BREIZH AMERIKA
  • Home
  • About us
  • Blog
  • Craft Beer
  • Diaspora Bretonne
  • Store
  • Breton USA History
  • Startup
  • The Collective
  • Contact Us
  • Kouign Amann
  • Podcast
  • Crepes
  • Brittany France
  • USA TOUR 2017
  • BZH Business
  • Hermione
  • Press
  • The Collective 2015
  • USA TOUR 2016
  • Computer Club

The Surprising Confluence of Breton and Garifuna Sounds Debuts in May in New York

4/20/2015

0 Comments

 
Two Streams Fed by Rhythm: The Surprising Confluence of Breton and Garifuna Sounds Debuts in May in New York as part of Breizh Amerika

At the edge of the same ocean, two cultural worlds have thrived despite hardship. Their languages are unique and face extinction. Their music booms with joyful rhythm and is all about sparking the dance. Sometimes salty, sometimes moving, songs are often danced. As feet pound in both communities, you’ll hear a voice call out, greeted with voice ringing out in response.

What are these two cultures? You’ll never guess: The Bretons in Northwestern France and the Garifuna of Central America. Now these unexpectedly harmonious sounds and beats come together in collaboration as part of Breizh Amerika, a multimedia cross-cultural initiative to celebrate the beauty of Brittany, its music, food, lifeways, and language. The collaboration will debut on May 14 at New York’s Meridian 23 (7:30 PM start; meridian23.com). The musicians will also spend time in the studio, perfecting and documenting their collaboration.

The connections between the Bretons and the Garifuna, a group that traces its origins back to shipwrecked Africans who intermarried with indigenous Arawak, felt implausible to organizer Charles Kergaravat--until he heard Brooklyn-based Garifuna drummer James Lovell and his Garifuna Drum Band. “Percussionists often have an easier time leaping into collaboration with singers,” explains Kergaravat. “So when I heard about James, I decided we should meet. We chatted for a few minutes, and James insisted that we were all just crazy enough to pull this off.”

Lovell and his band will join two sought-after Breton singers of Kan Ha Diskan, the call and response-based form that ignites the dancefloor at Breton parties. Rhythmic and cheeky, the singing style has a corollary in Garifuna music, as songs are often improvised to fit the occasion, shifting and growing to incorporate new tales--and to keep people dancing.

The Breton-Garifuna will explore these connections in more depth, then present their discoveries in New York and across the US this May. It’s part of a larger effort to highlight Brittany's distinct culture, cuisine, and language, and to place Breton lifeways in a world-wide effort to enliven and maintain endangered languages and the worlds they encompass. Both Bretons and Garifuna face an uphill battle to preserve their tongues--both have barely over 200,000 speakers left--but both have strong musical traditions that have helped raise the banner for greater awareness.

“Even when singing, much of Breton music is all about the rhythm,” Kergaravat notes. “There is a much greater overlap in Garifuna and Breton experiences, and in the sounds we favor, than meets the eye.”

The Breizh Amerika Collective tours through New York City, Rochester, Cleveland, Chicago, Santa Fe, and Albuquerque for Fête de la Bretagne, an international celebration of Breton music, food, and language.  In an unprecedented level of participation, these US cities will be joining a global network, from Shanghai to Sao Paulo, of hosts to celebrations of Breton culture. 

Follow The Breizh Amerika Collection on Twitter: @BreizhAmerika

Support this unique collaborative project here!


