Carwyn Ellis | |
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| Birth name | Carwyn Meurig Ellis |
| Born | 9 August 1973 |
| Origin | Benllech, Isle of Anglesey, Wales |
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| Years active | 1999–present |
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| Website | |
Carwyn Meurig Ellis (born 9 August 1973) is a Welsh musician, composer, arranger, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He is known as the frontman of Welsh alternative band Colorama,[1] as a member of the Pretenders[2] and as a long-time collaborator with Edwyn Collins.[3] In 2014, they worked together on the soundtrack to the film The Possibilities Are Endless which won the Mojo 'Film of the Year' Award.[4][5]
Ellis has also recorded electronic music as Zarelli,[6][7][8] releasing an album, Soft Rains in 2015 which featured the voice of Leonard Nimoy narrating the Ray Bradbury short story There Will Come Soft Rains.[8] In 2017 Ellis formed the Welsh folk group Bendith[9][10] and their self-titled album was nominated for the Welsh Music Prize[11][12][13][14] and went on to win the Welsh Language Album of the Year 2017 award at National Eisteddfod of Wales.[9][15][16]
Since 2016 Ellis has hosted a regular themed radio show on Soho Radio.[17]
In 2019, Ellis embarked on the first solo project under his own name, Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18. A collaborative project sung in Welsh and recorded mainly in Rio de Janeiro. The album, Joia! was nominated for the Welsh Music Prize. A documentary film on the making of the record, Carwyn Ellis: Ar Y Cei Yn Rio went on to win the Best Welsh language short Film award at the Wales International Documentary Festival.[18][19]
In 2020, Ellis releases Single Cherry Blossom Promenade and EP Ti to raise funds for personal protective equipment (PPE) for Welsh health and care workers.[20]
During lockdown in UK, Ellis released Chaos Wonderland under the Colorama project on 31 July 2020 [21] and the follow-up to 2019’s Welsh Music Prize shortlisted Joia!, Ellis released Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18's second album Mas on 25 February 2021.[22]
The most recent album Yn Rio by the Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18 features the BBC National Orchestra of Wales was released on 22 October 2021, originally performed live and broadcast in March 2021 on BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 6 Music.[22]