Lorient - Interceltic Festival

After the World War II sites, I was off to Lorient in Brittany for four days. An incredible inter-celtic festival is held there for 10 days every August.

The promotional material says that over the course of the festival 700,000 visitors descend on the city. I believe it! As the Irish Rovers would say “Wasn’t that a Party!” Oh my.

I found a hotel about a 15 minute walk from the site. Not bad. Even at 1:00 in the morning (yes, I actually stayed out late) it was fine walking home alone. I arrived on Wednesday my room was ready, so I dropped my pack and headed out.

The place was hopping. There were lots of people, to be sure, but not overwhelming. The site was large – several blocks long and wide -- and there were lots of things to see and do.

One of the first things that hit me was the bagpipe music wafting through the streets from speakers overhead. The first time I heard it, I almost cried. It was being home after a long time away. Often you came across individual musicians or small groups practicing or putting on an impromptu concert.

Even the little ones...

There were vendors of all types. One whole row of tents were designated for books and CD’S.

Others were artisans of various wares.

I saw a few people carrying these around to drink from. Maybe after visiting one of these vendors...

Although there were a lot of people and a lot of drinking, the crowd was very well behaved for the most part. There was a visible police presence, but not anything overly remarkable... Perhaps later in the night.

And there were lots of kilts and all the paraphernalia that go with them.

This fella had some interesting designs for glassware. I liked one of the sailboats. A souvenir.

This women had some incredibly beautiful stained glass. Totally enchanting.

I told her that I would love to take something home, but it was just too fragile. When I told her how much I like her work, she said for her it was a form of poetry. Each piece told a story. It was true. I asked if I could take her picture. She said that she normally doesn’t allow it, but I could.

And, of course, musical instruments

I'm not sure exactly what this one was, but the music was quite interesting - a cross between an accordion and a dulcimer.

And, of course, bagpipes. There was quite a display of different types from different countries and cultures.

This one is made from a seal's stomach...

And it is easy to see what this is made from:

 With a picture of how to play it..

And lots of food and drink.

At one of the bakeries in the area I had something called a “kouigan amann” – roughly translated as “butter cake” -  so yummy. 

I wondered how they were made. Lo and behold I came across this fellow making the tasty treats.

 It's a basic bread dough divided in four or five pieces:

With about 1/3 pound or more of butter on each...

Followed by the same amount of sugar:

Rolled out like a puff pastry - many layers - then panned, scored and baked:

Mmmmm:

There must be a gazillion calories in each one, but I still want to make them at least once…along with croissants and a few other goodies.

When I came across this barbeque I immediately thought of how good it would be to have something like this for family reunions and big social functions.

He was at it all day.

I tried to get a shot of this coming out of the big boiler pot, but I wasn’t quick enough. They were a hot item (in both senses).

There were all kinds of pubs everywhere, each from a different celtic region: Brittany, Scotland, Ireland, Cornwall, Ile of Man, Wales, Galicia and Asturias (northern Spain). And one big display from New Brunswick as well!

I was very pleased to see this. I talked to one of the staff and she said over the years the display has gotten bigger. Their slogan this year was very catchy ("The other Canadian province").

Lots of interest from the folks.

There was lots of live music in the pubs. Each had a roster of bands or individual artists. This band was quite entertaining.

I had not seen some of the instruments they had.

I booked tickets for several different concerts. There must have been almost 100 different acts to see. I tried a little bit of everything:

Irish dancers:

An Australian bagpipe band:

Dancers from Galicia (northern Spain)

And when they were finished, the came and danced with the audience...

And competitions...I went to one of the bagpipe competitions. Love hearing them play...

Not all the bands wear kilts...

I also discovered music like I’ve never heard before.

(because I didn't take pictures at the concerts, so used the websites for their pictures.)

Avaz

Their music was more persian flavoured with the songs coming from the writings of some of the eastern mystics poets like Rumi.

The were lead by another group from Galicia – Caramuxo -- 

who played accordion, drums and different wind instruments, particularly clarinet. I saw the biggest clarinet ever – a contrabass that was as tall as the player. They had a lot of fun with their music.

And, of course, Gaelic women singers.

Julie Fowlis (Scottish) sang and spoke in gaelic. Aoifie Scott (who reminded me of Jenna) is of the Family Black (Mary and Frances) who also sang, but in English. One sang of the experience of being colonized and losing their language, culture and way of life. She spoke of the link she felt with the first nations people in North America who experienced the same loss. One of the underlying passions of the people in this festival is keeping their ancient cultures alive and vibrant. There is definitely a movement evident to reclaim “aboriginal” heritages, wherever they are found: Scotland, Ireland, Canada, France….

One example of that was the concert I went to on the last night. 

It was entitled Breizh Kabar and it was a mixture of music from the Ile of Reunion (found in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar) that was colonized by the French, specifically those from Brittany, 350 years ago – the same time as Quebec. The concert was incredibly rich with combined music from the aboriginal culture (including playing the didgeridoo), mixed in with bagpipes, other wind instruments and drums. 

One of the groups, Saodaj, was incredible. These five members had so much energy!

There were also dancers representing the colonizers. I was moved to tears several times in the performance. The production was commissioned for the 350^th anniversary of the arrival of the French but also spoke about a different type of relationship today. 

On Sunday there was a Mass celebrated in the Breton language. All the prayers and readings were in Breton as well as the music. There was one song that everyone sang at the end and it was a song to their home of Bretagne/Brittany.They are so incredibly proud of their heritage and want to retain it. Right now there is a movement by the French government to change the boundaries of the different geographic  “departments” in France (I liken them to something akin to the boundaries of our political ridings with the administrative tasks of a province in terms of what is accomplished in each one). The people at the festival were not in agreement with the proposed changes. They want Brittany to stay as it is. Their heritage is too ancient to change.  

I came away from the visit with a better appreciation of all these individual cultures and how they add a richness to society. It’s too facile to think that they will never change. At the same time when it is another culture that forces them to abandon their heritage, not only is there a loss, there is a backlash. It may not be immediate, but it will come. That is what we are facing in so many parts of the world today, including Canada.

There can be a new relationship that is forged, but only when there is respect given to each one. I don’t know what that looks like. But there are signs of what it might be.