0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    727 Sailbags
    Acadian
    Alex Asher
    Apizee
    AQTA
    Armor Lux
    Arnaudville
    Auray
    Austin
    Bagad De Lorient
    Bagad De Vannes
    Bagad Plougastell
    Baton Rouge
    Beat Generation
    Benjamin Franklin
    Bernard Hinault
    Bernez Rouz
    Bfm-business-tv
    Blueindy
    Bordier
    Boston
    Boston Globe
    Brasserie Lancelot
    Breizh Amerika Collective
    Breizh Amerika Profiles
    Breizh Amerika Store
    Breizh On The Road
    Breizh Tech
    Breizhup
    Brest
    Bretagne-Séché Environnement
    Bretagne Transamerica
    Bretons De NY
    Breton Shirt
    Brexit
    Brezhoneg
    Brittany Ferries
    Brittany News
    Bunny.money
    BZH Business
    Bzhg
    California
    CanalBreizh
    Carhaix
    Cedric Watson
    CES 2016
    CES 2017
    CES2019
    CES 2022
    Charles Kergaravat
    Chattanooga
    Chicago
    Cinémathèque De Bretagne
    Claripharm
    Cleveland
    CNN Travel
    Codofil
    Colm O'Riain
    Colorado
    Conference
    Consul Breton
    Copains Comme Cajuns
    Cork
    Craft Beer
    Credit Mutuel De Bretagne
    Crêpes
    CyberFestNoz
    Cycle Zydeco
    Dazzl
    Denver
    Deomp Dei
    Detroit
    Diaspora
    Digital Tech Conference
    Emojibzh
    Endangered Languages
    European Drone Film Festival
    Exposition
    Facebook
    Facetts
    Famileo
    Fañch
    Fañch
    Festival International
    Fest Noz
    Fete De La Bretagne 2015
    Fete De La Bretagne 2016
    Fete De La Bretagne 2017
    Fete De La Bretagne 2018
    Fete De La Bretagne 2021
    FIL
    Film
    Florida
    Food & Wine
    France3Breizh
    France3TV
    French Founders
    French Tech
    Frenchweb.fr
    Gaelic
    Garifuna
    Gastronomy
    Gâteau Breton
    Glenn Jegou
    Gourin
    Groix
    Guidel
    Henaff
    Hermione
    Hinault
    History
    Hotel Skipper
    Indigenous Tweets
    Interceltic Business Forum
    Interceltic Digital Day
    Interceltique
    InVirtus
    Ireland
    Irish
    Irish In NY
    Jack Kerouac
    Jay Thompson
    Jean-Yves Le Drian
    Jérémie Gallon
    JeSuisCharlie
    Joe Kyle Jr
    John Paul Jones
    Joseph-Yves Limantour
    Julien Le Mentec
    Kendalc'h
    Kerouac
    Kevin Scannell
    Klaxoon
    Kouign Amann
    Kouignut
    Lafayette
    La Grande Traversée
    Landerneau
    Las Vegas
    LeCeili
    Le Courrier De Floride
    Le Minor
    LesEchos
    L'ESPE De Bretagne
    LeTelegramme
    L'Indomptable
    L'Institut Franco Americain
    L'Institut Franco-americain
    Lionel Prigent
    Logpickr
    Lorient
    Lors Landat
    Louisiana
    LSU
    Made In BZH
    Manx
    Marque Bretagne
    Maryland
    Menhir
    Miami
    Mobile World Congress
    Morbihan
    Nantes
    Nazareth College
    NDMAC Systems
    Networking
    New Mexico
    New Orleans
    Newport
    NEWSLETTER
    New York
    Northern Ireland
    NY Mag
    NY Times
    Ouest France
    Paul Molac
    Philadelphia
    Philip Grossman
    Pledg
    Ploemeur
    Plougastel
    Pluvigner
    Pontivy
    Predicsis
    Produit En Bretagne
    Quiberon
    Quimper
    Radio
    Red Bull
    Regent
    Rennes
    Rise Of The Rest
    Rising Voices
    Roazhon Park
    Rochefort-en-Terre
    Rochester
    Roudouallec
    Rozenn Milin
    Saint Louis
    Saint Patrick
    Sammies
    Samuel LeHenanff
    San Diego
    San Francisco
    Santa Fe
    Scott
    Scottish
    Seattle
    Select USA
    SenX
    Simon Creachcadec
    Skol An Emsav
    Smart Cities
    Souffle D'Espoir
    Spotlight On Brittany
    Stal Breizh Ma Bro
    Star
    Startup
    Startups
    Statue Of Liberty
    St Goustan
    St Malo
    St Patrick
    Surf
    Survey
    SXSW
    Tall Ships America
    Tamm Kreiz
    Texas
    The Galway Inn
    Thomas Moisson
    Tulsa
    University Of New Orleans
    Vannes
    Vinifyed
    Virginia
    Washington DC
    Washington Post
    WBEZ
    WFMU
    Wi6labs
    Woleet
    Yann Rivallain
    Yaouank
    Year In Review
    Yorktown
    Youenn Gwernig
    Yves Le Roux
    Zachary Richard

    Blog Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    January 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014

    Breizh Amerika 

    is an organization established to create, facilitate, promote, and sponsor wide-ranging innovative and collaborative cultural and economic projects that strengthen and foster relations and cooperation between the United States of America and the region of Brittany, France.

    View my profile on LinkedIn
Picture
Subscribe to newsletter
Contact us : info@breizh-amerika.com
​

Copyright 2014 - All rights reserved - Breizh Amerika - Privacy Policy
  • Home
  • About us
  • Blog
  • Craft Beer
  • Diaspora Bretonne
  • Store
  • Breton USA History
  • Startup
  • The Collective
  • Contact Us
  • Kouign Amann
  • Podcast
  • Crepes
  • Brittany France
  • USA TOUR 2017
  • BZH Business
  • Hermione
  • Press
  • The Collective 2015
  • USA TOUR 2016
  • Computer Club