A girl who had dreamt since the age of 12 of competing in the S4C Cân i Gymru - Song for Wales - competition has won the title just five years later.
The winner of the Cân i Gymru 2017 songwriting competition – and the prize of £5,000 - is Cadi Gwyn Edwards, 17, from Llanrwst with the song Rhydd.
The second prize of £2,000 goes to Vaughan and Andy Park, with the song Fy Nghariad Olaf i.
The competition was held on Saturday 11 March, at BBC Cymru Wales Studio, Llandaff, and was broadcast live on S4C. Presenting the evening was singer Elin Sophie Jayne Marsh with the song Pryder. And the third prize of £1,000 goes to Richard Fflur and TV presenter Trystan Ellis-Morris.
Cadi, 17, is from Llanrwst and is studying her AS Levels at Ysgol Dyffryn Conwy. She wrote the song on her phone after visiting Llanddwyn Island. She describes the song as ‘a lone person that wants to break free from captivity’.
Cadi, who performed her own song on stage, said “I had dreamt of competing for Cân i Gymru, but had to wait until I was 17 to realise my dream.”
S4C's Entertainment Content Commissioner, Elen Rhys, said; “It’s been a fantastic night of original Welsh language music. Congratulations to all of the composers and performers that were part of Cân i Gymru 2017, and especially to the winner Cadi Gwyn Edwards.”
This year, ten songs competed for the Cân i Gymru 2017 trophy, rather than the usual eight, because the standard was so high this year. The ten songs were: Ti yw fy Lloeren by Hywel Griffiths; Curiad Coll by Hawys Bryn Williams and Gwion John Williams; Cân yr Adar by Llinos Emanuel; Eleri by Betsan Haf Evans; Fy Nghariad Olaf i by Richard Vaughan and Andy Park; Rhydd by Cadi Gwyn Edwards; Gelyn y Bobl by Richard Marks; Seren by Mari Lovgreen and Geraint Lovgreen; Pryder by Sophie Jayne Marsh and Rhywun Cystal â Ti by Eady Crawford.
After each song was performed, the task of choosing a winner was handed to the viewers via a phone vote.
You can watch all of the performances again on S4C’s website – s4c.cymru/canigymru, or watch the whole programme again online, on demand, on s4c.cymru.
