Barzaz/War Al Leurenn / Beliza - L’Autre Distribution/2025
Personnel:
Youenn Lange - voice
Jean-Michel Veillon - wooden flute
Gilles Le Bigot - acoustic guitar
Alain Genty - fretless bass
David “Hopi” Hopkins - percussion
Invité
Erik Marchand - voice
The fascinating recent quotes from Barzaz members in this article are taken from “Le bel hommage de Barzaz en un double CD” by Christophe Ganne, Published June 8, 2025.
With her permission, we have also incorporated a number of details from Lois Kuter’s excellent review of this recording from issue 175 of Bro Nevez, available in due time at icdbl.org
Barzaz. ‘Bards’ in the Breton language. This word has enormous significance in Breton culture, being the title of the Barzaz Breiz (Bards of Brittany), a collection of Breton popular songs compiled from oral tradition. Published in 1839 by Théodore Hersart de la Villemarqué, it brought Breton culture for the first time into broader European awareness. It is also the name of one of the most significant bands in the Breton firmament. After the death of the band’s central figure, Barzaz, the iconic musical group, has surprisingly returned and released a sublime new double album; both a tribute to the past and a leap into the future.
Barzaz first emerged in 1989, quickly becoming a pivotal force in the Breton music scene. Their first two albums, Ec’honder that same year and An Kozh Dall in 1992, quickly became cornerstones of contemporary Breton music. They toured widely before pausing in 1997, a hiatus that lasted until 2013, when they released an eponymously titled remastered boxed set of the two recordings that included two impressive new tracks. Singer Yann-Fañch Kemener tragically passed away in March 2019, however, bringing the project to a close.
Kemener wasn’t just a singer. He was the voice of Brittany, channeling centuries of oral tradition through an unforgettable sound that absolutely seized the listener’s attention. Flutist and founding member Jean-Michel Veillon recalls the origins of the group in the late ‘80s, a modest start that grew into so much more. "We started with that voice," Veillon says, "and built the rest around it.” Joining Veillon and guitarist Gilles Le Bigot were bassist Alain Genty and Irish percussionist David "Hopi" Hopkins, both of whom brought a modern edge and international flair to the mix. It wasn’t just the vocals that set the band apart, however. Drawing sonic influence from the spacious, experimental productions of ECM Records and artists such as Jan Garbarek, they sculpted unique soundscapes that felt ancient and modern all at once.
“We had to pay tribute to him in our own way.”
Barzaz surprisingly returned in 2022 with young singer Youenn Lange now at the center. Lange wasn’t an outsider; he had been a protégé of Kemener and they performed together. "It was self-evident," says Hopkins. "Youenn had learned from Yann-Fañch. He got it.” The two reunion shows featuring the new lineup in June of 2022 were wildly successful.
Two years after re-embarking with Lange, the band decided to record this new experience. Recorded in May 2024 performing at Plabennec’s Espace du Champ de Foire, War al leurenn (On Stage) is a soaring double live album that is both a tribute to Kemener and a bold step into new terrain. Produced by the Trégor-based label Beliza and distributed by L’Autre Distribution, the album finds the band in full command, rearranging 15 of their most iconic tracks into a sweeping live set that feels at once familiar and revitalized. While the sonic textures of Barzaz remain anchored in the innovative style they developed in their first recordings, it is evident that the original members, now with over three decades of additional experience, have evolved significantly in the meantime. These are not washed-up rock musicians stumbling through their old hits. Completely active throughout the intervening years, the group’s original members have all significantly deepened their musical abilities.
Veillon, for instance, after setting the benchmark for Breton flute with his work with groups such as Kornog and Pennou Skoulm, continued with a series of groundbreaking solo recordings as well as several duo recordings with guitarist Yvon Riou, while Genty’s fretless bass work stretches across genres, collaborating with some of Brittany’s most innovative musicians. His albums include La couleur du milieu (1994), Le grand encrier (1998), Une petite lanterne (2004), Eternal Tides with Joanne Mclver (2017) and Instant Space (2020). Hopkins has become known for his percussive mastery of instruments from around the world, while Le Bigot’s 2023 solo recording Bale as well as his continuing work with groups such as his Empreintes ensemble, and of course, the mythic group Skolvan remain foundational to the Breton music scene.
In that light, it cannot be emphasized enough that this recording is palpably, amazingly, tight. It’s very impressive and even more so because this is a live recording. This is an absolutely solid addition to the group’s catalog. The virtuosic instrumentals really carry the listener off in interesting directions, without ever overshadowing the poignant storytelling at the core of the material. On War al leurenn, the interplay between Lange’s voice and the group’s impeccable instrumentation creates a beautifully textured soundscape. The melodies, often carried by Veillon’s flute, are complemented by Le Bigot and Genty, who weave intricate and expressive harmonic support beneath the vocal lines. Hopkins constantly surprises by making various sounds that fit exceptionally well into the music but are wholly unexpected. Apart from percussion, his compelling skill is clearly the use of the imagination.
Lange’s similar range and tonality to Kemener is immediately apparent, yet he is not a copy. Where Kemener had an operatic flair, belting out his phrases with incredible power and a distinctly commanding presence, Lange has a lighter, more interior and reflective feel with an emphasis on higher overtones. It’s not exactly the same nor should it be, and it still works very well. In the liner notes he writes: "They taught me to see what I wasn’t seeing yet, to listen to what I didn’t yet hear.” That humility, paired with unmistakable vocal depth, cements his place in the group.
A special guest appearance by legendary vocalist Erik Marchand on two tracks adds another unexpected layer. Lange and Marchand are certainly not strangers, having released the recording Hiri together in 2023, as part of a trio with vocalist Eric Menneteau. The pairing of Marchand and Lange, voices clashing and intertwining, adds a new dimension to the Barzaz formula, conveying the unadulterated power of traditional paired Breton singing. The “kan a boz” track is a sort of verbal duel, in this case on the topic of slander, the back-and-forth between the powerful voices dramatized by a somber instrumental drone running underneath. Equally powerful is the pairing of Marchand and Lange for kan ha diskan singing for the lively dañs fisel track “Ar butun.”
This latest incarnation of Barzaz is certainly not a nostalgia act. This group reminds us why Breton music still matters in 2025. War Al Leurenn is an album that demands repeated listening. From the deep emotional resonance of the gwerz lament to the exuberance of the dance tunes, this double album showcases the enduring power and beauty of the Breton musical genre, steeped in history yet bursting with modern vitality. Barzaz is as relevant as ever, and War Al Leurenn proves they are not just ‘keepers of the flame’ but innovators shaping the future of Breton music. This reviewer looks forward to their next recording!
Where to purchase: Of course, we do not support the use of streaming services, which undermine the ability of musicians to make a living. The beautiful recording can be purchased digitally via iTunes. With the collapse of Coop Breizh it is harder to find in CD format, but can be ordered from the reliable vendor FNAC.
- Fañch
