Cardiff singer-songwriter Mari Mathias and Indian musician Seyievnuo Chuzho are bringing the sounds of Nagaland to Wales as they collaborate on a week-long musical UK tour. This is marking the return leg of a musical partnership that began last year with Mari’s visit to India to perform at India’s largest tribal heritage festival, Hornbill Festival, in Nagaland, as part of Welsh Government’s Wales and India Year.
Supported by the British Council, Seyie is now visiting the UK for the first time, enabling her to deepen the artistic collaboration with Mari. During this visit, the two musicians will perform together at venues in London and across Wales and they will also preview their collaborative debut single 'Tsakha x Plannu' - a song that bridges Welsh and Naga cultures through shared themes of land and nature. The song officially launches later in the year.
The exchange will begin with a performance at the Nehru Centre in London tonight, 11 June before the pair travel to West Wales, where they'll perform at the Bluestone Brewery Festival in Newport, Pembrokeshire on 13 June. The visit will culminate with appearances at Tafwyl on the 15th, Cardiff's Welsh language festival, showcasing their collaboration for audiences in Wales.
Audiences can expect to experience some of the magic of the Hornbill Festival brought to UK stages as Mari and Seyievinuo perform together with Mari's full band. They will showcase two collaborative tracks the pair have worked on digitally, featuring the sounds of Nagaland's nature - birdsong and tribal singing woven into the backing tracks designed to transport UK audiences to the landscapes and communities of Nagaland.
Mari says about the upcoming performances: “We are blending traditional folk songs from both our countries by singing harmoniously, learning and even singing in each other's languages.”
Alongside these collaborations, audiences will also get a chance to hear their new single 'Tsakha x Plannu that blends traditional folk songs from each country and weaves together Mari's Welsh-language verse about connecting with land with Seyievinuo's Nagamese lyrics celebrating the planting season and harvest, highlighting their shared connections, stories, and agricultural traditions across both cultures.
Supported by the British Council, Mari travelled to Nagaland in December 2024 as part of the Welsh Government's Year of Wales in India. The BBC Folk Award winner, known for her contemporary approach to traditional West-Wales folk melodies, sparked an immediate connection with Seyievinuo at the 25th Hornbill Festival. Their collaboration culminated in a powerful performance to 7,000 people at the festival's opening ceremony, with 2 million more watching online.
During her India visit, Mari performed three times - from jazz clubs in New Delhi to the main stage at the Hornbill Festival - and discovered some interesting parallels between Welsh and Naga musical traditions. Now, Seyievinuo will experience Welsh culture firsthand, marking her first-ever visit to the UK.
Speaking about the collaboration, Mari said: "This exchange has already been such a transformative experience for both Seyie and myself, allowing us to share our cultural identities, language and heritage on a global stage. Bringing Seyie's Naga folk traditions back to Wales feels like completing that circle.
"We only had two weeks before the ceremony in Nagaland to create something, but we really pushed each other creatively. Now we're bringing that energy to Wales and are excited preview our new song for audiences here. I’m really looking forward to introducing Seyievinuo to Wales and for her to experience some of the landscapes and traditions that inspire my music, from the Ceredigion coastline where I grew up, to the mountains near Cardiff”.
“Indigenous and folk music can serve as vital links to our histories, celebrating land, nature, and traditional practices. For us, it’s all about fostering a sense of joy and community that can unite people through challenging times."
Seyievinuo, a PhD research scholar in History and Archaeology at Nagaland University, brings academic knowledge to complement her music. She is also the founder of the Seyie Intrepid folk troupe representing 16 Naga tribes. Both artists have a deep interest in preserving indigenous traditions and using music to promote cultural understanding. Mari's work with traditional folk melodies from West Wales and Pembrokeshire aligns with Seyievinuo's mission to document and showcase the diverse folk traditions of Nagaland's 16 tribes.
Elena Schmitz, Head of Arts at British Council Wales, said: "This musical partnership beautifully demonstrates how cultural exchange can create lasting artistic relationships across borders. Mari and Seyievinuo's collaboration shows the extraordinary power of bringing together voices from different continents - what started as a meeting at the Hornbill Festival has blossomed into a genuine creative partnership that celebrates both Welsh and Naga cultural heritage. We're delighted to support Seyievinuo's visit to Wales and look forward to seeing how this relationship continues to develop and thrive."
Mari and Seyievinuo will perform together at the Nehru Centre in London tonight (11 June ), The Bluestone Brewery on 13 June, which will also feature Mari’s band, and will take to the stage at Tafwyl on Sunday 15 June at 3pm.
The visit forms part of the British Council's ongoing work to foster cultural connections between the UK and India, building on the successful Wales-India cultural programme that has created opportunities for artists from both regions to share their work and develop new collaborations. It continues the British Council’s work, building connection, understanding and trust between people in the UK and overseas through arts and education.
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