Kizzy Crawford

Kizzy Crawford
Crawford performing on Ochr 1's Antena programme in 2016
Crawford performing on Ochr 1's Antena programme in 2016
Background information
Also known asKizzy
BornOxford, England
OriginWales
GenresFolk, soul, pop, indie, jazz
Occupation(s)Musician, singer, songwriter, producer.
Instrument(s)Guitar, bass, violin, vocals
Years active2012–present
Websitewww.kizzyofficial.com

Kizzy Crawford, sometimes shortened to Kizzy, is a Welsh singer songwriter of Bajan heritage[1] who sings in both English and Welsh, using traditional and modern sources. She began writing songs at the age of thirteen.

Background

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Kizzy was born in Oxford, but when her parents divorced in 1999, moved with her mother, sister and grandparents to Aberaeron and later Llandeilo before settling in Merthyr Tydfil, Her mother is from the south-east of England but she spent her childhood holidays with her grandparents in Disserth, Powys and always wanted to raise her children in Wales.

Her father's family is from Barbados.[2]

She was educated in Welsh from the age of four and is the eldest of five children. She has a sister, Eädyth, who is also a singer.

At the age of 26 she was diagnosed with autism.[3]

Career

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Crawford won the Arts Connect Original Singer-Songwriter prize in 2012 resulting in work with Amy Wadge including recording her first single Starling and its video with Arts Connect's Sonig - youth music industry initiative.[4][5]

She performed her song "The Starling" live on BBC Radio Wales's Bethan Elfyn Show in August 2013.[6] This was then released as her debut single in November 2013 followed by her EP Temporary Zone in December, released by Cardiff record label See Monkey Do Monkey. Together with many radio and TV appearances in Wales during 2013,[7][8][9] she has also performed live at various venues including FOCUS Wales Festival, the Sŵn festival,[10] the Green Man Festival,[11] Caerphilly Castle and Maes B at the National Eisteddfod of Wales.[12][13] Crawford also performed at Festival No 6.[14]

In 2014, she signed to publishing company BDi Music.[15]

Crawford appeared on the BBC Wales Six Nations Championship 2014 promotions singing "Calon Lân",[16] and in April 2014 was named as one of twelve BBC Horizons acts for 2014–15.[17]

She performed her single "Golden Brown", and also "Calon Lân", live on BBC Radio 4's Saturday Live programme on 20 September 2014.[18] Later that year she performed at Glastonbury on the BBC Introducing stage[19] and has since performed at several other festivals including WOMEX[20] Blissfields, Hay Festival and Cheltenham Jazz Festival.[21]

In 2015, she released the single "Shout Out / Yr Alwad", a co-write with Owen Powell; the track was selected as the soundtrack to the Visit Wales 2015 National TV & Online Campaign.[22]

Crawford performed at the Euro 16 Welsh team homecoming gig at Cardiff City Stadium alongside the Manic Street Preachers.[23]

In 2016, several of her compositions were selected as part of the WJEC A Level Music Syllabus. Later Crawford was invited to perform and discuss that live on Woman's Hour for BBC Radio 4.[24]

Later in 2016, Crawford collaborated with jazz pianist and composer Gwilym Simcock on Birdsong - Can Yr Adar, based on the Welsh rainforest in Carngafallt. They co-wrote new music and performed and toured it live with Sinfonia Cymru across Wales, ending in a performance at London Jazz Festival. In 2018, the Birdsong-Can Yr Adar CD was released via Basho Records to coincide with a second UK tour. The recording was listed as a Top 100 2018 album by jazz journalist Ted Gioia.[25]

In 2017, she performed with BBC National Orchestra of Wales and at Cambridge Folk Festival.[26] She played a supporting role as PC Emma Jones in the award-winning BBC drama Keeping Faith.[27]

In 2018, Crawford signed to Freestyle Records, and released the album The Way I Dream in 2019.[28]

In November 2021, Crawford released her first self-recorded/produced/mixed and debut Welsh Album Rhydd with Sain Records.[citation needed]

Politics

[edit]

In September 2019, Crawford sang Calon Lân with her sister Eädyth at a YesCymru rally in Merthyr Tydfil expressing her support for Welsh independence.[29]

Discography

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  • The Starling (Soig, 2013)
  • Temporary Zone (See Monkey Do Monkey, 2013)
  • Golden Brown (2014)
  • Shout Out / Yr Alwad (2015)
  • Pili Pala (2015)
  • Imago (2015)
  • Birdsong / Can Yr Adar (Basho Records, 2018)
  • The Way I Dream (Freestyle Records, 2019)
  • Rhydd (Sain Records, 2021)

References

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  1. ^ "Kizzy". Kizzy. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  2. ^ "Welsh singer racially abused at Laugharne festival". 11 May 2014.
  3. ^ "Kizzy Crawford: Autism and Me". BBC. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  4. ^ Mark Smith (24 January 2013). "Young singer Kizzy Crawford, from Merthyr Tydfil, wins Arts Connect Original Singer-Songwriter prize". Wales Online.
  5. ^ "Talented songwriter 'set for stardom'". Archived from the original on 11 December 2013. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
  6. ^ [1] [dead link]
  7. ^ "Radio Cymru". BBC. 29 May 2013. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  8. ^ "Noson Lawen | S4C". S4c.cymru. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  9. ^ "Sesiwn Foyer: Huw M & Kizzy Crawford : Sherman Cymru". Archived from the original on 25 December 2013. Retrieved 24 December 2013.
  10. ^ "Kizzy Crawford | Sŵn Festival 2013". Archived from the original on 25 December 2013. Retrieved 24 December 2013.
  11. ^ "Kizzy Meriel Crawford | Green Man Festival". Archived from the original on 25 December 2013. Retrieved 24 December 2013.
  12. ^ "Activities and Events Programme | the National Eisteddfod of Wales". Archived from the original on 25 December 2013. Retrieved 24 December 2013.
  13. ^ Gethin Evans a Kizzy Crawford (interview), BBC Radio Cymru, 14 August 2013. Retrieved 2015-09-05.
  14. ^ "Festival No. 6 - Kizzy Crawford". BBC Music Events. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  15. ^ "BDi Music Ltd". Bdimusic.com. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  16. ^ "BBC - Nations Wales, Kizzy". Archived from the original on 2 April 2014. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  17. ^ "Horizons: Welsh emerging artists chosen for project". BBC News. 25 April 2014. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  18. ^ "BBC Radio 4 - Saturday Live, Abergavenny Food Festival". Archived from the original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  19. ^ [2] [dead link]
  20. ^ "BBC Radio - Horizons - Kizzy Crawford". Archived from the original on 19 November 2017. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  21. ^ "Kizzy Crawford". Archived from the original on 18 August 2016. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  22. ^ "Song & Lyrics on Visit Wales 2015 TV Advert by Kizzy Crawford". Archived from the original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  23. ^ "Welsh Homecoming - concert". BBC News. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  24. ^ "BBC Radio 4 - Woman's Hour, Kizzy Crawford, Online harassment, Young women not going to university". Archived from the original on 14 February 2019. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  25. ^ "The 100 Best Recordings of 2018". Tedgioia.com. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  26. ^ "FATEA - Home". Fatea-records.co.uk. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  27. ^ "BBC: Keeping Faith". Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  28. ^ "Kizzy Crawford - Progression". Freestylerecords.kudosrecords.co.uk. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  29. ^ "Sport and arts figures join independence rally". BBC News. 7 September 2019. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
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