The Festival de Cornouaille (or just Cornouaille Kemper) is an annual festival taking place in Quimper, a city in the south-west of Brittany, a western region of France. The festival begins on the third Sunday of July and lasts for one week. It has been held since 1923 and is one of the biggest cultural events in Brittany.
The festival puts forward the Breton culture in its diversity and its richness. About 180 shows, concerts and animations take place in the day and in the evening in the urban heart of the city of Quimper: "a festival in the heart of a city and a culture".
History
From 1923
Reine de Cornouaille 2014
The festival was founded in 1923 as a sort of beauty contest; The idea was to choose the most beautiful girl in the region and crowned queen of the festival . hair To the so-called Festival des Reines continued to dress the Breton bards Taldir, Jaffrenou and Botrel were present, as were the folk dancers Plozévet. After the pageant, accompanied by piano and violin, was a dinner for 300 guests, and the festival ended with a grand ball, where the gavotte was mixed with the Charleston. The festival continued in this form until 1947.
From 1945
The festival was not held during the Second World War but was revived after the end of Nazi occupation in 1945. In 1947 the "Queens Festival" was renamed Les grandes Fêtes de Cornouaille. The first Fêtes was a four-hour folk festival, focusing on the Breton tradition.
In 1948 a sixteen-year-old girl was elected festival queen, provoking criticism from the Roman Catholic Church. As a result, in 1949 the practice of electing a festival queen was abandoned, and the festival changed to emphasize local folklore. In the same year the festival was expanded from one day into one week. Since the 1950s, the festival has developed into an Welsh Eisteddfod-inspired celebration of Breton culture, language, literature, and music.
In 1992, the famous guitarist Dan Ar Braz, a native of Quimper, was asked to organize the festival's music. This resulted in the Héritage des Celtes project, which brought together seventy Celtic musicians. This collaboration resulted in a number of albums under the name "Heritage des Celtes".
Lineups
2016
Tuesday 19: Laurène et Louis, Ronan Le Bars with guests (Dan Ar Braz, Sylvain Barou and Stéphane Eicher), Colline Hill, Lina Bellard, Tymen / Kerveillant Quintet
Wednesday 20: Maria Desbordes, Bagad Cap Caval et le Phil'Armorik Orchestra, Dremmwel, Duo Rivière / Lagadic, Aroze
Thursday 21: Gabriella, Doolin', Dañs Er Jeko, Tanaw, Jo Van Bouvel
Saturday 23: «N’Diale» with Foune Diarra Trio & Jacky Molard Acoustic Quartet, «Afro Breizh» of Dounia compagny, «Quimper en danses», Lleuwen, Pat O’May Group, Orion, Kement Tu championship, Bour-Bodros Quintet
"Night of Celtic Stars" (30 years of Keltia Musique), Loreena McKennitt, Alan Stivell, Urban Trad, Red Cardell, I Muvrini, Lúnasa, Merzhin, David Hopkins, Les Ramoneurs de menhirs, Iwan B, The Churchfitters, David Pasquet Group, Plantec, Hiks, Djiboudjep, Choir of the World's End, Georgian Legend, Les Goristes, Sylbat, Le Chant des Sardinières, Pascal Jaouen parade, Robert-Noguet Quartet, Ozan Trio, Le Diabl' dans la fourche, Sloï, Yann Raoul, Skilda, Lagad Tan, Comas and Alain Genty, Bill Ebet, Abadenn Veur
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