Dan Ar Braz
Made In Breizh
Tinder
Based around the musical heritage of Brittany – a French island with a Celtic historic linage – Dan Ar Braz has arranged traditional songs and composed new ones to highlight the island’s unique cultural heritage. The album’s liner notes mentions Brittany’s fusing of old and new musical knowledge and technology, and Made In Breizh sets out to prove this point exactly.
The album works best when Braz emphasizes Brittany’s unique traditional music, as on the graceful “Green Islands,” “King Of Laois,” and Braz’s own “Evit Ar Braz.” Far less effective is the few tracks on which Braz seems to lean more towards an Anglo-American musical tradition – on “Borders Of Salt” and “Left In Peace,” in particular. However, those few tracks don’t succeed in detracting from the power of an otherwise convincing album, and Made In Breizh is mainly a successful effort that holds high hopes for the future of Breton music.
Tinder Records: http://www.tinderrecords.com
