I know next to nothing about this topic, but I'll throw in a few odds 'n' sods from Wales ...

The cabaret singer, Iris Williams, is a Cardiff girl and got her start on a Welsh-language folk/variety t.v. programme in the '60s singing a Welsh adaptation of Amazing Grace (in Welsh). The producer chose the song and taught it to her phonetically. She was a major hit and I think she helped changed a lot of attitudes in terms of expectations of who sings in Welsh; also in terms of 'delivery styles' of Welsh hymns. I don't think she'd sung professionally before that.

Shirley Bassey is a Cardiff girl too, but I don't know where she got her start. Probably not connected to 'folk'.

A lot of popular sing-along songs, in Welsh, trace back to minstrel show songs. Whether or not they count as black music is another thing ...

In the '70s, one of the major folk/rock/pop singers, Geraint Jarmain, was into Carribean rhythms Big Time and influenced a many other more trad. artists, bringing a whole lot of new rhythms to the music. Geraint, like a number of the young Cardiff Welsh of the time, spent a lot of time down in 'the docks' where all the really good clubs and musics were, and they were largely black run and oriented. When I worked in the theatre there, a Saturday night down in 'Butetown' or 'Tiger Bay' was the definition of a good time. And when the banana boats came in to Barry docks - well! You didn't see some of the back-stage crew for days ...

There's also a weird element of 'what-goes-round-comes-round' in Welsh music. In the 1800s the Welsh Methodists sent legions of missionaries to Cassia in India with huge effects on the indigenous culture (I make no comments here on that) including instilling a love of part-singing of hymns. These days, the Cassians regularly send small choirs to Wales ... as missionaries. And they're cracking good singers, and can teach Welsh choirs a thing or two.

I'm currently putting some projects together with the Cardiff bay area ethnic communities to help them access trad. Welsh musics. They're telling me that political correctness is driving them mad. All the politicians want them to 'be' ethnic and expect (demand?) the steel drum bands and mid-eastern dance, et al. But they don't make any provision for these communities to access the 'welsh' side of their identities. I expect someone will end up giving me flak for foisting this 'white' culture on them ... but, fer heaven's sake !!! ...the request originated with the locals. Sheesh. In actual fact, one of the inner city schools has a steel band that has competed in the Urdd Eisteddfod (national youth music competitive festival) and wiped the floor with the usual school orchestras. 'Men of Harlech' is HOT on steel drums!

sian