Five minutes with Cerys Hafana
Cerys Hafana is a composer and multi-instrumentalist who mangles, mutates, and transforms traditional music. Set to take the Horizons Regional Stage at WOMEX 2024, British Underground talk all things music, live performance and remaining mysterious. Get to know Cerya Hafana.
Interview: Steph Wilkinson
Cerys Hafana represents Wales at WOMEX 2024 on the Horizons Regional Stage, 9PM Friday 25th October. See ticket link below.
Describe your music in three words/one sentence?
Sad Welsh harp pop.
Who’s in your band?
I’ve been gigging a lot with the bodhran player and cider maker Sam Robinson over the last year, and recorded my last album with double bass player Jordan Price Williams (who is in the Welsh folk trio, Vrï), but most of the time on stage, it’s just me, a laptop, and an increasingly impractical collection of instruments.
What do you love about music?
I like that it can open up different worlds. In terms of playing music, especially instrumental music, I like that it’s a full-body experience and can provide a distraction from yourself and the rest of the world.
What are your ambitions for WOMEX?
I think mostly I’m hoping to make connections with people I never would have been able to meet otherwise, and hopefully have that lead to more gigs and other opportunities. I’m also just excited to perform at the Albert Hall because it looks like a beautiful venue.
What’s the best gig you’ve ever played?
Each one is so different, so it’s difficult to say! I always enjoy playing at Neuadd Ogwen in Bethesda, north Wales, and especially enjoyed getting to support Yann Tiersen there last year. But I worry sometimes that my enjoyment of a gig usually just boils down to whether or not it was easy to park at the venue and get the harp in…
“In terms of playing music, especially instrumental music, I like that it’s a full-body experience and can provide a distraction from yourself and the rest of the world. ”
What has been your career highlight?
It was amazing to have my last album, Edyf, make the Welsh Music Prize shortlist last year. It’s always nice when you make folk music to get recognition from the more mainstream / rock / pop focussed worlds, and it was fun getting to perform at the ceremony and spend the day with some of the other nominees.
Best/craziest audience reaction?
I played in the church of a nunnery at the Other Voices festival in Dingle last December. I always expect audiences in churches and chapels to be a bit quiet and restrained, because that's how they often are in the UK, but in Dingle we got a standing ovation.
I was also really surprised by the audience reaction at End of the Road a few weeks ago. The gig was at midday and when I went out to tune my harp just before it started there was just one woman and a toddler in the tent, but when I went back out to start the gig it was full!
Who are you listening to at the moment?
I’ve been listening to a lot of 6hunesseq, Sam Amidon and Rachel Lavelle recently. I’ve played in Brittany quite a lot over the last few years and through that have got really into contemporary Breton folk bands like Eben, Diese3 and Fleuves. I’ve also been really enjoying the new albums by Welsh bands Tristwch y Fenywod and Peiriant.
Who are your top three artists of all time?
Whatever I say now I would be embarrassed about in a week’s time, so I think I will just remain mysterious.
Cerys Hafan is performing on the Horizons Regional Stage on Friday 25 October at 9pm at the Albert Hall. For details on how to buy public festival passes and day tickets visit womex-festival.com.
The Horizons partnership is managed by British Underground on behalf of Arts Council England, Culture Ireland, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Creative Scotland, Wales Arts International, Arts Council of Wales and British Council.
