France has been swept by a wave of Britanny fever after celebrity singer scored on the biggest national hits in years with a folk album.
Henry Samuel
By Henry Samuel, Paris 7:00AM GMT 14 Mar 2011
Nolwenn Leroy, 28, who won the 2002 version of Star Academy, the French X Factor equivalent, has struck a chord with the nation and seemingly changed the region's image overnight.
Her album Bretonne has been number one in France since January, selling more than 500,000 copies and generating huge interest in Breton culture among the younger generation.
"[Brittany's] image has suddenly become young and pretty, sexy and smiley far from the [habitual] dreary drizzle, surly fishermen and crêpe soirées," wrote Le Parisien newspaper.
The album contains several traditional Breton songs, some of which are in the region's language, which is closely related to Cornish. It uses pipes and other traditional instruments, and includes highly respected Breton musicians.
The promoters, and some commentators, claim the Breton craze is in the same vein as France's sudden fascination with the north Calais area in 2008 thanks to the hit film Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis (Welcome to the Sticks).
Leroy claims to have rediscovered the region she left a the age of 12. She has recently started learning Breton. "This is much bigger than me," she told Le Telegramme, the regional newspaper.
"It's a real phenomenon of which I'm a modest vector but which is shining a light on the whole region, its roots and language."
Marie Le Yannou from the Mission Bretonne, which promotes Breton culture, said: "We organise Fest-Deiz, traditional Breton dances and music in the day on weekends, and have seen a noticeable rise in the number of people taking part.
"In a time of crisis, there's a trend of people finding comfort in their roots, in their home regions, it's not just the case in Brittany but also Corsica, Alsace and elsewhere."
The success of Bretonne has coincided with the region launching its own "Brittany" brand to promote interest in the region, its produce and savoir-faire.
In another PR coup for the region, Miss Bretagne has just been crowned Miss France.
But Leroy's bid to spring clean Brittany's image has not been to everyone's tastes.
"Some purists here think her album is abominable, that she can't pronounce the language and is reducing true Breton culture to its lowest common denominator," said Mrs Le Yannou.
Le Nouvel Observateur magazine said: "Others say whether or not you like the album, it's doing wonders for Brittany as a region, so should be welcomed."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/8379514/France-falls-in-love-with-Brittany-as-Nolwenn-Leroys-album-tops-the-charts.html
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