Genod droog

Genod Droog is a hip-hop, indie, pop band form Wales, the band was formed in 2005 by Carwyn Jones, Gethin Evans, Dylan Roberts, Aneirin Karadog and Edward Holden.

History 2005 - present

Genod Droog was born form the desire of Edward Holden and Dylan Roberts to start playing live after Pep Le Pew, a successful hip-hop Welsh language band, split up in the winter of 2004.

Dylan Roberts, Gethin Evans and Carwyn Jones went to Ysgol Eifion Wyn and Ysgol Eifionydd with each other and have been friends from an early age.

Carwyn Jones was a DJ, DJing under the name DJ Kermit and DJ Kim De Bills to which he still now referred to within the band. Gethin Evans has played drums for a few groups the most successful would be Kentucky AFC until their split in 2007. Ed Holden is a DJ, rapper, producer and beat boxer and knew Dylan through Coleg Menai in Bangor and have had several side projects since they met in 1999, most notable Invisable Ninja Storm, Y Soffas and Pep Le Pew. Aneirin Karadog found Ed Holden through freestyle battles in Eisteddfod and subsequently joined the band having been in bands with Ed such ad the Syn-D-cut andY Diwygiad (The Reformation) Dylan Roberts or Dyl Mei, as he is known, is a producer from Porthmadog and has won several BBC Radio Cymru C2 awards for best producers for album's such as 'Baccta Crackin'' by Texas Radio Band and 'Un tro yn y gorllewin' by Pep Le Pew. He also has recorded many other bands during his time at Studio Blaen-y-Cae, Garndolbenmaen.

Between the five of them they decided that there was a place within the Welsh music scene to make a band that was entertaining as well as musically original.

Their first gig was with Drumbago and MC Saizmundo at the Railway Club in Bangor and have since been giging all over Wales with the a few exceptions of gigs in England. Most notable gig outside of Wales was in Barfly London as part of the first BBC Electric Proms festivals, where the band worked with Gill Edwards and Ensemble Cymru on two songs.

An early recording of Breuddwyd Oer featuring Gwyneth Glyn on vocals appeared on Dan y Cownter 2 compilation in 20061

They have gone on to win best live and most popular band awards by the BBC Cymru C2 RAP awards and are regarded as one of the best live bands in the Welsh language scene, because of their use of balloons, streamers and party atmosphere they produce during their live performances. Their biggest audience gig to date is a headlining the Sesiwn Fawr Dolgellau held annualy at Dolgellau.

The band were nominated as best live Welsh language act with Euros Childs, Sibrydion and Radio Lux at the 2007 Pop Factory Awards, held at the coal exchange Cardiff.

An Album is expected late 2007, early 2008.

Band name

  • 'Genod' means 'girls' in Welsh.
  • 'Droog' means 'friend' in Russian but comes from Nadsat which is a constructed slang dialect of English with many Russian influences invented by the linguist, novelist, and composer Anthony Burgess.
  • 'Drwg' in Welsh means bad, spelt with a 'w' rather than 'oo'.

Awards

  • 2006 Nominated 'Best live Welsh band' at the Pop Factory Awards
  • 2007 Nominated 'Best live Welsh band' at the Pop Factory Awards
  • 2007 BBC Radio Cymru Gwobrau RAP / BBC Cymru RAP Awards - Best live band
  • 2007 BBC Radio Cymru Gwobrau RAP / BBC Cymru RAP Awards - Most popular band voted by the listeners

Discography

  • 2006 - Dan y Cownter 2 - Welsh language board compalation

References

1 Breuddwyd Oer Review