Karaoke: English company's first Welsh language songs

Dafydd Iwan's Yma o Hyd has been chosen as one of the karaoke songs

A karaoke company from England has started to produce Welsh language songs for the first time.

Sunfly Karaoke has adapted six songs, including Dafydd Iwan's Yma o Hyd - the soundtrack of Wales' 2022 World Cup run.

There have been calls for the change for years to satisfy demand from Welsh would-be singers.

"If the demand is there, and there's another popular Welsh song we're missing, we'll do it," the firm said.

Bryn Hughes, who has hosted karaoke nights in south Wales for more than 20 years, said he has long been telling companies that the demand for Welsh karaoke is there.

"I started in 1998 and I thought there weren't many Welsh songs, if any," he said.

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Danny Beck, who is from Wales and a producer for London-based Sunfly, said an experience on holiday kickstarted the company's decision to offer Welsh language sing-a-long's.

"I was away in Benidorm, we were at a karaoke bar, and we all wanted to sing Yma o Hyd but it wasn't on the jukebox," he said.

"A few months later (the song) was kicking off, especially as Wales were going to the World Cup and I was asked to create the karaoke song.

"Hopefully this is the start of many more (Welsh karaoke songs) now."

Alistair James sings in Welsh, and his tune Angel is one of the songs now available on Sunfly.

"As a boy who still sings karaoke when I'm out with the lads on a night out it's so, so cool," he said.

Sunfly Karaoke said: "It can only be a good thing to have the option to sing a Welsh song if you want to.

"It's important for keeping the Welsh language alive."

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