Collection: Jeff Hughes

Flynyddoedd yn ôl, roedd Jeff yn hitchhicio ac fe’i codwyd gan rywun oedd yn byw ar gwch. Roedd y person hwnnw’n dychwelyd o’r goedwig ar ôl dewis a thorri coeden i gymryd lle mast ei gwch pren.

Daeth ysbrydoliaeth — gwreichionen — o hyn i wneud neu dyfu pethau nad ydynt yn dod â chod bar, ond yn uniongyrchol o’r hyn sydd o’n cwmpas. Mae wedi bod yn dysgu chwarae’r Gyil/seiloffon bach bach, ar ôl clywed yr offeryn mewn gŵyl ddrymiau yn y flwyddyn 2000. Ar ôl benthyca offeryn, gwnaeth un ei hun, ac yna sawl un arall.

Mae’n anodd dod o hyd i athro yn y DU, ond cafodd wersi i ddechrau gyda Ben Lawrence o Fryste, ac yna Baba Kone o Burkina, ac mae wedi teithio i Ghana am rai ymweliadau cymharol fyr, wedi’i ddenu gan ddiddordeb yn y Gyil. Yno cafodd wersi yn Accra gyda SK Kakraba Lobi a theithiodd i’r gogledd, lle cafodd ei wahodd i fod yn rhan o angladdau Lobi a Dagara. Hefyd, i ŵyl gynhaeaf Kobine.

Mae ei bartner Bettina yn chwarae’r ffidil a’r ffliwt, ac wedi bod yn dysgu/cyfuno rhai tiwns Cymraeg gyda thiwns gwerin Gyil ac offeryniaeth rydd.

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Many years ago, Jeff was hitchhiking and given a lift by someone who lived on a boat. This person was returning from going to the forest to select and cut a tree to replace the mast on his wooden boat. 

An inspiration, a spark came from this to make or grow things that don’t come with a barcode but directly from what is in our surroundings.

He has been learning to play Gyil/ xylophone ‘small small’, after hearing the instrument at a drum festival in the year 2000. After borrowing an instrument he made one, then several more.

It’s hard to find a teacher in the UK though he initially had lessons with Ben Lawrence from Bristol and then Baba Kone from Burkina and has been to Ghana for a couple of relatively short visits, drawn by an interest in the Gyil. There he had lessons in Accra with SK Kakraba Lobi and travelled up north and was invited to part of some Lobi and Dagara funerals. Also, to the Kobine harvest festival.

His partner Bettina plays fiddle and flute and has been learning/ bringing together some Tunes Cymraeg with Gyil Folk Tunes and improvisation.