Alan Stivell, pioneer of the mixture between traditional Celtic Music and modern sounds with World Music for example, he is therefore our guest on the occasion of the release of his new album with the Orchester national de Bretagne, a double album with also on DVD which traces Alan in his career.
From a young age, Stivell had a passion for the Celtic harp, an instrument that his father helped revive. He quickly expanded his musical repertoire by learning to play the bombarde, the biniou and by introducing himself to Breton singing and dancing. His professional career really took off in the 1970s, with landmark albums like “Renaissance de la harpe celtique” (1971) and his memorable concert at the Olympia in 1972, which propelled Breton music to the forefront.
Alan Stivell has skillfully mixed traditional Celtic sounds with rock, folk and world music influences.
Creating a unique and innovative style. Over the decades, Alan Stivell has continued to innovate and explore new musical frontiers. He has collaborated with numerous international artists such as Kate Bush… and has released more than twenty albums, covering genres as varied as new age, electronic music and symphonic music with this live album available in the bins since November 8.
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ALAN STIVELL – Celtic Symphony No. 2: Loc’h (live 2022)
Throughout his career, Stivell has been a fervent defender of Breton culture and language. His commitment was manifested not only through his music, but also through his involvement in various cultural initiatives. He received numerous distinctions for his contribution to the influence of Brittany, including the collar of the Order of the Ermine in 1994.
Alan Stivell continues to enrich his impressive discography and to carry high the colors of Celtic and Breton music on the international scene with the preparation of a tour for 2025
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“It’s a dream come true” says Alan Stivell to the public, on April 7, 2022, in Rennes.
At the end of the first of two concerts given for the revival of his “Celtic Symphony”. This dream was first of all to completely rearrange the famous symphony, recorded in 1979, but which he had started to imagine more than twenty years earlier. Since childhood, Alan Stivell played the Celtic harp while learning Breton, Welsh and Gaelic. And then, in 1958, rock’n roll arrived… It was in this crucible that this great work simmered.
Forty-two years after its “live” creation in Lorient, part of the “Celtic Symphony” returned to the stage, played by Alan Stivell’s group, the Orchester national de Bretagne, a bagad, choristers and the singer Juliette Chevalier. For him, it is a “ appetizer », for us a great moment of mixed music, where past and present merge. And a magnificent overview of a great career accomplished with Brittany at its heart.
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Alan Stivell and Nolwenn Leroy sing Brian Boru at the Olympia (2012)
Also back with Alan on the album “The Mist of Avalon” the sixteenth original album by Alan Stivell, released in 1991 after six years of absence from record. This opus marks a turning point in the career of the Breton artist, being his first album published in CD format and with his new record company, Dreyfus. The album stands out for its innovative approach, skillfully mixing traditional Celtic music and modern sounds. Recorded in the ultra-modern studio of Kate Bush. The sixteen tracks that make up the album are inspired by the Arthurian cycle, creating a mystical and captivating atmosphere.
Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour also collaborated on the album in the studio in London.
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“The Mist of Avalon” was favorably received by critics. The newspaper Le Monde described it as “a beautiful album in sixteen careful, detailed, melodic tracks”.
The meeting between Alan Stivell and Dan Ar Braz is a key moment in the history of modern Breton and Celtic music
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The collaboration between Stivell and Dan Ar Braz reached its peak in the early 1970s. In 1971, Stivell formed his own band, including Dan Ar Braz on guitar. This formation played a crucial role in Alan Stivell’s historic concert at the Olympia on February 28, 1972, an event which marked a turning point in Stivell’s career and in the history of Breton music.
- And so since November 8, 2024 Alan Stivell is back with Liberté – Roazhon Verycords, 2 CD + DVD + 48-page booklet.
