New look Cerys changes over to folk

WELSH pop star Cerys Matthews has reinvented herself as a folk singer after suffering a breakdown and breaking up her band.

Last night she made her first appearance since the demise of Catatonia last summer singing a Welsh-language duet with English folk singer Eliza Carthy at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Music Awards.

The singer, who made four albums with Catatonia and had a hit duet with Tom Jones - Baby It's Cold Outside - had not been seen on stage since April last year.

She has admitted having a breakdown in 2000 and last summer she checked into rehab, citing exhaustion and recurring asthma problems made worse by drinking and smoking.

A summer tour was cancelled and in September it was announced that Catatonia had split.

Cerys, 32, has been recording an album of traditional Welsh folk songs - many in her native language - and is due to make her comeback later this year.

Last night she said: "I'm just enjoying myself at the moment. I haven't really decided what I want to do in the future. I was really nervous tonight but it was nice to be on stage again singing the kind of music I grew up on."

Cerys also presented the award for the year's best newcomer to Irish singer Cara Dillon, 26, who won a second prize for best traditional track - Black Is The Colour - and performed it onstage.

Folk veteran Martin Carthy won the top prize of folk singer of the year, taking over from his wife Norma Waterson who won last year.

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