Seventeen-year-old singing sensation Einir Dafydd has made it an entertainment double by winning S4C’s prestigious singing competition Cân i Gymru (A Song for Wales).
Einir, of Boncath, Pembrokeshire won S4C’s talent show WawFfactor just 11 months ago and has capped it now that by winning Cân i Gymru, sharing the top prize of £10, 000 with lyricist, poet and book editor Ceri Wyn Jones.
School pupil Einir performed the song ‘Blwyddyn Mas’ (A Year Out), winning the votes of both the viewers at home and a panel of musical experts at the glitzy S4C show filmed live on Friday night at the Afan Lido, Port Talbot.
Her song beat off eight others split across three categories: The Public, Composers and Performers categories. In the final countdown, Einir beat off the songs Gwaed yn Dewach na Dŵr (Blood is Thicker than Water) and Llosgi (Burning), whose composers Meilyr Wyn and Al Lewis/Arwel Lloyd each won £3,000.
Blwyddyn Mas is a song about a young person who is left living at home heartbroken when her boyfriend leaves her to go to college.
Einir, from Boncath in Pembrokeshire, is a pupil at Ysgol Gyfun y Preseli, Crymych, who came to prominence last year when she won S4C’s 2006 WawFfactor talent show.
Ceri, of Cardigan, is a well-known writer and poet, having won the National Eisteddfod Chair at the 1997 Meirionnydd Eisteddfod. A former Welsh teacher at Ysgol Dyffryn Teifi, Ceri now works as an editor of English books with publishing company Gwasg Gomer.
Einir, who hopes to go to college next year to follow an arts performance course, still doesn’t quite believe she has won the top prize.
“I never dreamt that I would win the competition. After all, I was up against one of Wales’ most prominent performers, Elin Fflur, in the performers category. Going on to win the main prize was a huge bonus!
“Winning WawFfactor was a fantastic experience, but this was a dream come true. I'm sure I will spend some of the money shopping and, as I have just passed my driving test, I might be tempted to buy a car!”
“The song ‘Blwyddyn Mas’ is all about someone who misses her boyfriend after he has left home to go to college. It's full of emotion and therefore a great song to perform. I hope to continue singing and performing in the future because I do enjoy being on stage.”
