The Chicago Tafia Welsh Society

The Tafia is an expatriate Welsh

Welsh people

The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...

 group that was formed in Chicago in 1999. As one of the youngest and consequently the most contemporary Welsh groups in North America, they are well-known to provide a real link to the present culture of Wales to the Chicago area.

The group’s activities are varied with social get-together s to watch Welsh sporting events and musicians in addition to the typical cultural events such as St. David's Day. That is not to say that the traditional elements of Welsh culture are taken for granted by the group, over the years they have been involved with over a dozen concerts for Welsh male voice choirs in the Chicago area, including the Pendyrus, Penrhyn, Bangor, Black Mountain, Burlington and CF1 choirs at prominent Chicago venues.

In 2007 the group scored a double hit by attracting the former lead singer of Catatonia, Cerys Matthews

Cerys Matthews

Cerys Elizabeth Matthews is a Welsh singer and songwriter. She is known as the lead singer of the Welsh rock band Catatonia, her more recent bilingual solo career, and for a 1998 Christmas duet with Tom Jones.-Biography:...

 to entertain the group at their annual St. David’s Day party and also the passing of Illinois General Assembly signing into law Bill HR0149 that proclaimed March 1, 2007, and each year thereafter, as St. David's Day in the State of Illinois and recognizing the Welsh contribution to the state.

In 2009, 2010 & 2011 The Chicago Tafia partnered with the British Consulate-General in Chicago and Colliers B&K to illuminate the iconic Wrigley Building

Wrigley Building

The Wrigley Building is a skyscraper located directly across Michigan Avenue from the Tribune Tower on the Magnificent Mile...

 red, white, and green (the colours of the Welsh flag) on Saint Davids Day on Sunday, March 1.

External links

• The Chicago Tafia Welsh Society
• The Chicago Tafia on Facebook
• The Chicago Tafia on Twitter
• The Chicago Tafia on You Tube
• The Chicago Tafia on AmeriCymru
• The Chicago Tafia on MySpace
• Full text of Illinois House Resolution HR0149 proclaming St. David's Day and the Welsh contribution to the State of Illinois

Newspaper, Magazine & Web articles about the Chicago Tafia

• The Loyola Phoenix - Closer Look gets a glimpse of the 13th annual Chicago Celtic Fest (September 22, 2009)
• Annual kilt contest skirts the issue - The Chicago Tafia in the Chicago Sun Times 11 September 2009
• Wrigley Building Lit in Welsh Colours for St. David's Day 2009
• BBC.co.uk - Wales and the World Honour St. David
• An interview by the London Welsh with the Chicago Tafia
• BBC Wales - 28 February 2007
• BBC Wales - 24 September 2004