DIDIER DRÉO
Kanaouennoù ’ba tal ar bern foenn
Giustino Soldano & Muriel Le Ny
Label: Arfolk - Release Date: June 19, 2026 - Format: CD and Digital - Genre: Breton Trad / Pop / Folk
Biography and Career
Didier Dréo is a Breton guitarist and singer-songwriter. Deeply attached to his Breton roots, he composes the majority of his songs in this language. A professional musician since June 1996, Didier founded the group Kern in 1992 alongside singer Kristen Nikolas. He released three albums between 1995 and 1999, including “Bed ar gaoù, bed ar spi” in a duet with Kristen, which was named Album of the Year in 1999 by Chadenn ar Vro.
In 2000, he co-founded the group Arsa, which won the Trophée Dagan for Best Celtic Music Group in 2001. That same year, a meeting with the poet, writer, and traveler Michel Demion inspired him to create and compose his Celtic oratorio “Tremar”—a sumptuous work performed in 2003 at the Théâtre de Cornouaille in Quimper, as well as in Carhaix and Fouesnant.
In 2007, he recorded his first solo album: “Kerdin da Zirostan”, featuring a Celtic inspiration with poetic and mesmerizing compositions. Around the same time, he became the guitarist for singer-songwriter Nolwenn Korbell, collaborating on several of her albums.
In 2009, he composed the music for the sound and light show “Ur Wech e Oa Telo”, which ran for three consecutive nights at the St Telo Chapel in Plogonnec.
From 2010 to 2012, he accompanied Nolwenn Korbell on tour, performing on major French stages. He also played in a duo with accordionist Jean-Michel Moal (co-founder of Red Cardell) and collaborated with guitarist Lanig Libouban. In 2012, he composed the music for “Histoire de la Bretagne, de – 700 000 jusqu’à nos jours”, a project consisting of 4 audio CDs and an illustrated book.
Since 2019, Didier has been the director of the “Mouezh Bro Konk” choir in Concarneau, a choir that sings exclusively in Breton. He also directs two other choirs: “Moueziou Pluguen” in Pluguffan and “La chorale des étangs” in Rosporden. He composes, arranges, and adapts songs in Breton for all three ensembles. Additionally, he was a member of the group “Gwad”, with whom he recorded the album "O red".
The New Album: A Generational Legacy
Through his new album Kanaouennoù 'ba tal ar bern foenn - Chants des tas de foin, Didier Dréo continues his work to promote the Breton language. This project is far more than just a musical endeavor; it offers a unique, intergenerational testimony. Moving from the grandfather's stories to the voice of his five-year-old granddaughter—by way of his parents' archives and his daughter's piano playing—this album weaves a one-of-a-kind bond between five generations of the same family, offering a rare chronicle where family memory transforms into music.
Both fresh, original, and remarkably contemporary, the album draws inspiration from the stories that shaped the artist's childhood. Nurtured by the tales passed down in Breton by his parents and family elders, Didier Dréo pays tribute to Breton culture through a blend of poetry, humor, and virtuosity.
Musical Style and Content
Musically, the album stands out for its remarkable diversity, shifting between blues influences, rock accents, and a touch of flamenco in the track “Redadeg”.
The lyrics tell real stories gathered from Didier’s parents and elders, delivered in an allegorical Breton. The artist pays a vibrant tribute to his grandfather who, on horseback at the time, would tell and sing these stories with a poetic touch, using a traditional and sometimes untranslatable Breton dialect. True to this oral tradition, Didier chose to keep the exact texts left by his family, composing melodies that perfectly embrace the natural musicality of the language.
The voice of the artist's father can be heard on two tracks (Per Borich and Skol ar republik), while his children lend their vocals to various songs throughout the album. Among them, his daughter Sterenn adds her piano touch to the track Sterenn—which her father composed at her birth—as well as to An dorioù. To complete this lineage of transmission, the voice of his five-year-old granddaughter, Anaé, appears on the track Mad an traoù. Their blended voices beautifully illustrate the continuity of a cultural heritage and a shared passion passed down from generation to generation.
The album contains fourteen tracks, striking a fine balance between vocal songs and instrumental creations. It carries an intimate quality; it is a highly pleasant listen, alternating between slow, soulful tracks and lively, spirited pieces. There is absolutely no faulting the instrumental caliber of Didier Dréo, whose talents have been appreciated many times on stage at various Breton festivals.
Tracks:
01 Ba tal ar bern foenn 05:12
02 Per Borich 04:14
03 War gein ar marc_h 02:44
04 Goustadig 03:51
05 Mad an traoù 02:40
06 Sterenn 02:33
07 Park al lann 03:33
08 Park ar Vamm 02:42
09 An dorioù 03:44
10 La Suave 03:30
11 Heol tenval penn ar bed 05:07
12 Reuz zo ba roc_h an Ankou 04:39
13 Redadeg 02:27
14 Skol ar republik 03:15
Totale : 50 minuti ca
Credits:
Voices:
Didier Dréo
Maïwen Gault
Sterenn Dréau
Meltan Dréau
Anaé Coillard
Kat Pluguen
Loeiza Beauvir
Musicians:
Quentin Juliard, batteria
Vincent Tison, drum pad
Sterenn Dréau, piano
Lukian Perron, bouzouki, banjo
Didier Dréo, chitarre
The album can be purchased digitally on standard online platforms at
A second album is already in the works.