ZIRO FOCUS 2020 features narrated walkthroughs by the best independent artists from Wales and India. So much brilliant music waiting to be discovered!
Ani Glass is the persona of Cardiff-based electronic pop musician, producer and artist, Ani Saunders.
Glass sings in her native languages Welsh and Cornish and in March this year released her self-produced debut album ‘Mirores’. As well as receiving glowing reviews, the album was also awarded Welsh Language Album of the Year at the National Eisteddfod.
Lo! Peninsula is a shoegaze/ dreampop/ psych-gaze band from Manipur, India that has earned rave reviews from the likes of KEXP to Rolling Stone magazine. The band lineup includes Nitin Shamurailatpam (vocals/guitars) alsong with Avinash Thokchom (bass) and Jotin Elangbam (drums). Their debut EP titled AKA Lo Peninsula was released in 2018 and ever since the band has played across all major festivals in India including Ziro Festival of Music, NH7, Magnetic Fields and Metropolis Asia.
Kidsmoke’s shimmering brand of dreamy indie-pop has seen them make waves from their native North Wales. With a sync feature on Charlie Brooker’s Netflix series ‘Black Mirror’ already under their belts, along with a ‘Breaking Act’ feature in The Sunday Times, an invitation from Robert Smith (The Cure) to play his Meltdown Festival and a single chosen by Steve Lamacq as one of his ‘6Music Recommends’ tracks of the year, Kidsmoke have gone from strength to strength, captivating audiences on both sides of the Atlantic.
Tetseo Sisters are a quartet of sisters from Nagaland, a state in North-East India. They are devoted to the art and tradition of the vocal folk music of the state and have been performing on stage since they were children.
Islet are remote Welsh outsiders, studying life via a refracting telescope, adept in the art of conjoining parts that don’t fit. They call their music experimental pop: hypnotic, exhilarating and defiantly unique.
They began in Cardiff in 2009 with Emma Daman and brothers Mark and John ‘JT’ Thomas and later joined by Alex Williams. They have written about their philosophy in their own zine, started a festival, helped other bands; they are stalwarts of the Welsh DIY community.
The Derelicts play a unique blend of 80s inspired disco with modern pop, alternative & rock. Get ready to groove to the boys cuz they are funky fresh!
RECORD LABELS
Libertino Records – Libertino has grown extensively over the past three years and now has a roster of over 15 artists who create and perform in both Welsh and the English language. Libertino is an all-encompassing home for their artists – booking agent/tour support, in house PR, artist management as well as creative support, which are all provided. They strongly believe that art should be inclusive and not exclusive creating a community from grassroots level. Libertino’s aim is to give artists a platform from which to fly and the knowledge of how to fly successfully
Amarrass was formed in 2009 with the mission to preserve the musical traditions from the deep interiors of India and to create structures for sustaining them into the future. Since then, Amarrass has recorded several legendary artists, developed artist identities, toured with them, and brought sustainability to an art form, the artists, and their families.
Bubblewrap Collective – 10 years of releasing music from Wales.With music branching a range of genres and a decade of releases under our belt, our sole aim is to champion and release beautiful music from Wales.
Larynx Entertainment – A Wrexham, Wales based media platform that is dedicated to the promotion of Welsh hip-hop and grime artists.
ARTISTS
Mikey Jones is an artist based in North Wales who works with oils. He studied architecture in Bristol UWE and began to document the built and natural environment, focusing on the architectural and social context of the areas he paints.
Shisir Basumatari is an artist who works with body painting and photography. His first graphic novel, The Real Mr Barkotoki, is about a famous reclusive writer from Assam.
…AND MORE BEING CONFIRMED!