In 2013, drummer and producer Manu Masko imagined a project mixing traditional Celtic music with contemporary influences, inspired by the concept of the Buena Vista Social Club.[citation needed] He brought together artists from different scenes — rock, folk, reggae, as well as Breton, Scottish and Irish music — with the aim of adapting traditional tunes into a modern format.[citation needed]
The project took shape with an initial performance, originally intended as a one-off, at the Vieilles Charrues Festival on 18 July 2014, before an audience of about 40,000 spectators. [1]
The first line-up included Jimme O’Neill (The Silencers), Jean-Pierre Riou (Red Cardell), Ronán Le Bars, Pierre Stéphan, Mathieu Péquériau and Richard Puaud. [2] Guest performers at this concert included Breton singer Louise Ebrel, [3] New York rapper IC Will,[citation needed] and Breton folk singer Colline Hill.[citation needed]
The first single, "Celtic Social Club", entered the playlist of France Inter, which broadcast the concert in its entirety the same evening. [4]
Prior to this concert, the group had recorded their debut album, The Celtic Social Club, produced by Manu Masko,[citation needed] at La Sirène (La Rochelle),[citation needed] mixed in New York by Ariel Borujow, [5] and released on 18 June 2014 on the Breton label Keltia Musique. [6] The album alternates between original compositions and re-interpretations of traditional themes from Ireland, Scotland, Brittany, and other Celtic regions.[citation needed]
First tours and affirmation of style (2015–2017)
Following positive reactions from audiences and the media, [7] the band began touring in March 2015, with concerts in France, Switzerland, Germany, and the United States. [8] A notable appearance in New York led to the recording of the live album Unplugged in NYC, released in October 2015 and mixed by Ariel Borujow. [9]
Jean-Pierre Riou left the band after a concert at Moulin du Roc (Niort) in December 2015, [10] and was replaced by Goulven Hamel, who had previously contributed to the group’s communications (texts and visuals).[citation needed]
In January 2016, the band recorded three tracks (A New Kind of Freedom, The Birds, When You Need Someone) with producer John Reynolds at La Sirène (La Rochelle), [11] before finalizing the album at Alhambra Colbert studio (Rochefort) and mixing it in New York with Ariel Borujow. [12]
The second studio album, A New Kind of Freedom, was released in 2017. [13] The band continued touring in China, Vietnam, Turkey, and Algeria. [14]
In October 2016, the group played in Central Park (New York) as part of the 25th anniversary of the Vieilles Charrues Festival. [15] A short U.S. tour followed in September 2017, [16] although it did not fully meet expectations due to logistical and financial difficulties.[citation needed]
