Kizzy Crawford facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kizzy Crawford
Crawford performing on Ochr 1's Antena programme in 2016
Background information
Also known as	Kizzy
Born	Oxford, England
Origin	Wales
Genres	Folk, soul, pop, indie, jazz
Occupation(s)	Musician, singer, songwriter, producer.
Instruments	Guitar, bass, violin, vocals
Years active	2012–present

Kezia Lily Rose "Kizzy" Crawford-Southgate, often called Kizzy, is a talented singer and songwriter from Wales. She has family roots in Barbados. Kizzy sings in both English and Welsh, mixing old and new styles in her music. She started writing her own songs when she was just thirteen years old.

About Kizzy's Early Life

Kizzy was born in Oxford, England. When she was young, her family moved to Wales. They lived in places like Aberaeron and Llandeilo before settling in Merthyr Tydfil. Her mother wanted to raise her children in Wales, as she loved spending her own childhood holidays there.

Kizzy's father's family comes from the beautiful island of Barbados. She learned Welsh from a young age and is the oldest of five children. Her sister, Eädyth, is also a singer!

When Kizzy was 26, she learned that she has autism. This means her brain works in a unique way, and she experiences the world differently.

Kizzy's Music Career

Kizzy's music journey began to shine in 2012. She won a special prize called the Arts Connect Original Singer-Songwriter award. This led to her working with famous songwriter Amy Wadge. Together, they recorded Kizzy's first song, Starling.

Early Performances and Releases

In 2013, Kizzy performed "The Starling" live on BBC Radio Wales. Her first song was released in November 2013. Soon after, she released her first collection of songs, called an EP, titled Temporary Zone. She appeared on many radio and TV shows in Wales. Kizzy also performed at big music events like FOCUS Wales Festival, the Sŵn festival, and the Green Man Festival. She even sang at historic places like Caerphilly Castle.

In 2014, Kizzy signed a deal with a music publishing company called BDi Music. This helped her music reach more people.

Big Moments in Music

Kizzy's voice was featured in the BBC Wales promotions for the Six Nations Championship in 2014. She sang the famous Welsh song "Calon Lân". Later that year, she was chosen as one of twelve new artists for BBC Horizons.

She performed her song "Golden Brown" and "Calon Lân" live on BBC Radio 4 in 2014. Kizzy also got to perform at the famous Glastonbury Festival on the BBC Introducing stage. She has since played at many other festivals, including WOMEX, Hay Festival, and Cheltenham Jazz Festival.

In 2015, Kizzy released a song called "Shout Out / Yr Alwad". This song was chosen to be the background music for the Visit Wales 2015 TV and online campaign, encouraging people to visit Wales.

Kizzy performed alongside the famous band Manic Street Preachers at the Euro 16 Welsh team homecoming concert at Cardiff City Stadium.

Music in Education and Collaborations

In 2016, some of Kizzy's songs were chosen to be part of the WJEC A Level Music Syllabus. This means students studying music could learn about her compositions. She was also invited to talk about her music on Woman's Hour for BBC Radio 4.

Later in 2016, Kizzy worked with jazz pianist Gwilym Simcock. They created a project called Birdsong - Can Yr Adar. This music was inspired by the Welsh rainforest in Carngafallt. They wrote new songs together and toured Wales with an orchestra called Sinfonia Cymru. Their tour ended with a performance at the London Jazz Festival. In 2018, they released the Birdsong-Can Yr Adar CD.

In 2017, Kizzy performed with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. She also had a small acting role as PC Emma Jones in the BBC drama Keeping Faith.

Kizzy signed with Freestyle Records in 2018 and released her album The Way I Dream in 2019. In 2021, she released her first Welsh album, Rhydd, which she recorded, produced, and mixed herself.

Kizzy's Support for Wales

In September 2019, Kizzy showed her support for Welsh independence at a rally in Merthyr Tydfil. She sang Calon Lân with her sister Eädyth. Welsh independence is the idea that Wales should be an independent country, making its own decisions, rather than being part of the United Kingdom.

Kizzy's Music Albums and Singles

Here are some of the songs and albums Kizzy Crawford has released:

• The Starling (2013)
• Temporary Zone (2013)
• Golden Brown (2014)
• Shout Out / Yr Alwad (2015)
• Pili Pala (2015)
• Imago (2015)
• Birdsong / Can Yr Adar (2018)
• The Way I Dream (2019)
• Rhydd (2021)