Carwyn Meurig Ellis (born 9 August 1973) is a Welsh musician, composer, arranger, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He is known as the frontman of Welsh alternative band Colorama,[1] as a member of the Pretenders[2] and as a long-time collaborator with Edwyn Collins.[3] In 2014, they worked together on the soundtrack to the film The Possibilities Are Endless which won the Mojo 'Film of the Year' Award.[4][5]
Ellis has also recorded electronic music as Zarelli,[6][7][8] releasing an album, Soft Rains in 2015 which featured the voice of Leonard Nimoy narrating the Ray Bradbury short story There Will Come Soft Rains.[8]
In 2017 Ellis formed the Welsh folk group Bendith[9][10] and their self-titled album was nominated for the Welsh Music Prize[11][12][13][14] and went on to win the Welsh Language Album of the Year 2017 award at National Eisteddfod of Wales.[9][15][16]
Since 2016 Ellis has hosted a regular themed radio show on Soho Radio.[17]
In 2019, Ellis embarked on the first solo project under his own name, Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18. A collaborative project sung in Welsh and recorded mainly in Rio de Janeiro. The album, Joia! was nominated for the Welsh Music Prize. A documentary film on the making of the record, Carwyn Ellis: Ar Y Cei Yn Rio went on to win the Best Welsh language short Film award at the Wales International Documentary Festival.[18][19]
In 2020, Ellis releases Single Cherry Blossom Promenade and EP Ti to raise funds for personal protective equipment (PPE) for Welsh health and care workers.[20]
During lockdown in UK, Ellis released Chaos Wonderland under the Colorama project on 31 July 2020 [21] and the follow-up to 2019’s Welsh Music Prize shortlisted Joia!, Ellis released Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18's second album Mas on 25 February 2021.[22]
The most recent album Yn Rio by the Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18 features the BBC National Orchestra of Wales was released on 22 October 2021, originally performed live and broadcast in March 2021 on BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 6 Music.[22]
^"Music - Colorama". BBC. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
^"Simple Minds & The Pretenders to perform GRANDSLAM 2018". Liz Hobbs Group.
^"Listen: Edwyn Collins x Carwyn Ellis - 'Fulmar'". Clash Magazine. 6 June 2017.
^"NME Best Music Film". NME.
^"Louder Than War : The Possibilities Are Endless: Music From the Film: Edwyn Collins & Carwyn Ellis". Louderthanwar.com. 14 November 2014.
^"ZARELLI (feat. Leonard Nimoy) - Soft Rains". Bronzerat.limitedrun.com.
^Tomlinson, Graham (3 June 2015). "In Conversation with Carwyn Ellis". Walesartsreview.org.
^ ab"MOJO - Watch A Cosmic Tribute To Star Trek's Leonard Nimoy". Mojo4music.com.
^ ab"Bucks Music Group". Bucks Music Group. Archived from the original on 1 September 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
^Selar, Y. (25 September 2016). "Cyfweliad: Carwyn Ellis yn cyfri Bendith-ion". Y Selar.
^"Welsh Music Prize Nominees 2015". Welshmusicprize.com. Archived from the original on 31 May 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
^"Welsh Welsh Music Prize 2017 shortlist announced including Gruff Rhys, Bendith, Georgia Ruth". Getintothis.co.uk. 21 September 2017.
^"Welsh Music Prize 2017 Shortlist Announced". Wales Art Review. 21 September 2017.
^"Welsh Welsh Music Prize Nominees 2016-2017". SWN. Archived from the original on 17 December 2017. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
^"Bendith win the Welsh Language Album of the Year Award | National Eisteddfod". Eisteddfod.wales.
^"Bendith yn ennill Tlws Albwm y Flwyddyn". Bbc.co.uk. 11 August 2017.
^"Carwyn Ellis – Soho Radio London". Sohoradiolondon.com. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
^"S4C - Carwyn Ellis: Ar y Cei yn Rio". BBC.
^"S4C Clic". S4C.
^"God is in the tv : NEWS: Carwyn Ellis releases EP 'Ti' to raise funds for PPE in Wales". 1 May 2020.
^"ALl Music: Chaos Wonderland Review". AllMusic.
^ ab"Greedy For Best Music : Yn Rio : Carwyn Ellis Delivers 3rd Album Of Welsh Tropicalia Performed W/ The BBC National Orchestra Of Wales". 27 October 2021.
2016 Ellis has hosted a regular themed radio show on Soho Radio. In 2019, Ellis embarked on the first solo project under his own name, CarwynEllis & Rio...
Singapore Grand Prix. They were joined by keyboardist/acoustic guitarist CarwynEllis in autumn 2012.[citation needed] On 6 September 2016, Stevie Nicks announced...
player Carwyn Ellis (born 1973), Welsh musician, composer, and producer Carwyn James (1929–1983), Welsh rugby union player and coach Carwyn Jones (born...
pedal steel guitarist Eric Heywood (both since 2008) and keyboardist CarwynEllis (since 2017). The Pretenders were formed in the spring of 1978 by Chrissie...
Title Album details The Possibilities Are Endless (with CarwynEllis and Sebastian Lewsley) Released: 9 November 2014 Label: AED Formats: CD, LP, digital...
bassist and guitarist of Motörhead, lived here from the age 10 to age 16. CarwynEllis (born 1973), lead singer for Colorama moved about before his family settled...
Stephen Street, who worked on the band's albums in the 1990s. Keyboardist CarwynEllis and pedal steel guitarist Eric Heywood are not featured on the recording...
(soprano and first female fellow of the academy) Pip Eastop (horn player) CarwynEllis (rock musician, composer, arranger) Christopher Elton (pianist) John...
Walbourne Mick Jones Johnny Depp Bass: Cait O'Riordan Hammond organ/piano: CarwynEllis Drums: Rob Walbourne Fire Hydrant: Mick Jones "19 and Mad" (1978) Small...
Williams – bass, double bass Eliza Carthy – fiddle Jim Boquist Eric Haywood CarwynEllis Rob Walbourne Fair Warning (2014, Island; CD, vinyl, digital download...
Krautrock gambol with a sprinkling of Ethiopiques (courtesy of guest pianist CarwynEllis, of the Zarelli and Edwyn Collins' band). The album was released on 20...