OF all the things Barry is famous for, Beatboxing isn’t one - not yet anyway.

With the first Welsh Beatboxing Championship coming to Cardiff this January, you may be surprised to hear that the event’s organisers are both from Barry.

You may be even more surprised when you hear what these vocal percussionists can do, using just their voice as an instrument.

Beatboxing is the art of creating drum beats with your vocals, emerging from the 1980’s American hip-hop scene and evolving to incorporate everything from bass lines to speech, from sound effects and singing - sometimes all at once.

Keen to promote the art form, Colcot’s Matthew Hann, 30, was inspired to bring a Championship to Wales after attending competitions across Europe and specifically the 2014 Irish finals.

Matthew or “Beatbox Hann” as he is known in the community is also competing in the event, at the Moon Club, Cardiff on Saturday, January 17.

Given a possible conflict of interest, the organisational reigns were handed off to fellow beatbox enthusiast Steve Dancey, from Cadoxton.

Thirty-three year old Steve, of Mean Business Media promotions, said: “I’ve been interested in it for years as a facet of hip-hop which I’ve been into since I was about 12.

“It’s something that’s growing, there’s been a lot of interest in it over the last few years, down to people having more access to it through Youtube and things.

“But there seems to be a bit of a gap, there’s nobody promoting live beatboxing locally.”

Matthew Hann started beatboxing around 10-years-ago, accompanying friends while they performed freestyle raps. Having honed his talent over the years he is keen to highlight the talent in Wales and create a local scene.

“I love the musicality of it,” he said. “It’s about keeping time and creating drums with a bass line and some sound effects and keeping it all together.

“There’s such an array of beatboxing talent, there’s going to be people competing from Swansea, Ebbw Vale, Carmarthen, Newport, Pontypridd.

“I don’t think people expect the amount of talent and the high level of beatboxing there is in Wales. It’s kind of slept on, but we’re trying to bring it to the forefront and also find out who is the best beatboxer in Wales.”

The Welsh Beatboxing Championships will be hosted by by Radio Cardiff presenter and hip-hop artist Oort Kuiper. Judging the championships will be; 2014 Irish Beatbox Champion 16-year-old Jay “Scorch” Underwood along with professional beatboxer/performers Sid FX and Cardiff’s Beatbox Fozzy.

The event is running as part of the venue’s month long “Free For All Festival” as a not-for-profit event relying on donations with all contributions going towards promotion, prizes and towards the 2016 Championships.

The after party features a night of live hip-hop including Barry based crew Squid Ninjaz.

For more information and to see all the competitor entry videos visit WelshBeatboxChamps at Facebook or @BeatboxWales on Twitter.

To see Beatbox Hann in action watch our video at www.barryanddistrictnews.co.uk