It looks like our Breton lass is really getting big in Japan. Good luck to you Cecile!
Cecile Corbel – live session
An Hini a garan “the one I love”
Musicians :
Cecile Corbel : harp & vocals
Pascal Boucaud : bass
Cyril Maurin : Guitar
JB Mondoloni : bodhran
Eric Zorgniotti : cello
Laurent Muller : viola
Gilles Donge : violin
recorded live at the Satellit Café – Paris – march 2010 – (c) Bran Music
July 13 marks a big day for Canada’s Great Big Sea as they released a new album Safe Upon The Shore celebrating their 18th year in the industry. The album is composed of 14 tracks . It has a wonderful cover artwork! “Nothing But a Song’ is the first single. There is something wonderfully bouncy about the song that reminds you it is summer. Check out somewhere around 2:15 of this video where the fun really escalates..
Texas-based Celtic Rock band Needfire is also in the middle of a hectic tour. Their music is a combination of straight ahead rock, Americana and celtic styles. Traditional instruments like bagpipes, fiddles and even didgeridoo are utilized both in recordings and live shows. Check out the following schedules here: http://www.needfire.com/news.htm
Christian Celtic band Iona are preparing for their September tour this year. This band is fronted by Joanne Hogg who has one of the most beautiful voices since Moya Brennan and Karen Matheson. Watch out for latest updates here . Iona disappeared from the music scene for almost a decade and now it looks like they will sweep the scene once more.
I have been looking for a Tri Yann site in English because their official site is in French. There is however this one helpful link in English which lists their discography and videos . Check out NME’s Tri Yann page.
Galician culture finally has a home in The Galician Way, an online magazine that covers topics from films, books,tunes, art and shows. Everything you need is there.
The official site of Breton singer Denez Prigent is now on construction. One of his musical highlights was having two songs featured in a movie Black Hawk Down with Lisa Gerrard (Gortoz A Ran is one of them). This song is entirely in Breton as you can see in this video. This is one song that is simply perfect when sang as a duet with former Dead Can Dance other half Lisa Gerrard.
AlzheiMelilla of YouTube provided a translation for this song:
Teuio en-dro an avel c’hlas
[Will come back the blue wind]
– Da analañ va c’halon c’hloaz’t
[To breathe my wounded heart]
– Kaset e vin diouzh e anal
[I will be pulled away by its blow]
– Pell gant ar red en ur vro all
[Far away by its stream to another land]
– Kaset e vin diouzh e alan
[I will be pulled away by its breath]
– Pell gant ar red, hervez ‘deus c’hoant
[Far away by its stream, wherever it wants]
Hervez ‘deus c’hoant pell eus ar bed
[Wherever it wants, far away from this world]
– Etre ar mor hag ar stered
[Between the sea and the stars]
When one hears the sound of the bombard as well as the binou one will realize that this could only come from one place in the world-Brittany. For years now, Austen, Texas based Poor Man’s Fortune has been recording and performing authentic Breton music. This 5-piece band is consist of French, Scottish and American members who are recognized in their individual fields as accomplished musicians. And accidental browsing through YouTube brought them to my attention and from this moment on, their albums are a welcomed addition to my growing collection.
Official site:http://poormansfortune.com/music/
Been a fan of Alan Stivell and I tried to learn this song by heart . I found the English translation to this by Bobby Bob and Ellan Vannin. However the beauty of this song really blooms through its native tongue. Breton language is fascinating to study. Too bad I am still struggling with my Irish Gaelic. The one on the video is from Arany Zoltán, a rising singer/song writer from Hungary. Visit http://www.aranyzoltan.hu/ and http://www.youtube.com/user/aranzoltan
The lyrics in Breton are –
Tri martolod yaouank tra la la la digatra
Tri martolod yaouank o vonet da veajiñ
O vonet da veajiñ ge, o vonet da veajiñ
Gant ‘n avel bet kaset tra la la la digatra
Gant ‘n avel bet kaset betek an Douar-Nevez
Betek an Douar-Nevez ge, betek an Douar-Nevez
E-kichen Meilh-ar-Wern tra la la la digatra
E-kichen Meilh-ar-Wern o deus moulhet o eorioù
O deus mouilhet o eorioù ge, o deus mouilhet o eorioù
Hag e-barzh ar veilh-se tra la la la digatra
Hag e-barzh ar veilh-se e oa ur servijourez
E oa ur servijouirez ge, e oa ur servijourez
Hag e c’houlenn ganin tra la la la digatra
Hag e c’houlenn ganin pelec’h hor boa konesañs
Pelec’h hor boa konesañs ge, pelec’h hor boa konesañs
E Naoned er marc’had tra la la la digatra
E Naoned er marc’had hor boa choazet ur walenn
Hor boa choazet ur walenn ge, hor boa choazet ur walenn
You can see that the structure of the song is quite repetitive, so the following attempt at a translation just tries to deal with the operative words in each verse – you’ll have to sort out the vocables for yourself.
In fact, you’ll probably have to sort out the meaning for yourself! I hesitate to attempt any Breton, not knowing how the grammar operates to any great extent.
However, by fumbling through my Breton dictionary, some sort of story seems to emerge – the nearer the end, the more hazy my attempts get, needless to say. Take it all with a pinch of salt!
Three young sailors went travelling
By means of a strong wind they were sent up to Newfoundland
In the vicinity of Meilh-ar-Wern (the mill on the marsh?) they set(?) their anchors
And inside that mill was a female servant
And she asked me where were our usual neighbours
In Nantes in the market our customary chosen circle
I hope you can find a Breton speaker to give you the proper thing.
Shoh slaynt – yec’hed mat,
Bobby Bob, Enez Manav
P.S.
I found this interesting wiki article about Celtic fusion: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_fusion
Now that we have explored Brittany, let us look into the type of Celtic music and dance from that place. Link1 , link2
Now remember that Breton language is another Celtic branch of language just like Irish and Welsh. Look further here for more information.
Here’s Denez Prigent who is Brittany’s own pride in Breton Celtic music revival. Woooah! I feel like dancing.
And here’s his duet with Australian singer/composer and the other half of Dead Can Dance Lisa Gerard. This is taken from the movie Black Hawk Down.
Celtic Music Fan 