Annie Ebrel (born 1969) is a traditional

Breton Breton most often refers to: *anything associated with Brittany, and generally ** Breton people ** Breton language, a Southwestern Brittonic Celtic language of the Indo-European language family, spoken in Brittany ** Breton (horse), a breed **Ga ...

singer of traditional ''

Kan ha diskan is probably the most common type of traditional music of Brittany. It is a vocal tradition ( translates from Breton as, roughly, ''call and response singing''). The style is the most commonly used to accompany dances. It has become perhaps the ...

'' (dance songs) and ''

Gwerz Gwerz (, "ballad", "lament", plural ''gwerzioù'') is a type of folk song of Brittany. In Breton music, the ''gwerz'' tells a story which can be epic, historical, or mythological. The stories are usually of a tragic nature. The gwerz is characte ...

'' (ballads).

Background

Annie Ebrel was born in 1969 in the village of Lohuec, near

Callac Callac (; br, Kallag) is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Brittany in north-western France. Geography Callac is located south-west of Guingamp and north-east of Carhaix, Finistère. Landmarks * Botmel Chapel * Naous statue, by G ...

, Côtes-d'Armor department, part of the historic region of Cornouaille,

Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, Historical region, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, to a family of farmers. Through her grandfather Jean Ebrel, she is the second cousin of

Louise Ebrel Louise Ebrel (27 July 1932 – 30 March 2020) was a Breton singer whose parents Eugénie Goadec (one of the Goadec Sisters) and Job Ebrel were themselves singers. Her repertoire was composed of traditional Breton songs, either for dancing ('' ...

, who is a daughter of Eugénie Goadec, one of

The Goadec Sisters The Goadec Sisters (Ar C'hoarezed Goadeg in Breton) usually known as ''Les sœurs Goadec'' in French, were a Breton vocal group originating from Treffrin ( Côtes d'Armor, France). The trio embody the traditional music of Brittany, singing a cap ...

Career

In 1983, Ebrel began learning her craft with Yannick Larvor as well as singers (Marcel Le Guilloux) and .. In 1989, Ebrel participated in the album ''Aux sources du

Barzaz Breizh ''Barzaz Breiz'' (in modern spelling ''Barzhaz Breizh'', meaning "Ballads of Brittany": ''barzh'' is the equivalent of "bard" and ''Breizh'' means "Brittany") is a collection of Breton popular songs collected by Théodore Hersart de la Villemarqu ...

'', which brought her to public attention. In 1992, she performed with Voix de Bretagne, which showcased three generations of Breton artists. In 1996, she began performing with Italian double-bassist Riccardo Del Fra. Most often, Ebrel performs with other artists, both singers in a cappella and musicians. However, in 1995, Ebrel released her first solo album ''Tre ho ti ma hini'' and in 2004 created the solo show ''Une Voice Bretonne'' (A Breton Voice). In 2012, Ebrel performed with the Annie Ebrel Quartet including Pierrick Hardy, Olivier Ker Ourio, and Bijan Chemirani. In 2013, Ebrel celebrated her career of three decades with a performance in

Saint-Nicodème Saint-Nicodème (; ) is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department of Brittany in northwestern France. Population Inhabitants of Saint-Nicodème are called ''nicodémois'' in French. See also *Communes of the Côtes-d'Armor department The ...

, resulting in an album ''30 ans de chant''. Festivals where Ebrel performed including the Vieilles Charrues Festival (1999), Festival de Cornouaille (2014), and Fest Noz (2015). In 2018, Ebrel performs twice on the

BBC Alba BBC Alba is a Scottish Gaelic-language free-to-air public broadcast television channel jointly owned by the BBC and MG Alba. The channel was launched on 19 September 2008 and is on-air for up to seven hours a day with BBC Radio nan Gàidheal s ...

