gwerz

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Why do we sing sad and tragic songs, WHY DOES ONE EVER SING SAD SONGS?

Perak ? Why?

In pop music, contemporary songs, you compose them, you write them to process your break ups, betrayals, losses of a loved one. It’s the power of CATHARSIS, the purification, the transformation of our emotions by sharing and remembering them, so we can release them.

Kannaouennoù don zo memor ha spered ur bobl.

Profound songs are the memory and the spirit of a nation.

Some gwerz tell about facts that can sometimes be traced to a specific tragic event, murders, rapes, killing of a child, battle, the great plague… they somehow could have had that effect.

But gwerzoù tend to also combine not only real tragic facts, but also mythology, poetry, historical events. Sometimes, the meaning of some parts got lost along generations. Instead of SAD or TRAGIC, I would maybe rather say that they’re PROFOUND. They hold something mysterious, timeless, and layered.

Yes, there is power and transmuting horrible stories into something beautiful with a timelessness beauty!

But a POWER as great lies in the POWER of an UNBROKEN ORAL TRADITION

(mettre un bout de SKOLVAN a-capella – dans les bois)

SKOLVAN

We, Yann and I, but other musicians too, have a special relationship with that song. The song itself has similarities with Yskolan (the Black book of Carmarthen – Llyfr Du Caerfyrddin – considered the oldest Welsh manuscript – 1250 (around) (XIIIth century) – and that would have been written by Myrrdin.

It was transmitted only orally in Brittany until the XIXth century, when written by La Villemarquée (see our previous video on the topic bellow) and then also by Francois Marie Luzel, about 20 versions with variations have been since been found, some being more Christianised than others.

It could be dating back to before the settlement of Armorica by Celtic Brittons in the 6th century. How many generations? About 60 maybe?

DIGREDUS! CRAZY !

I can’t even wrap my head around that!

I’ve sung this GWERZ with several musicians, but we would usually work on general arrangements, and I never wanted to really ”practice” it fully. Because it was so heavy! I don’t know if it’s the meaning of the gwerz, or the hunting tune, but I always feel like not being ”alone” when I sing it, and it’s a lot to carry on my own, I feel. I hear several voices of people that have sung it, with different voices, accents, etc… But even more than that.

I feel that when it’s in front of an audience, that weight is shared, it gives a purpose to bring back to life those memories?

So what’s that PURPOSE ?

Perak e vint kannet gwerzioù teñval ha glac’harus?

Why do songs so dark and bitter get sung?

I’ve always wondered why I was myself attracted by them.

Because they create beauty and connection ?

To create connection – EVIT KROUIN LIAMMOU.

To create beauty – EVIT AOZAN TRAOU KAER.

Because they’ve been passed along to us, they don’t belong to us, we’re just a small link in the long chain of humans that have contributed to the existence of those songs.

They were funny people, they sounded at peace, and joyful despite the harsh living conditions of their time.

Kannaounnoù don zo memor ha spered ur Bobl

Profound songs are the memory and spirit of a nation

This is the deep root of the WHY, it’s easy for anyone to join in a dance, engage in a funny rhythmic song, sing an easy happy melody, but have the strength and the courage to fully embrace the dark side of a culture, this is where you start to belong.

Two quick announcements before we wrap up, and while we do, you’re right in time to hit the LIKE button!

So, n°1, you know we love video projects that include you, the next chance for you to create something beautiful and magical with us is around the corner, it will be for DIOUGAN GWENCHLAN extended version (watch it here if you haven’t), and we’ll ask you to film beautiful sky time-lapses for the video. All details will be posted here very soon, SUBSCRIBE (http://www.youtube.com/astrakanproject?sub_confirmation=1) and hit the notification BELL if you don’t want to miss it ! (or join the newsletter in English here http://eepurl.com/vhBnn )

Last, we’ll be travelling very soon to Germany and Sweden, to perform and also to work on new songs and videos, you’ll see the result popping here also!

Trugarez, Devezh mat deoc’h, Kenavo, ken ta tro!