Ara Deg

In spring, the renovation of Neuadd Ogwen should have been finished. I watched the workmen from my house being nowhere near finished when the first concert was already looming. I was really wondering what they would do! Would they pull off the concert? And in the end they did. They just built some temporary steps for the loading bays and that was it. That gave me a lot of firewood a bit later on!

After that concert, they closed again for the summer. But by late August it should all be done. I suppose you can see it coming. I watched the workmen from my house being nowhere near finished when the first concert was already looming. Would they pull off the concert? But they clearly did! Just before the first in a series of concerts started, the high fences around the building site finished. The loading bays, with their improvised rubble access ramps, were accessible again for bands. I could hear someone do a sound check!

So what was the series of concerts? There was a small festival called ‘Ara Deg’, with the emphasis on Welsh music, going on. There were international bands too, but it was mainly a celebration of the regional music scene. During the first night, I was away. I was having another night in the hills! But I saw Dilwyn, the manager, and he suggested I come have a look later. It seemed impolite not to. 

My residence on the first night of Ara Deg

The second night I heard some music that I liked and I decided to go in. My name was on the list! I always feel like some Hollywood A-lister when I am just recognised at the door and waved in. And after having been waived in I immediately bumped into two people I recognised: one was Catrin from the climbing club, and the other one was Phil, the bloke who had acted as sort of chairperson for my table at the citizens' assembly.

I had just come in when the first band was done. So I just had a chat with my acquaintances. It was nice to see them! But then we heard the first tones of the next band, and we went to see what they were like. It was Troupe Djeliguinet, and they were fab! I think they come in various configurations, but we had the lady of modest stature who leads the band, and three blokes. And they made an amazing record all together! Exciting percussion, Instruments that reminded me of a xylophone but of which I did not know the proper name, and there even was some dancing.

When they were done I hung around. I didn't know the next band, but who knows; they might be good! And in the meantime I got to reflect on the effect of the building work on the venue; it was not really there. They just hid the building work behind chipboard. That's how you do it! 

When the next band started playing I realised that was not up my street. It was Carwyn Ellis, and his shtick is that he makes Brazilian music with Welsh lyrics. And that just doesn't float my boat! So I said goodbye to my friends and went home again.

It has been fun to be at a gig in Neuadd Ogwen again! It had been a while. I hadn't done much in it at all, over the past years! For obvious reasons. And now they will close again to finally finish this building works, but they will reopen again! And I hope then they can stay open for a long time…

Troupe Djeliguinet in action