''Port'' episode on Brittany, singing the

(ballad) "Robardig," accompanied by Mischa MacPherson as well as hosts

Julie Fowlis Julie Fowlis (born 20 June 1978) is a Scottish folk singer and multi-instrumentalist who sings primarily in Scottish Gaelic. Early life Fowlis grew up on North Uist, an island in the Outer Hebrides, in a Gaelic-speaking community. Her mothe ...

and

Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh (born 1978) is a musician and singer from County Kerry, Ireland. Until 2016, she was the lead singer for the traditional music group Danú, and from that year on she has been half of the electronica duo Aeons. Biography ...

, and then "Une dispute" (An Argument) as second voice to

Erik Marchand Érik Marchand (born 1955) is a Breton traditional singer and player of the treujenn-gaol (Breton clarinet). Although born in Paris, his family was of Breton origin, hailing from Quelneuc, Brittany. Influenced by the music of Manuel Kerjean, ...

. Ebrel continues to perform, mostly in Brittany, France, Celtic areas like Scotland, as well as Spain, Italy, Scandinavia, Canada, and the USA. Ebrel is the subject of "Annie Ebrel, ou «une chanteuse traditionnelle bretonne»?" by François Picard of the Sorbonne University.

Works

;Albums (solo) * 1995 : ''Chants en breton'', ( Coop Breizh) * 1996 : ''Tre ho ti ha ma hini'', (Coop Breizh) * 1996 : ''Dibenn'' (An Naër Production) * 1998 : ''Voulouz loar... Velluto di luna'' (Coop Breizh) * 2013 : ''30 ans de chant'' * 2021 : ''Lellig'' (Coop Breizh) ;Albums (Annie Ebrel Quartet) * 2008 : ''Roudennoù'' (Coop Breizh) ;Albums (collaborations) * Christian Duro Soner Fisel * 1989 : ''Sources du

Barzaz Breiz ''Barzaz Breiz'' (in modern spelling ''Barzhaz Breizh'', meaning "Ballads of Brittany": ''barzh'' is the equivalent of "bard" and ''Breizh'' means "Brittany") is a collection of Breton popular songs collected by Théodore Hersart de la Villemar ...

aujourd'hui'' * 1993 : ''Voix de Bretagne'' (France 3, Le Quartz Brest) * 1994 : ** ''Quand les bretons passent à table'' ** ''Just a Traveller'' with

Youenn Gwernig Youenn Gwernig (10 May 1925 – 29 August 2006; born in Scaër, Douarnenez) was a Breton-American poet, writer and singer. He was a painter, sculptor and a TV presenter on the French channel France 3. He was born in 1925 in the town of Scaër ( ...

* 1995 : ''Kleg Live'' * 1997 : ''Kan Ha Diskan'' with

Yann-Fañch Kemener Yann-Fañch Loeiz Kemener (April 7, 1957 – March 16, 2019) was a traditional singer and ethnomusicologist from Brittany, born in Sainte-Tréphine, Côtes-d'Armor, France. Known in French as Jean-François Louis Quémener. He took part in rev ...

(Coop Breizh) * 1998 : ''Voulouz Loar/Velluto di luna'', gant Riccardo Del Fra (Coop Breizh) * 2000 : ''Er roue Stevan'' (gant Roland Becker) * 2003 : ''Ephemera'' (gant Jacques Pellen) * 2004 : ''Un devezh ba kerch Morvan'' (gant Marcel Le Guilloux) (Coop Breizh) * 2012 : ** ''Tost ha pell'' with Lots Join (Coop Breizh) ** ''Teir'' with Nolùen Le Buhé and Marthe Vassallo (Coop Breizh) * 2018 : ''Paotred'' with Nolùen Le Buhé and Marthe Vassallo (Coop Breizh)

References

External links

BBC Alba "Port" - "Robardig"

BBC Alba "Port" - "Robardig"
(RealPlayer)
Annie Ebrel - Vidêos et Press écrite

Annie Ebrel (Discographie)

1969 births Living people People from Côtes-d'Armor Breton-language singers {{France-music-bio-stub