Dan Ar Braz

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Dan ar Braz in Quimper (2013)

Dan Ar Braz (born February 15, 1949 in Quimper , Bretagne ; real name Daniel Le Bras, meanwhile artist name Dan Ar Bras  ) is a French singer-songwriter and guitarist and founder of L'Héritage des Celtes . Most of his work falls into the realm of "electric-Celtic" music. At the beginning of his career he was guitarist in the band of the Breton musician Alan Stivell and the British band Fairport Convention .

Influences

In 1963, at the age of almost 14, Daniel Le Bras discovered the guitar. His penchant for rock led him to artists like Cliff Richard , the Shadows , Bob Dylan and, a little later, Jimi Hendrix and the Rolling Stones . He acquired his knowledge by playing at village festivals and in bars.

The time with Stivell

Daniel's father wanted him to study in the hotel and restaurant business rather than make music. In 1967, while working as a waiter in Bénodet , he met Alan Stivell who invited him to his group. The repertoire of Alan Stivell's group included music from Brittany, Scotland and Ireland. Even Gabriel Yacoub , who later became the band Malicorne founded, was a member of the band that worked a decade.

Until 1967 Daniel Le Bras had never played traditional music. Now he discovered folk rock for himself .

The group played mostly in Brittany - this was the time when he became aware of his Breton roots. He changed his name to Dan Ar Bras . After a successful tour in France in 1971, the band toured Europe, North America and Australia. The so-called "Celtic Music" was popular.

At the same time he took part in the recording of seven albums by Alan Stivell (1972–1977), including Renaissance de la harpe celtique , Chemins de terre and E Dulenn - A Dublin.

The solo career

In 1973 he founded his own group Mor . This group broke up shortly after the first album was recorded. A solo album with Irish jigs and reels followed, but was unsuccessful. In 1976 he moved to England and joined the Fairport Convention to tour England and the USA. He changed his name again, this time to Dan Ar Braz. For about a year he played at concerts with Fairport Convention but did not record an album with them. He returned to Brittany to record three solo albums of "Celtic Music". He sang in Breton, French and English.

For a few years he turned away from "Celtic music". In 1981 he went on a concert tour through Europe with his album Acoustic , a collection of self-composed instrumental pieces.

Between 1984 and 1987 he made more than a dozen concert tours to the United States. At this time the album Musiques pour les silences à venir was created . After another instrumental album, he surprised everyone with a collection of songs in English, Songs . He wrote them himself, save for one each by Richard Thompson and Donovan .

1992 was a busy year for him: he continued the work he had begun in 1979 with the lyrics of Xavier Grall , which ended in the album Allez dire à la ville . Rêves de Siam is the music for a film by Olivier Bourbeillon, for which he assisted Martin Allcock, John Kirkpatrick and Ronan Le Bars. Les Îles de la mémoire was the third album that year.

L'Héritage des Celtes

Dan ar Braz at the Festival interceltique de Lorient 2006

In 1991 the album Borders of Salt was released. The title piece was to become a trademark of L'Héritage des Celtes (German: 'Das Erbe der Kelten'), which were founded three years later. On the occasion of the 70th Festival de Cornouaille in Quimper in 1993, Dan Ar Braz gave the final concert, surrounded by 75 musicians, including Dónal Lunny , the Shotts Pipe Band from Glasgow and Bagad Kemper . The concept of L'Héritage was born.

Borders of Salt was released in 1994 , recorded by Brian Masterson at Windmill Lane Recording Studio in Dublin; even U2 was among the participants. This album was sold 100,000 times. Dan Ar Braz, together with the musicians who took part in the project, was able to show the richness of Celtic music in all its diversity. Besides the already quoted contributors: Elaine Morgan, Nollaig Casey, Karen Matheson (singer of Capercaillie ), Yann-Fañch Kemener, Donald Shaw, Gilles Servat, Carlos Núñez and many others.

In 1995 En Concert (available on video) was released with new titles. In 1996 Dan Ar Braz took part in the Eurovision Song Contest with l'Héritage des Celtes . With the piece Diwanit bugale they took 19th place. The studio album Finisterre was released a year later . In 1998 the double album Zénit was released and in 1999 Bretagnes à Bercy with Armens, Gilles Servat, Alan Stivell and Tri Yann. In August 2000 L'Héritage des Celtes was invited to the Festival interceltique de Lorient ; on this occasion Dan Ar Braz announced the end of this engagement. In 2011, however, he spoke in the press about a planned return of the project.

The most famous musicians of the project include Yann-Fañch Kemener (vocals), Dónal Lunny ( bouzouki ), Carlos Núñez ( bagpipe ), Sharon Shannon (accordion) and Didier Squiban (piano).

Discography

Dan Ar Braz (center) and Jacques Pellen (right) with the Orchester symphonique de Bretagne

Under his name

  • 1977: Douar Nevez
  • 1978: Allez dire à la ville (Texts by Xavier Grall : anthology La Sône des pluies et des tombes )
  • 1979: The Earth's Lament
  • 1981: Acoustic
  • 1985: Musique pour les silences à venir
  • 1988: September bleu
  • 1990: songs
  • 1991: Borders of salt
  • 1992: Xavier Grall chanté by Dan Ar Braz
  • 1992: Rêves de Siam
  • 1992: Les îles de la mémoire
  • 1994: Theme for the green lands
  • 2001: La mémoire des volets blancs
  • 2003: A toi et ceux
  • 2006: Fontières de sel (DVD & CD Audio)
  • 2007: Les Perches du Nil
  • 2009: Comptines celtiques et d'ailleurs
  • 2012: Celebration

As a guitarist under Alan Stivell

  • 1972: Renaissance de la harpe celtique
  • 1972: Olympia
  • 1973: Bobino
  • 1973: Chemins de terre
  • 1974: E Langonned
  • 1975: E Dulenn - A Dublin
  • 1976: Treman Inis
  • 1977: Before landing
  • 1993: Again

With L'Héritage des Celtes

Various collaborations

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Braz, Dan Ar
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Bras, Daniel Le (real name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION French singer-songwriter and guitarist
DATE OF BIRTH February 15, 1949
PLACE OF BIRTH Quimper , Brittany