Corner formed in south Wales in 1966, bringing together six musicians from around the area, plus vocalist Andy Fairweather-Low.

Amy Wadge

Amy Wadge

The Cardiff-based singer-songwriter with a steadily rising profile.

Ar Log

Ar Log

Ar Log (Welsh for 'for hire') are a long-running folk outfit who have over the years had many members and many records.

The Automatic

Automatic

One of the most exciting new bands to have emerged from Wales in recent times, The Automatic formed in the not-very-rock 'n' roll town of Cowbridge, but their disco punk sound easily established them as stars.

A B C D E ^ Top
Badfinger

Badfinger

Few bands have attracted tragedy like Badfinger. From a promising start as a late 60s pop act through to the messy legal problems that dogged their later years, it was an unfortunate fall from grace.

Wind instruments

BBC National Orchestra of Wales

The BBC National Orchestra of Wales is one of the UK's leading orchestral ensembles. Critically acclaimed for the quality of its performances, BBC NOW is also renowned for its reach beyond the confines of the concert hall.

Beatbox Fozzy

Beatbox Fozzy

Beatbox Fozzy is a precocious Cardiff human beatboxer who has won fans from Dizzee Rascal to Rhys Ifans.

Fans outside the Capitol Theatre, Cardiff

Beatles and Wales

From their first Welsh concert, in Rhyl in 1962, to the few days spent in Bangor with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in the Summer of Love, join us for a mystery trip back in time with The Beatles in Wales.

Big Leaves

Big Leaves

Hailing from the small village of Waunfawr, near Caernarfon, Big Leaves came together as a band before the members had even reached their teens.

The Blackout

Blackout

One of the most hotly-tipped new hard rock/punk acts to come out of Wales in recent years, The Blackout are a heavy and intense sixpiece who combine furious drumming, soaring melodies and great crunching riffs.

Bonnie Tyler

Bonnie Tyler

Born Gaynor Hopkins on 8 June 1951, the artist known as Bonnie Tyler began her musical career in the picturesque village of Skewen, near Swansea, where she grew up listening to Tamla Motown and 1960s blues records.

Amy Winehouse at Brecon Jazz festival

Brecon Jazz Festival

The internationally-renowned Brecon Jazz Festival has relaunced after much-publicised difficulties.

Bridgend Male Choir

Bridgend Male Choir

Bridgend Male Choir was formed in 1960 as the Bridgend Police Choir, later becoming Bridgend and District Male Choir before evolving to become Bridgend Male Choir in 2006.

Bryn Terfel

Bryn Terfel

Whether it's opera, art song, folk song, oratorio or popular song, live or recorded, Bryn Terfel is a towering presence in the international music world.

Budgie

Budgie

Formed in 1967 in Cardiff, Budgie's influence always outweighed their sales. Important bands often do, and Budgie, it's safe to say, were an important band.

Bullet For My Valentine

Bullet For My Valentine

Originally known as Jeff Killed John, Bullet For My Valentine formed in 1999 while studying music at Bridgend College.

A B C D E ^ Top
Calan

Calan

Calan are a new, vibrant five-piece folk band who are breathing new life into traditional Welsh music.

Cantorion Colin Jones

Cantorion Colin Jones

Colin Jones established the choir in September 1991 when he selected choristers from all over North Wales. Members now travelling up to 100 miles to Betws Y Coed to rehearse.

Cardiff Ardwyn Singers

Cardiff Ardwyn Singers

The Ardwyn Singers are recognised as a formidable choral force on the national and world stage.

Crowd at Cardiff Big Weekend

Cardiff Big Weekend

The Admiral Cardiff Big Weekend is the UK's largest free outdoor music festival.

Kazz Kumar

Cardiff Multicultural Mela

Asian culture and music is celebrated in spectacular fashion each year in Cardiff's Roald Dahl Plass, otherwise known as the Oval Basin.

Catatonia

Catatonia

Equally cursed and blessed, few bands from Wales have fallen from grace quite so spectacularly as Catatonia, and few bands leave behind a legacy so full of success and failure.

Cate Le Bon

Cate Le Bon

Cardiff's folk rock multi-instrumentalist and singer songwriter is a name to drop on the indie and alt-folk scenes, and she already has friends in high places.

Catrin Finch

Catrin Finch

Britain's foremost harp performer, former Royal Harpist to Prince Charles and classical crossover success.

Catrin O'Neill

Catrin O'Neill

In the world of traditional Welsh music, Catrin O'Neill chucks in the kitchen sink, the waste disposal unit and the slightly leaky u-bend.

Cerys Matthews

Cerys Matthews

Time was when the public couldn't get enough of Cerys Matthews. The public face of Catatonia, for a time she was everywhere: on every TV show, in every magazine, all over the front page.

