One of the things I appreciate about France, possibly in an expat minority of one, is that a major national television station will cheerfully devote more than three hours of its peak viewing schedules to folk music.
It happened last night when France 3 gave over the important evening slot beyond 8.35pm to live performances from the les nuits interceltiques, shown to coincide with the 40th annual Celtic festival in Lorient - an event I once attended and hugely enjoyed - and a related concert.
Even a folkie can be honest and admit that a little pipe music - Breton pipes, Scottish bagpipes, Galician pipes, Uillean (Irish) or Northumbrian pipes - goes an awful long way. I wearied of it after a while last night. But I'd sooner have an occasional overdose, as here, than nothing, more commonly my experience in the UK.
There was also some impressive dancing, with the Irish taking the honours, and - from a separate event, in Brest - extracts from a decent concert by the Breton singer Nolwenn Leroy. The highlight of that was her version, in duet with Alan Stivell, who has done more than anyone to promote Breton music to a wider public, of the folk song Tri Martolod (Three Matelots).
And from the co-presenter, the English-sounding but French journalist Tania Young, in her interview with a French-speaking Canadian fiddler as well well as in other references, I learnt a new word: Celtitude, the feeling of belonging to a Celtic culture.
Nolwenn is a bit poppy, and not to everyone's taste. This YouTube clip of her singing the same song has been seen 453,000+ times attracting 1,250 "likes" but also a relatively high number of dislikes, 52. I prefer Stivell, or her with Stivell (what I saw last night can be seen here), but she is easier on the eye even if, since she is a product of the French Star Academy, I should really stick to snobbish musical principles and loathe her.
What's it doing here? Just a quick posting to let Salut! readers know that the Song of the Day series at Salut! Live has come to an end. This is its second escape from there to here, Françoise Hardy having beaten Nolwenn to it with that old hit of hers that I inexplicably like, Tous les Garçons et les Filles.
Don't go anywhere near the series, though, unless you think you may like one or more of the following:
Sandy Denny, Fairport Convention, Albon Band, Dave Swarbrick, Dervish, Damien Dempsey, Eliza Carthy, Tony Capstick, High Level Ranters, Doonan Family Band, Jez lowe and the Bad Pennies, Republica, Capercaillie, Show of Hands, Jackson C Frank, Simon Mayor and Hilary James, Martin Simpson, David Campbell, Tom Paxton, Paul Brady, Sharon Shannon/Kirsty MacColl, Danu, Tommy Sands, Kathryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman, The Cottars, Flossie Malavialle, De Dannan with Dolores Keane, Cara Dillon and Sam Lakeman, Vin Garbutt, Joan Osborne, Touchstone, Bothy Band, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Bob Dylan, Linda Thompson, Oysterband, Altan, Mary Black, Nic Jones, Martin Carthy & Dave Swarbrick, Françoise Hardy, Richard Thompson, June Tabor, Kate Rusby, The Watersons, Bob Fox & Stu Luckley, Del Shannon, Christy Moore, Eric Clapton, Sharon Shannon/Dessie O'Halloran, Joan Baez, Luke Kelly and The Dubliners, Steeleye Span, The Unthanks ...There's a fair bit of celtitude in there, too.
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