Kerian Portebois is part of this new generation of Breton musicians who are bringing new life to the Breton music scene.
A young guitarist who has always been attached to Brittany, Kerian Portebois is also one of the founders of the TAOUARH group which hosts the festù noz.
What are your links with Brittany ?
It's a story like many others, the story told by Morvan Lebesque, discovery or ignorance.
My grandfather had to leave Brittany at the age of 14 and immigrated to the Paris region.
But he continued to listen to Breton music all his life because he remained very attached to Brittany.
So in my childhood, I listened to the Morvan brothers, the Goadec sisters as well as Tri Yann and Alan Stivell. My mother spoke to me of fest-noz and of this distant Brittany for me.
We come from time to time during the holidays but it didn't mean anything more to me than that.
And one day, it's the discovery
Yes, that's a bit like it.
I played guitar but in rock and jazz repertoires. I had been at the Cergy-Pontoise conservatory for 2 years when I came across CDs by Ar re yaouank, Carré Manchot, Brou-Hamon-Quimbert and Skedus.
And then one day in an Irish session, I bought the CD "Hunter'S Moon" recorded by Calum Stewart and Heikki Bourgault.
Then I met Heikki in Redon during the Bogue d'Or and we hit it off immediately.
As I was having a moderate amount of fun playing jazz, I came to the Lorient conservatory to follow the DEM (Diploma of Musical Studies) course with Philippe Janvier (editor's note: teacher at BML. The first year, I followed the courses without really being in the exam course and then 3 years later, I obtained my DEM.
I also took Brittanymusic lessons (laughs).
From there comes the birth of Taouarh
The group started in winter 2017 in Lorient. I met the saxophonist Arthmael Giraudon at the Lorient conservatory. Why don't we both play together, me on guitar and him on sax.
I told him about my desire to start a group with biniou/bombarde.
He knew Armel Barazer, bassist, who agreed to do something together. We met at Roi Morvan's tavern and I told him of my wish to add singing to the group.
To our left, there was Elouan Le Sauze. We proposed to him in the evening and he immediately liked it.
Then, I contacted Maïwen Guillon whom I had met at a fest noz to play the bombarde.
The group was therefore complete.
Have there been any developments since then ?
It's the normal life of a music group.
Elouan decided to stop last year for new adventures and singer Axel Landeau replaced him.
And very recently, William Nicolas replaced Maïwen in the bombardment.
Can you define Taouarh's musical style ?
Only music to dance to, singing accompanied by the bombard encompassed by a cittern-bass section with a tenor sax which makes the link between the 2 poles.
It mainly revolves around traditional themes and a few sung or sounded compositions.
We collect themes on Dastum or on CDs and the final choice is made by five people. We put together a suite and then adapt the instrumentation for a particular theme.
Then we experiment and arrive at a result that we like.
Do you have any other projects underway ?
I play in a duo with Arthmael, Breton music to dance and listen to. We play in Café-concerts or garden concerts.
I also have a duo with Coline Genet who is a violinist, with whom we play at folk balls in Brittany and France.
I am also part of a group “Menace d'éclaircie” which is doing very well.
It’s a street brass band group that’s 10 years old.
Since my arrival with the team change in October 2021, the show has taken on the dimension of a street show. Marching band but also a street show with a theatrical dimension with lots of sketches.
