Alan Stivell, legendary 74-year-old Breton musician, released his 25th album at the end of October, entitled Human-Kelt, on which many of his revisited songs with prestigious guests can be found. While visiting the village from the Route du Rhum, he told us more about this new album, its motivations and choices.
Francis Cabrel, Fatoumata Diawara, Carlos Núñez, Murray Head, Morvan Brothers, Yann Tiersen, Dan Ar Braz, etc. Prestigious guests are numerous on this new album of Alan Stivell with multiple influences. At 74, the Breton singer wanted to innovate again and again.
Your new album Human-Kelt, is an alternation between old songs and new tracks .
I wanted to make an inventory of my more than 50 years of career. It's a tour of the house but it's not a simple look back. It is an album of today since I propose new titles and I show a large part of my musical influences in another way, with different interpretations.
There are duets with prestigious guests. Why appeal to them?
This is my way of revisiting titles. I said to myself, well I would see this or that singer accompany me on this or that song. Many are stepping aside. I sing Francis Cabrel in Occitan, Fatoumata Diawara with some passages in Breton. I had the Morvan Brothers sing songs outside their repertoire. For the first time, Corsican enters my albums. We also find Carlos Núñez, Murray Head, Yann Tiersen, Dan Ar Braz, etc. I sing for the first time in Welsh. There are a dozen languages. There are many first times.
Hard to define your style of music in this album. There are many different genres.
I have never been able to choose a musical genre, everything interests me, I have no priori on a musical form, an instrument. There is always this Breton root in the center and then the influences of all instruments, all genres, all eras. I do for example an electro remix of a title. I do it naturally. Everyone can find in this album with classical, a cappella singing, there is everything. It is above all current music.
How did you work with all these artists?
I spent a lot of time. There have been recordings in different parts of the world. Some were made without me but with people of confidence. These are encounters beyond time and space. Technology has always fascinated me, I used it for my album.
What are your plans now?
I'm on tour. I was in Germany in September, in Plomeur last week. There I go near Toulouse, Lille, Charentes, Spain, La Cigale in Paris and it will continue. I am currently working to revisit my Celtic symphony, 40 years later.
You were in the village leaving the Route du Rhum. What inspires you this race?
I have it since the beginning. Already because she leaves Brittany, so it speaks to me. I love this Brittany facing the ocean, in this case to the Caribbean. It represents this bond of Britons with the rest of the world, this freedom. That's what I feel and what I try to express in my own way with music.