Anne Auffret

Whether singing a cappella or accompanying herself on Celtic harp, Anne Auffret has successfully resurrected the traditional music of Brittany. According to Breton music magazine Channing Ar Gall, "we listen to Anne Auffret as if we were listening to the water dripping from a spring into the ferns. Her voice is so true, her tone so clear and powerful at the same time that we may think that it comes from the beyond." Born in the small Breton village of Bulat-Pestivien, Auffret launched her musical career with the release of a solo album, Kanennou Santel, in 1973. The album focused on the religious sides of her repertoire and included many traditional Breton hymns that continue to be sung in rural churches. While the album offered hints of her potential as a performer, Auffret didn't record again for almost two decades. Although she spent four years as a member of a Milan-based band, Alia Musica, the group went unrecorded. In the early '90s, Auffret began a collaboration with Breton singer Yann-Fanch Kemener that resulted in two memorable albums — Major Chants of Brittany, Vol. 4 in 1991 and Roue Gralon ni ho Salud! in 1993. She joined with Michel Guesquière and Jean Baron to record Sonj in 1991. Two years later, she formed a new band, Kan Telenn, with harpers Hoëla Barbedette and Muriel Desfontaine.