The Irish from Brittany

The Irish from Brittany is a co-production by Amzer Nevez cultural centre - Interceltic Festival of Lorient and La Grande Boutique (Centre- Brittany organisation that promotes Breton bands) and features 4 renowned Breton musicians :

Véronique Bourjot : Vocals Brewen Favrau: Uilleann Pipes, low whistle, tin whistle and Biniou Kevin Le Pennec: Harp, vocals Soazig Hamelin: Violon, vocals

The Irish from Brittany is a musical creation delving into historical roots of traditional a cappella singing in Breton and Irish , Breton dancing as well as Irish slow airs, jigs and reels. We imagines the musical encounter of two people through an immersive show, that is translated in English language as well.

The trailer : (translated by Blandine Fourchet):

The Irish from Brittany is an artistic creation around Irish and Breton music which seeks to shed light on a lesser-known aspect of our history (Breton history), that is the immigration of tens of thousands of Irish people here over more than a century right up the 1800s. While researching the works of historians who have studied Irish immigration, the musicians found that hundreds of families had Irish surnames without knowing it. These names were Bretonised. "Súilleabháin" became "Soulevan". These traces can also be found in the architecture and certain traditions. This Irish presence is attested to in the civil registers at that period.

"With the Irish of Brittany , we imagined what the meeting of these two cultures might have been like, while still taking a certain amount of liberty. To do this, we composed songs and tunes and delved into traditional sources. We wanted to create an immersive experience using quotes taken from archives but also using soundscapes." It is a very rich creation and an ambitious music encounter in four languages, Breton, Irish Gaelic, French and English. You will hear instruments that are emblematic of Irish music , and which have become firmly established alongside our own traditional music instruments.

"With this creation, we are giving the spectator an insight into an area of our own history that fascinates us as musicians ."