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The "Celtic Heritage" album features 70
of the finest musicians and singers from Brittany, Ireland,
Wales, Scotland, and Galicia all reunited to celebrate the spirit
and the diversity of Celtic Music.
The Celts, 2000 years B.C. had already traveled across Europe,
the Balkans and Asia Minor. The Celtic tribes were linked only
by language, the druidic religion and a deep love of art.
Eventually the Celts had settled in Ireland, Scotland, Wales,
Cornwall, the Isle of Man, pushed down to Brittany by the Saxons
and came from other parts of what is now called Europe to Galicia,
all land bordered by the sea.. |
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Dan Ar Braz, a lifelong native of Quimper,
in Brittany, is recognized throughout the world especially for
its work on the guitar along side with Alan Stivell during the
seventies.
Dan discovered the guitar through what so called "rock and folk"
with people like Hank Marvin, Bert Jansh, Rory Gallagher, Steve
Stills and Donovan…
When he joined Alan Stivell early seventies acoustic and electric
guitars were his tools and he finally acquired a style, which
has made him one of the very best and respected guitar players
in the world.
In 1976, as Stivell stop touring for a while, Dave Swarbrick
from Fairport convention asked him to join the famous folk rock
band. The same year Dan started to write his own music and got
ready to record is first and acclaimed solo record “Douar
Nevez” “New Land” In was followed by two other
ones in 78 and 79.
When that Fairport line up broke up end of 76, Dan went back
with Stivell until February 77. Them he started up a solo career
with a band but quickly ended up solo and toured widely around
Europe and eventually the USA while recording many albums between
84 and 94! |
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On the 24th of July 1993, the man who’s
since became his manager, Jacques Bernard, asked him to federate
75 musicians from all the Celtic countries for what turned out
to be a legendary concert at the close of the 70th Festival
de Cornouaille, Quimper, Brittany. Federate is the word in terms
of human differences and styles of music.
Dan did “organize” the program throughout is musical
heritage, pop music, folk music and traditional roots and it
did please all generations that turned out to the gig. Two many
musicians to mention. The credits tell it all. The demand was
so big that, despite the size of the project and the unknown
future of it, the manager managed to get everybody in the studio
a few months later. |
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Never before in Brittany had such an ambitious
project been conceived. "Heritage des Celts", Dan's first album
for Sony France, was produced by Donal Lunny, recorded by Brian
Masterson at Windmill Lane studio in Dublin, which has hosted
U2 and the Rolling Stones.
And this session produced 12 exceptional tracks. Released in
autumn 1994, the album has beaten all expectations and has sold
more than 300,000 copies in France alone.
The live recording, which followed, with sales of over 200 000
to date, was awarded the "Victoires de la Musique" award of
the Best World Music Album.
The success of both of these albums has lifted Dan Ar Braz to
a platform of international recognition in the company of Donal
Lunny, Bagad Kemper, Karen Matheson, Elaine Morgan and many
others involved.
Dan Ar Braz new album Celtic Heritage produced by Donal Lunny
includes the addition of Sharon Shannon, Maire Ni Chathasaigh,
Carlos Nunez…
This even more diverse choice of musicians has resulted in an
album of outstanding beauty and emotional performances which
undoubtly will lead to further international acclaim. |
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