Roudennoù / Traces

Renowned as one of the most charismatic traditional singers of Brittany, the late Yann-Fañch Kemener released a double album embracing the finest of his 45 years of musical and literary inspirations. The opus is a vibrant homage to oral traditions and to local poetry, spoken and sung. Works including those of Maria Louyer, Naig Rozmor and Anjela Duval, for whom Kemener held a special affection, depict both willpower and compassion, themes present throughout the recording. Others, Yann-Ber Kalloc'h or Xavier Grall, celebrate the memory of humble working life in the region. Using his native Breton language or French, Kemener alternates two emblematic singing styles of Brittany, the traditional kan ha diskan (call-and-response songs to accompany folk dancing) in which the talented new generation – Éric Menneteau and Achille Grimaud– join voices, and gwerz, where Kemener excels in expressing the drama of the Celtic ballads. His clear singing is mesmerising and with the subtle accompaniment of close friends and musicians – Anne Auffret on harp, Aldo Ripoche on cello, Erwann Tobie on accordion and Heikki Bourgault on guitar – the result is a true testimony. Yann-Fañch Kemener very sadly died on March 16. He will be greatly missed.