In 1983, Welsh folk singer Dafydd Iwan, wrote one of his most notable works - Yma o Hyd. The song, which translates to 'Still Here' in Welsh, came at a time of political and economical turmoil, 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.
People felt like they were "losing Wales", Dafydd explained, as four years prior to the song's release the 1979 Welsh devolution referendum found that an overwhelming 79.9% voted against a National Assembly of Wales. The song therefore was an emblem of hope, a song about courage and overcoming, a song that simply wanted to say that "in spite of everyone and everything, we're still here".
Little did the folk singer and politician know back then however, that the song would become much more than that. Today, the song can be heard at the Racecourse Ground in Wrexham, in Parc y Scarlets in Llanelli and as seen last Thursday, is also a fan favourite with the Red Wall of the Wales football team.
Read more: Yma o Hyd full lyrics, meaning and why Wales football fans started singing it
Dafydd Iwan has spoken about the joy of performing the song at Wales' World Cup play-off against Austria last week, which saw the men in red beat their visitors 2-1 at Cardiff City Stadium in Cardiff. The performance has been hailed by many as a moment of national significance. According to Mr Iwan, he had known "for some time" that the song meant a lot to the national football team's fans and was "honoured" to perform in the lead up to the highly anticipated game.
"Football Association of Wales contacted me and asked if I wanted to perform 'Yma o Hyd' before the game because it was a favourite with Y Wal Goch [the 'Red Wall']," he told WalesOnline. "My sons are avid Welsh football fans - they've been to nearly every game, travelled for the Euro's and so on, and they told me that the Welsh fans would often sing the song during matches.
"I have sung in stadiums before and they can be a bit of a nightmare at times. So I agreed to do it as long as I had a good microphone and monitors to hear the music and make a good performance. I was slightly nervous beforehand - performances are always different to what you expect. There was always a risk that something would go wrong and I was prepared for that. But one thing I wasn't prepared for was the experience itself."
With a tear rolling down his face during the performance, it was evident to many that the experience meant a lot for the singer. Many have praised him for the "phenomenal performance" on social media. In response, Dafydd Iwan admitted that the experience was an "emotional" one.
He added: "I get quite emotional singing certain songs, especially this one. But the atmosphere and sound made it all the more special. The Red Wall was like one big choir singing it with me. It was fantastic to realise for myself in that moment what it meant to the fans - the song has almost become like an anthem to them, and what's even more fantastic is knowing that Welsh and non-Welsh speakers were singing it too.
"For the last 40 years, this has been the song I have finished every gig with. Wherever I have been since Thursday - whether that is chapel or on the street, people have come up to me to talk about the performance. I didn't realise the impact this song has on so many people.
"The song is essentially about survival - Wales is still here and the Welsh language is very much alive. It's also about celebrating being a small nation. The Welsh football team has contributed a lot to those aspects as well. We have a good team there - and I'm not just talking about Bale or Ramsey, but the other young lads too. There's passion and pride there, they know what and for who they are playing for."
