WALES' answer to Kylie - Gwenno Saunders - will put in two appearances over the St David's Day weekend.

The 21-year-old popster will play the Wellington boozer on the Hayes tonight and the Yard in the new Brewery Quarter on St David's Day.

It's unusual to find Wales' top pop export in such wee venues which you can expect to be packed.

Last weekend Gwenno went down well at the Ladyfest event which featured a whole clutch of Welsh female artists.

She sings either in Welsh or Cornish but despite this has had a Top 5 hit in the dance charts with Fire In The Sky.

The single won her Best Newcomer at the Welsh Dance Music Awards in 2002 at which she was nominated for Best Female.

A Cardiff girl, she was originally a member of the Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance troupe and toured Las Vegas for several years.

She's also starred in Pobol Y Cwm but has since put all dancing and acting behind her to concentrate on music.

Caernarfon-based record label Crai signed her and released two EPs titled Mr Hud and her latest Vodya.

The former appeared on the video screens in clothes shops such as H&M and Top Shop alongside the likes of Kylie and Alica Keys.

The success continued at the Welsh Rock Music Awards in 2002 at which she won best video.

Last year she travelled to Holland to represent Cornwall in the Alternative Eurovision Song Contest with Vodya. Welsh band Epitaff represented Wales.

Gwenno won the People's Choice award after performing to 1,000 people.

She was presented with a plaque and her band members got a bouquet of flowers each, which embarrassed them as they are mostly blokes!

The winning song Vodya was co-written by her father Tim Saunders and Welsh group Llwybr Llaethog.

Gwenno performs the song in Cornish and since a young child she has been aware of her Cornish background.

She spoke Cornish with her father and Welsh with her mother.

"I used to watch the Eurovision Song contest on the television and think why nobody from Wales or Cornwall were allowed to perform on behalf of their country. I'm really proud to be able to promote the Cornish language through my singing and make it something that's relevant to young people as well," Gwenno has said.

"This competition is a great way to promote minority languages that often get let behind."