Charlotte Church

Charlotte Church

Charlotte Church was the ultimate teenage star, swept to fame and fortune with classical records before deciding to persue a pop career.

Only Men Aloud

Choirs and brass bands

Wales doesn't quite have a male voice choir on each street corner, but there are many choirs and brass bands popularising the styles.

Christopher Rees

Christopher Rees

For Christopher Rees, seeing Velvet Underground founder John Cale was something of a revelatory experience.

Katherine Jenkins

Classical and opera

There is a considerable wealth of classical music and opera in Wales. The popular perception of a tradition of the harp and the male voice choir is a long way from the 21st century reality of a growing number of hugely talented singers, instrumentalists and composers, making an impact not just in Wales but across the world.

Colwyn Male Voice Choir

Colwyn Male Voice Choir

Located in one of the principal towns on the North Wales coast, the original choir was founded in 1895.

The Crook Family

Crook Family

In a gradual and very natural way that suits their Pembrokeshire roots, the Crook Family formed in 2006 when vocalist Tim Williams met double bassist Jon Sharpe. To complete the trio, Tim's long lost cousin Sarah Richards joined on piano.

Culprit One

Culprit One

One man, a bank of keyboards and a bagful of dirty beats and bleeps.

A B C D E ^ Top
Dame Gwyneth Jones

Dame Gwyneth Jones

Every inch the diva, Gwyneth Jones is one of the greatest Wagnerian sopranos of all time.

Dame Margaret Price

One of the most beautiful, luminous voices ever to grace the opera and concert stages.

Turntable

Dance and electronica

While Welsh music is perhaps best known for either its choral tradition or the indie stylings of 'Cool Cymru' bands, there's a great underground of Welsh dance artists packing the dancefloors.

The Darling Buds

Darling Buds

Formed in Cardiff in 1986 by the 19-year-old Andrea Lewis, The Darling Buds were for six years one of the most promising acts coming out of the UK indie scene.

Datblygu

Datblygu

Hailed as the first truly modern Welsh-language group, Datblygu's (Develop) influence on Welsh music is immeasurable.

Dave Edmunds

Dave Edmunds

Born in Cardiff in 1944, Dave Edmunds began playing in local blues bands The 99ers and The Raiders. In 1966 he left Wales to join The Image, and The Human Beans the following year.

Dave Stapleton

Dave Stapleton

"Dave Stapleton is a real find for British Jazz... a young musician of real maturity and vision." So says jazz music magazine Jazzwise.

Dead Residents

Dead Residents

Dead Residents are a Cardiff troupe with a fine pedigree and even finer grasp of humour-laced hip-hop.

Donna Lewis

Donna Lewis

Born and raised in Cardiff, Donna Lewis emerged from the Welsh College Of Music And Drama with flute and piano qualifications and a voice that set her on the path to world stardom.

Dorothy Squires

Dorothy Squires

In the days before 'pop' existed in the cultural vernacular, popular artists recorded and performed songs written by professional songwriters, backed by specialised orchestras. Carmarthenshire's Dorothy Squires was one of the most popular singers of the pre- and post-War music world.

Dub War

Dub War

Along with 60ft Dolls, Novocaine, Ether and a few others, Dub War emerged from Newport in the early-90s, smack in the middle of the death of grunge and with Britpop about to explode.

Duffy

Duffy

Duffy has come seemingly out of nowhere to become of the biggest worldwide sellers of 2008 with her album Rockferry.

A B C D E ^ Top
Elin Fflur

Elin Fflur

Formerly the singer with the group Carlotta, Elin Fflur rose to prominence after winning the 2002 Can I Gymru (Song For Wales) competition.

Elin Manahan Thomas

Elin Manahan Thomas

Elin Manahan Thomas is one the UK's most gifted sopranos.

Ellie Goulding

Ellie Goulding

Ellie Goulding is a female singer-songwriter tipped for chart stardom.

Girl in the crowd at Escape Into The Park

Escape Into The Park

By far the biggest dance event in Wales and the South West of England, Escape Into The Park has become one of the must-play events for some of the world's best DJs and dance acts.

A B C D E ^ Top

Flickr

Image: Kimberley Noi

Join our group

Showcase your Welsh music images on our Flickr group.

How to...

Crowd at a gig

Go to the show

Our guide to where to find gigs and concerts in your area.

Rock in Wales

Billy Bragg

Miners' benefits

Listen to Billy Bragg talking to us about the shows he played in aid of miners' families.

Messageboard

Microphone

Have your say

Discuss your musical matters on our messageboard.

Explore the BBC

This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.