A group of Welsh presenters had quite the experience when taking a taxi in Qatar while covering the World Cup as their driver surprised them by having Yma o Hyd on his playlist. The song by Dafydd Iwan has become an adopted anthem for Welsh football fans, giving it a whole new lease of life in recent months
S4C presenter and journalist Sioned Dafydd shared the "surreal" footage of the driver's playlist online, saying that the driver had the song ready to go when he found out where they were from. On Twitter she wrote: "Hands down one of the most surreal moments I’ve ever had. Taxi Driver: “Where are you from?” Us: “Wales. Gareth Bale.” And then out of nowhere… he had this on his YouTube playlist."
The song has become so synonymous with the Welsh football team's world cup campaign that Dafydd Iwan even travelled out to Qatar to perform it to a pub of adoring fans. The incredible footage can be found here.
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The song was written by Iwan in 1983 and released at a time of political and economical turmoil in Wales, where the age of Thatcherism saw many coal pits closing, thousands of men and women losing their jobs and times of great hardship for many. The title translates to ‘Still Here’. Almost 40 years later, the song has become the soundtrack of Welsh football, with fans up and down the country - and in Qatar itself - belting out the tune at every opportunity.
And it seems as though it's not just Welsh people who have taken the song under their wing, with Sioned saying the driver already had the emotional tune on his playlist. She said that she was traveling back to her hotel in Doha with colleagues when their driver asked where they were from.
She said that they replied the usual of "Wales, Gareth Bale" and the driver - who told them he was from India - said he supported Brazil. Next minute, out of nowhere, the driver pulled up his YouTube playlist and started playing Yma o Hyd. Sioned said they hadn't even mentioned it to him beforehand and that the experience was "totally bonkers."
On Monday, Dafydd Iwan has given Welsh fans a moment they'll never forget by turning up at a hotel in Doha and leading a rousing rendition of the song ahead of the team's first world cup clash against the USA.
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