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Kyra Shaughnessy & Bear - Le Marquis

from La Rencontre by Kyra Shaughnessy

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about

Le Marquis is an adaptation of a gwerz (a type of traditional Breton song) called Marv Pontkalleg which my once-mentor and friend Bear had learned and passed on as the incantatory piece of lyrics you hear him speaking in Breton. He never completed a direct translation of the lyrics but the story accompanying his recounting was this:

"This is the story of the Marquis de Pontkalleg who went to see the kind of France to ask for his peoples right to keep their own language and customs...unfortunatelt when you're a French kind every one of your subjects must speak French and that became the law. But he went to see the kind anyway...but people who are bootlickers and follow the coaches ended his trip to the king, by cutting of his head of course... "

The music and snippet of English lyrics were inspired by his voice and the idea that many cultures across the globe are still "waiting" for their rights and for the intrinsic value of their languages and traditions to be recognized and respected by "dominant" cultures.

Special thanks to Stephen Fuller for the recording of Bear.

lyrics

*no direct translation of this adaptation available for the moment, but various versions of the full gwerz (song) can be found online

Ur werzenn nevez zo savet
War markiz Pontkalleg eo graet

Mignon a oa d'ar Vretoned
D'ar vourc'hizien ne lâran ket

Ha pa oa digoue't e Naoned
E oa barnet ha kondaonet

Kondaonet, naren d'an tud-par,
Nemet tud koue'et diouzh lost ar c'harr

Hag her reas betek ar marv
Marv neb a gare e vro

Traitour, ah! mallozh dit 'ta (traitors be damned!)
Traitour, ah! mallozh dit 'ta (traitors be damned!)

*waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting....

credits

from La Rencontre, released February 16, 2020
words: kyra shaughnessy, bear (maurice leger)
vocals: kyra shaughnessy, bear (maurice leger)
music: kyra shaughnessy, cédric dind-lavoie
guitar: kyra shaughnessy
everything else: cédric dind-lavoie
arrangements: kyra shaughnessy, cédric dind-lavoie

recorded by cédric dind-lavoie
*voice of bear recorded by Stephen fuller

mixed by cédric dind-lavoie & louis morneau
mastered by louis morneau

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all rights reserved

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Kyra Shaughnessy Waterville, Québec

Kyra Shaughnessy’s music and writing invoke presence and awakening. Of mixed heritage, born, raised and unschooled in Québec, composing in multiple languages across genres, Kyra’s work represents a unifying vision of humanity through an artistic practice grounded in a holistic perspective of healing and respect for the interconnectedness of all life. ... more

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