Voices (2)

Women of Brittany
1996

Tracks:

1) Marie-Aline Lagadic: Kloareg koad ar rannou
2) Klervi Riviere: Chanig Manuel
3) Annie Ebrel: Feunteun arwaz-haleg
4) Lydie Le Gall: Par un lundi matin
5) Marie-Aline Lagadic & Klervi Riviere: Prinsez an amour
6) Marie-Aline Lagadic & Klervi Riviere: Labousig ar hoad
7) Lydie Le Gall: PP Ma Commere et ma mie
8) Annie Ebrel: Sekrejou ar hloareg
9) Klervi Riviere: Naig Kalvez
10) Marie-Aline Lagadic: Katellig
11) All: Le Tic-Tac du moulin

All unaccompanied vocals.

Some notes in English but mostly in French including the lyrics.
Covers three 'regions' of the Celtic part of France.

  

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 The CD is exactly what you'd imagine - Lydie Le Gall, Annie Ebrel, Marie-Aline Lagadic and her daughter Klervi Riviere singing wholly traditional songs in Breton and French, accapella, individually and collectively. The women of Brittany have always been essential to the legacy of the vocal traditions of their culture, as the notes point out, which is good to know and here are songs from the Bigouden region, Upper Cornouaille and French speaking Brittany. The "Gwerz" (Breton lament) is well to the fore, and the lyrics are predominantly of love - unrequited, attempted and spurned. It happens every day of course in traditional song and these are excellent performances by superb singers at the peak of their powers. Thankfully the booklet gives a precis of each lyric - especially helpful to the non-Breton speaker/reader! My favourite item is "Labousig ar hoad" with a lovely melody sung by Marie-Aline and Klervi which tells of a sailor asking a young woman to go with him on a boat to England - an offer which is most likely being made even as you read this and one that is refused. Plus ca change!

~Clive Pownceby

  

Keltia Musique