Machynlleth musician Cerys Hafana stars in a new television series where she gets to sing songs with leading figures in the Welsh music scene and discuss what inspires them.

Cerys' focus will be artists that weave both traditional and contemporary elements into their music on Curadur on Welsh language channel S4C next week.

“I've been playing Welsh folk music and the triple harp for years. But I got to a point where I was a bit bored with the usual way of making folk music, the nice and ‘eisteddfodic’ way of playing the harp and singing," she said.

“I felt that the story of Welsh folk was too simple and boring. There are so many different elements that blend into the tradition, I felt like there were darker, stranger or alternative sides that were being ignored.

“The way we choose to perform, interpret and manipulate these traditional songs can say a lot about how we look at our history and our stories. I would like to see Wales today being more creative with the history and looking more at the sides that have been ignored a bit.”

For the first episode of the new series on Thursday, November 18, at 10.45pm, Cerys has invited a handful of artists who strike a chord with her, to perform a special song and to discuss what inspires them.

Bragod are her first choice. The duo "who uses Robert ap Huw's ancient manuscripts to create out of this world performances" has inspired Cerys since she first heard them perform as a child.

Then there's a thrilling performance by Gwenifer Raymond, a "virtuoso guitarist with a PhD in astrophysics" in her intense and unusual style.

"I've also chosen Beth Celyn and Jordan Price Williams because I've been a fan of their work in other groups and as individuals for years," said Cerys. "So it was great to see that they created a project for the Eisteddfod, going through the National Library Archives and finding Welsh LGBT stories to create contemporary folk songs out of them."

The result is a feast of folk music with a contemporary flavour, to spark the imagination - songs that, in the words of Beth Celyn, ensure "representation and succession" to traditional tunes.

Former Fideo 9 presenter Eddie Ladd also appears, with a dance performance to accompany one of Cerys's songs.

Other influential artists that also feature in the series, include Heledd Watkins and Cate Le Bon.