Gilles Servat
Encyclopedia
Gilles Servat is a French
singer, born in Tarbes
in southern France
in 1945, into a family whose roots lay in the Nantes
region of Brittany
.
He spent his early childhood around Nantes and Cholet
. His music evoques the Isle of Groix
, off the coast of Morbihan
.
His music was originally inspired by the works of Breton musicians Glenmor
and Alan Stivell
. The title song from his first album, La blanche Hermine, the White Ermine
being the national emblem
of Brittany, became an anthem
for Bretons.
In the 1990s he became part of the Héritage des Celtes, led by Dan Ar Braz
and featuring the most famous names in Celtic music
.
In 1998 he released the album "Touche pas à la Blanche Hermine" ("Don't Touch The White Ermine") as a defiant stand against the French National Front
who had used Servat's song La blanche Hermine during its meetings.
Servat sings in Breton, French and English.
Servat is also an actor and writer; he has authored several novels inspired by Celtic myths and legends. He is also a campaigner for the Breton language
and a supporter of the Skol Diwan
Breton language schools.
also features on (amongst others):
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
singer, born in Tarbes
Tarbes
Tarbes is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in south-western France.It is part of the historical region of Gascony. It is the second largest metropolitan area of Midi-Pyrénées, with 110,000 inhabitants....
in southern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1945, into a family whose roots lay in the Nantes
Nantes
Nantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants....
region of Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
.
He spent his early childhood around Nantes and Cholet
Cholet
Cholet is a commune of western France in the Maine-et-Loire department. It was the capital of military Vendée.-Geography:Cholet stands on an eminence on the right bank of the Moine, which used to be crossed by a bridge from the fifteenth century...
. His music evoques the Isle of Groix
Groix
Groix is an island and a commune in the Morbihan department of the region of Brittany in north-western France.Groix lies a few kilometres of the coast off Lorient. Several ferries a day run from Lorient to Groix....
, off the coast of Morbihan
Morbihan
Morbihan is a department in Brittany, situated in the northwest of France. It is named after the Morbihan , the enclosed sea that is the principal feature of the coastline.-History:...
.
His music was originally inspired by the works of Breton musicians Glenmor
Glenmor
Glenmor was the stage name of Emile Le Scanf , a Breton protest singer who sought to preserve the Breton language and adapt local traditions of folk singing to the radical culture of the 1960s and 70s. He is also known by the Breton name Milig Ar Skañv.-Early career:Emile Le Scanf was born in 1931...
and Alan Stivell
Alan Stivell
Alan Stivell is a Breton musician and singer, recording artist and master of the celtic harp who from the early 1970s revived global interest in the Celtic harp and Celtic music as part of world music.- Background: learning Breton music and culture :Alan was born in the Auvergnat town of Riom...
. The title song from his first album, La blanche Hermine, the White Ermine
Ermine
Ermine has several uses:* A common name for the stoat * The white fur and black tail end of this animal, which is historically worn by and associated with royalty and high officials...
being the national emblem
Emblem
An emblem is a pictorial image, abstract or representational, that epitomizes a concept — e.g., a moral truth, or an allegory — or that represents a person, such as a king or saint.-Distinction: emblem and symbol:...
of Brittany, became an anthem
Anthem
The term anthem means either a specific form of Anglican church music , or more generally, a song of celebration, usually acting as a symbol for a distinct group of people, as in the term "national anthem" or "sports anthem".-Etymology:The word is derived from the Greek via Old English , a word...
for Bretons.
In the 1990s he became part of the Héritage des Celtes, led by Dan Ar Braz
Dan Ar Braz
Dan Ar Braz, born Daniel Le Bras , is a French guitarist and the founder of Héritage des Celtes.- The apprenticeship years :...
and featuring the most famous names in Celtic music
Celtic music
Celtic music is a term utilised by artists, record companies, music stores and music magazines to describe a broad grouping of musical genres that evolved out of the folk musical traditions of the Celtic people of Western Europe...
.
In 1998 he released the album "Touche pas à la Blanche Hermine" ("Don't Touch The White Ermine") as a defiant stand against the French National Front
Front National (France)
The National Front is a political party in France. The party was founded in 1972, seeking to unify a variety of French far-right currents of the time. Jean-Marie Le Pen was the party's first leader and the undisputed centre of the party from its start until his resignation in 2011...
who had used Servat's song La blanche Hermine during its meetings.
Servat sings in Breton, French and English.
Servat is also an actor and writer; he has authored several novels inspired by Celtic myths and legends. He is also a campaigner for the Breton language
Breton language
Breton is a Celtic language spoken in Brittany , France. Breton is a Brythonic language, descended from the Celtic British language brought from Great Britain to Armorica by migrating Britons during the Early Middle Ages. Like the other Brythonic languages, Welsh and Cornish, it is classified as...
and a supporter of the Skol Diwan
Diwan (school)
Diwan is a federation of Breton language-medium schools in Brittany .-Concept:The Diwan concept, which allows children to learn French and Breton through immersion was inspired by the Gaelscoileanna movement in Ireland, Ikastolak movement in the Basque Country and the Mudiad Ysgolion Meithrin...
Breton language schools.
Albums
- 1970: La Blanche Hermine (The White Ermine)
- 1971: Ki du (Black Dog)
- 1972: L’hirondelle (The Swallow)
- 1974: La liberté brille dans la nuit (Freedom Shines in the Night)
- 1976: Le pouvoir des mots
- 1977: Chantez la vie, l’amour et la mort (Sing to life, love and death)
- 1979: L’or et le cuivre (Gold and Copper)
- 1980: Hommage à René-Guy Cadou (Homage To Rene-Guy Cadou)
- 1981: Gilles Servat en public (Gilles Servat Live)
- 1982: Je ne hurlerai pas avec les loups (I will not howl with the wolves)
- 1985: La douleur d’aimer
- 1988: Mad in sérénité (Mad in Serenity)
- 1992: Le fleuve (The River)
- 1993: L’albatros fou (The Foolish Albertros) with Triskell
- 1994: Les albums de la jeunesse (Albums of Youth)
- 1995: A-raok mont kuit (Before Leaving)
- 1996: Litanies pour l’an 2000 (Litanies for the Year 2000) a compilation album
- 1996: Sur les quais de Dublin (On the Quays of Dublin)
- 1998: Touche pas à la Blanche Hermine (Don't Touch the White Ermine)
- 2000: Comme je voudrai ! (As I wish!)
- 2003: Escales (Stopovers) a 'Best of' album
- 2005: Sous le ciel de cuivre et d'eau (Under the Copper and Water Sky)
- 2006: Sensation [guest artist on the title track of this album by AnúnaAnúnaAnúna is an Irish choral group. In 1987 Dublin composer Michael McGlynn founded An Uaithne, a name which describes the three ancient types of Celtic music, Suantraí , Geantraí and Goltraí . One of the group's stated aims is to explore and redefine this music...
] - 2010: Gilles Servat 40 ans de succès best of
also features on (amongst others):
- 1993: Again (Alan Stivell)
- 1994: L’Héritage des Celtes
- 1995: L’Héritage des Celtes en concert
- 1997: L’Héritage des Celtes - Finisterres
- 1998: L’Héritage des Celtes - Zénith
- 1999: Bretagnes à Bercy