PITTSBURGH in Pennsylvania is one of the heartlands of the Welsh diaspora in America: its coal and anthracite mines attracted emigrating miners and it’s where one of our newest Welsh Icons, the first Archdruid of America, Cynonfardd preached. And, today, Pittsburgh hosts the first day of the 78th Welsh National Gymanfa Ganu.
The festival runs until Sunday and is a rooting-tooting, super-tidy celebration of Welsh culture with links to our own National Eisteddfod.
Two days of seminars, most with Welsh leaders, cover everything from beginners Welsh classes to Richard Burton; lovespoons to fiddling, from Dylan Thomas to the links between Cardiff‘s Ely Synagogue and Israel.
Folk legends Ar Log and Dafydd Iwan are among the musical performers and musicians and dancers compete in the Eisteddfod – “ice – teth – vod” in the WNGG website’s pronunciation guide. The winner of the David G. Morris Award for Semi-Professional Soloist gets a trip to Wales to compete in next year’s National Eisteddfod.
The WNGG dates back to 1929 and now has 106 affiliated organisations in Wales, New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the States.
Welsh Icons sends fraternal good wishes to the organisers, competitors and audiences and looks forward to hearing more from the American Welsh in future.
Here’s a bit of Dafydd:
