DaN Ar Braz

daN Ar Braz , Daniel the Arm for the civil statue, is a Auteur-compositeur-interprète French of origin and Breton culture , of which the major part of work raises of the Celtic Musique electric. It was born with Quimper, on January 15th, 1949.

Its course, which begin with a collaboration with the precursor Alan Stivell, continued with the adventure of the Héritage of the Celts, which federated many artists. He is considered, by some (the British magazine Melody Maker ) like one of the best guitarists in the world.

Biography

Influences

It is towards the 14 years age (in 1963) that daN Ar Braz discovers the Guitare. Its taste for the Rock makes him listen to artists such as Cliff Richard, the Shadows, Bob Dylan and a little later, Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones. Its training of the guitar is done in an empirical way, in the balls and the bars. Two years afterwards, it founds its first rock group called Mor

The Stivell period

DaN Ar Braz occurs in the balls of the area, its repertory consists of pieces of Donovan, Van Morrison, Rory Gallagher. For the guitar, it is attentive with the styles of Hank Marvin and the Pretty Things. In 1967, whereas he works like waiter with Bénodet, he makes the meeting of another musician: Alan Stivell; it is the beginning of a collaboration which will last ten years; Gabriel Yacoub future founder of Malicorne belongs to the adventure. The repertory of the group and his musicians mixes Breton, Irish and Scottish musics with the folk and the rock'n'roll. So far, its interest had not gone on the traditional music, it will discover another musical universe and will include/understand certain relationships to the melodies of musicians resulting from the Rock and the Folk. The group will be ground on the scenes of Brittany, it is at that time that daN becomes aware of its Breton roots (modification of its patronym) and that it works out its play of guitar, which will be worth to him the praises of the Melody Maker . From their area, they will pass to the European rounds, then with the North America and the Australia. The Celtic Musique is popular.

Parallel to the activity of scene, it takes part in the recording of seven albums (1972 - 1977) of the discography of Stivell, of which emblematic the Renaissance of the Celtic toothing-stone , Dirt tracks and E Dulenn - has Dublin (see discography hereafter). DaN Ar Braz will never hide the importance of Stivell in its approach of the music and of its own evolution.

The career solo

In 1973, whereas he works with Stivell, daN Ar Braz founds the Mor group, with the transitory destiny. Stations is the single album of the group, which one perceives the influence of Stephen Stills.

In 1976, it accompanies the British group of folk-rock'n'roll Fairport Convention for a round in England and with the the United States (it will find this group in 1983 for the recording of an album: AT2 - The Meeting Concert ).

In 1977, after the triumphal round of Alan Stivell in Australia in which it still takes part, after having accompanied Jacques Higelin time by a round, it leaves its first album solo: Douar Nevez . The following year it records “ Allez to say to the city” in which it includes texts of the poet Xavier Grall - texts resulting from the collection “ Sounds It rains and tombs ”. Then in 1979, it is The Earth spangle .

Of its own consent the Années 1980 are difficult years, perhaps because of a certain disaffection of the public, for this kind of music. It occurs in Italy, Germany and North America. Four albums are recorded for this period: Acoustic , Music for silences to come , blue September and Songs .

1992 is one year of intense activity. It continues the work started in 1979 on the texts of Xavier Grall while leaving an album. Rêves of Siam is the Original soundtrack of a film of Olivier Bourbeillon for which it is assisted of Martin Allcock, John Kirkpatrick and Ronan the Bars. the Islands of the memory is the third album of this year.

the Heritage of the Celts

In 1991, had left the album Borders off Salt , the song title will become emblematic Heritage of the Celts, which will be born three years later. At the time of the 70e Festival of Cornwall to Quimper in 1993, it gives the concert of fence, surrounded by 75 musicians, of which Alan Stivell itself, Donal Lunny, Shotts Pipe Band of Glasgow and the Bagad Kemper. The concept of the Heritage was born, its concretization will accentuate the new passion of the public for the Celtic musics, started with (in the public of the festoù-noz) Ar Re yaouank, and (in the general public) Alan Stivell and its gold 1993 disc: Again .

In 1994, off leaves Borders Salt which was recorded by Brian Masterson, in Windmill Lane Recording Studio of Dublin, whose U2 belongs to the subscribers; the album is sold with 100.000 specimens. DaN Ar Braz, with the various artists whom it federated around this project, wants to have the richness of the Celtic music in all its diversity. In addition to those already quoted, it is advisable to mention Elaine Morgan, Nollaig Casey, Karen Matheson (singer of the group Capercaillie), Yann-Fañch Kemener, Didier Squiban, Donald Shaw, Gilles Servat and well of others. The intention is to assume the heritage of the culture of the Celtes through the music, and one naturally finds the countries which assert it: the Brittany, the Ireland, the Scotland, the Wales, the British Cornwall, the Island of Man, and also the Asturies and the Galicia.

In 1995, leaves the album In concert (available in video) with new titles; two years plus a new album studio: Finisterres (with two R in the title, and in the plural). In 1998, the concert with the Zenith leaves in the form a double compact-disc and in 1999 Bretagnes to Bercy with Armens, Gilles Servat, Alan Stivell, Tri Yann. In August 2000, the group of the Heritage is invited to the Festival interceltic of Lorient, it is on this occasion that daN Ar Braz announces the end of this adventure.

Complements

The mobilization of the many artists of the Heritage appeared complex, because of the respective careers and of the timetables. Nevertheless, this second wave of the Celtic music seems more durable, it is advisable to note the success of the festival of the Saint Patrick in the world, and of the interceltic export of the Festival of Lorient.

In 1996, it represents France with the Concours Eurovision of the song with the title Diwanit Bugale Co-writing with Gweltaz Ar Fur , which evokes the schools in Breton language Diwan. The song will be taken again on Finisterres by Elaine Morgan, Karen Matheson and Gilles Servat.

In 1999 (then in 2001), it takes part in the association of the Enfoirés, the purpose of which is to collect funds with the profit of the Resto du coeur.

In 2000, it takes part in the recording of Excalibur, the legend of the Celts of Alan Simon with artists such as Tri Yann, Roger Hodgson, Gildas Arzel, Fairport Convention, Gabriel Yacoub and Didier Lockwood.

Since, daN Ar Braz left two albums, the memory of the white shutters (instrumental) in 2001, a very personal work and have you and those in 2003.

In 2002, daN Ar Braz and a good part of the team of the Heritage of the Celts give two concerts to the Stade de France, at the time of the Fête of Saint-Patrick. The Celtic Night (left in DVD) joins together in two evening more than 90.000 spectators, with more than 600 artists, and in particular, of the heritage, Carlos Núñez, Denez Prigent, Didier Squiban, Gilles the Religious bigot, Ronan the Bars, Bagad Kemper. The second part devotes the meeting again, the space of one evening of the public with the Heritage of the Celts, since, except many the Bagad where and Pipe-band, Gilles Servat, Elaine Morgan, and daN Ar Braz make a triumph for a concert emblematic, marking the capacity of the Breton Musique and Celtic to organize in Paris even events of great width.

In March 2006 leaves a box CD & DVD entitled Frontières salt which belongs to a new collection: “Celtic Horizons”. The DVD contains extracts in the last concert of the round 2004-2005, others in the concert of daN Ar Braz with the Heritage of the Celts to the Zenith of Paris in 1998, and an interview of the artist. Audio CD proposes 5 titles live and 5 titles studio resulting from the last 2 albums.

It is with the poster of Bercy 2007, at the time of the festival of the Patrick saint, in company of Karen Matheson, of the group Capercaillie. A new album recorded in Brussels, left on March 26th, 2007, it is entitled the Poles of the Nile . In an interview, daN Ar Braz explains why the inspiration of this album came to him after having seen the documentary film the Nightmare of Darwin of Hubert Sauper.

Rewards

By twice, it will be rewarded with the Victoires for the music:
  • in 1996, album of traditional musics of the year, for the Heritage of the Celts in Concert
  • in 1998, Album of traditional musics or musics of the world of the year, for Finisterres

In 2001, daN Ar Braz receives the collar of the Ordre of Hermine to Landerneau, which rewards the personalities which work for the radiation of the Brittany.

He is Parrain of association “Celine and Stephan”, who fights against leukemias.

Discography

under its name

  • 1973 : Stations with its group Mor
  • 1977: Douar Nevez
  • 1978 : say to the city (texts of Xavier Grall: collection Sounds It rains and tombs )
  • 1979: The earth' S spangles
  • 1981: Acoustic
  • 1985 : Music for silences to come
  • 1988: blue September
  • 1990: Songs
  • 1991 : Borders off salt
  • 1992: Xavier Grall sung per daN Ar Braz
  • 1992: Dreams of Siam
  • 1992: islands of the memory
  • 1994: Topic for the green Lands
  • 2001: memory of the white shutters
  • 2003: has you and those
  • 2006: Fontières of salt (audio box DVD & CD)
  • 2007: Poles of the Nile

as guitarist of Alan Stivell

  • 1972 : Rebirth of the Celtic toothing-stone
  • 1972: Olympia
  • 1973 : Dirt tracks
  • 1974: E Langonned
  • 1975: E Dulenn - has Dublin
  • 1976: Treman Inis
  • 1977 : Before landing
  • 1993 : Again

with the Heritage of the Celts

various collaborations

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