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 Photo - 36 Ko |
Despite her wheelchair, the spectator still danced, carried by the music. The rhythms of the south-african singer Johnny Clegg, the highlight of the Cornouaille festival, invaded both the heart and body. Attracted by so much energy, the drizzle and wind also invited themselves, but it needed more than that to dampen the keenness of the crowd. Such fervor was evident when, to salute the celtic origins of the african culture`s herald, the entire bagad Quimper came on stage. The concert reached its vigorous and majestic climax as the three songs interpreted for the concert by the african and armorican brought the crowd to their feet, united in the same pleasure and the same pride. Johnny Clegg, the celtic Zulu rediscovered his roots. Cape-Quimper, the ends of the world have a new association |
 With the parade of the 'Guises', Brittany shows off the glory former of its costumes. Proudly displaying their headdresses and hats, waistcoats, pinafores and clogs, the celtic circles (bagads and dancers) from all over the region compete in splendour infront of their contemporaries under the charm of the past. From Fouesnant to Concarneau, Lorient to Landivisiau, 56 towns and villages offer a lesson in regional history. 
Each item of
clothing represents an identity through its shapes and characteristics,
allowing the trained eye to pinpoint its town of origin. Set in place on
the women`s heads, 'bigouden' headdresses standing to a height of 35cm
speak of pride and religion : the story goes back to the reaction to the
french Revolution which lead to the church towers being pulled down. The
women from the bigouden region responded by disproportionately heightening
their headdresses which became a symbol of the towers which had
dissappeared. With the 'Guises', its the breton pride which is being
paraded.
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 Photo - 41 Ko |
Traditionally, the Cornouaille festival comes to a beautiful end. Amongst
the 150,000 spectators gathered along the Triumph of the sonneurs` route
(traditional musicians), many have come especially for this final parade.
All the celtic circles which have given life to the festival come together
one last time to enthousiastically accept uninterupted applause for almost
one kilometer. Rounding off the march, the steamroller of all the musicians
and 'bagads', opens the way forward with a demonstration of musical
strength. Behind this wall of bodyguards Angelique 'la bigouden', the new
queen of Cornouaille 1997/1998 approaches. Already in their heads, the next
festival de Cornouaille makes a fanfare entry.
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Cornouaille in tune with raï.
The festival de Cornouaille has officially finished but the day is not yet
over. For those who can not face leaving the festival, Quimper has made
plans for a final bouquet with the scent of the Orient : Khaled, the
ambassador for both raļ and world music has come to treat the last handful
of festivalgoers. A large handful all the same, almost 3,500 are here for
the last concert. After the show, the evening is prolonged in true fashion
of the Arabic hospitality: in a large marquee next to the stage, the
cultural Association for Quimper`s muslims offer mint tea and oriental
pastries to mark the algerian artist`s visit to the town. When all is done
and finished in the capital of Cornouaille, it`s the tradition ..... to go
to sleep!
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B efore switching off the last spotlight, we turn the camera around in the other direction for a change! This festival de Cornouaille journal was designed live by 'Technopole de Quimper' in connection with reports from the local newspaper 'Ouest France'. The shooting stars answering the questions on everybody`s lips were namely Gwenaelle Arnold, Patrick Lenormand, Olivier Lintanf, Michel Pineau, Thierry Valladeau, Thomas Vivet and our favourite Anglophone, Owen Vloothuis. With this journal, the team hopes to have given you as much pleasure as we have had in chasing the information. Don`t hesitate at all to write and let us know your thoughts and opinions at:webmaster@tech-quimper.fr ...so, until next year! |
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