An interview with one of the longest-running musical groups on the folk scene
"Discovery or Ignorance" is the title of the 1976 album that established the "Three Jeans" (of which Tri Yann is the Gaelic equivalent) among the emerging groups of the folk revival scene. The group's founding "Three Jeans" were Jean Chocun, Jean Louis Jossic, and Jean Paul Corbineau. In Italy, they were virtually unknown and remained so for a long time, as Breton music had never been distributed in our country; It's only with the advent of the new century that, in some well-stocked megastores, it's possible to glimpse a CD section called "Tri Yann": don't expect to find much, at most their latest efforts, the double anniversary live album "Trente ans au zenith" (2002) and the album "Le Pélegrin" (2001). But at the time, and we're talking about 1976, there was no hint of Tri Yann in Italy. I remember my cousin, returning from a holiday in Brittany with a bag of records, saying "choose!"; I had actually asked him to buy something for me too, but I certainly didn't expect such availability. My eye therefore immediately fell on that album with the book-style cover (the most loved for the satisfaction of reading them while listening) and the intense blue color, on which an antique statuette representing the musicians appeared. Have you ever realized that a record is beautiful just by looking at it? Well, don't ask for rational explanations, but for music lovers it certainly is like that, it's a kind of instinct, an intuition that guided our gaze when browsing the record sections of our trusted stores. In 1976, a pivotal year for the folk revival, "La Découverte" perfectly fulfilled the expectations the eye had aroused. It wasn't the group's first album, but it marked the emergence of an electrified sound that married perfectly with traditional sounds: British folk rock bands had been good teachers. Even the album's title was suggestive: "La Découverte ou l'ignorance," meaning "Discovery or Ignorance." It's a title that also provides us with some insight into the extraordinary longevity of this group, absolutely anomalous in fields such as folk and rock, and paralleled only by the English band Fairport Convention. In this case, we're talking about long-lived bands, not because of the stubbornness of those who have survived the ravages of history, or perhaps the commercial interest that only a name can evoke. We're talking about bands that maintain their original structure, along with the creative inspiration and energy that allows them to endure long tours and lengthy live performances. The sense of "rediscovery" is perhaps that latent emotion that cements the union and the desire to continue the adventure together: this is Tri Yann. This summer, we had the opportunity to see them in action in Bourg de Péage, a town between Grenoble and Valence (the photos presented here are from this concert). About halfway through the concert, a furious and merciless downpour broke out, making us long for a makeshift shelter; It was a wish shelved because Jean Louis Jossic, while the group continued to play under a poorly covered structure, remained undaunted under the rain, singing with an energy that could not fail to inspire amazement. It is evidently no coincidence that, from 1972 to the present, the group has surpassed thirty years of activity without fail. Yet, towards the end of the 1980s, in that general decline that could be seen throughout the folk movement, even Tri Yann, in our opinion, produced more conventional and even somewhat repetitive albums, perhaps a sign of a difficulty in renewing their musical projects; but at that time, it was perhaps the ecological themes that cemented their unity of purpose. Having overcome that phase, Tri Yann today has a new compositional verve that allows us to appreciate their new productions, starting with their latest release, "Marins," released in September 2003. In this interview, we sought to delve into the secrets that have allowed the group to transcend the history of folk music and continue to offer original and certainly innovative music. Guitarist Jean Chocun answered our questions on behalf of the group.
TA: Do you remember the day you chose the name "Tri Yann An Naoned"? What exactly happened?
TY: In fact, it was one of the spectators at the "Breton Ball" we attended, in a town near Nantes called Basse Indre, who named us TRI YANN AN NAONED. The name means "The Three Jeans of Nantes," given that the three founders' names are Jean, Jean Paul, and Jean Louis, and that all three of us are originally from Nantes, whose name in Breton is Naoned. That day, among other things, we performed a dance with two guitars, a flute, and our voices: "La pastourelle de Saint Julien," which is a "maraichine" (a dance originating from the Breton "marais," an area near Nantes).
TA: How important was the first concert at the Olympia in Paris, organized by the Phonogram publishing house in 1973, for you?
TY: A decisive importance. Realize, we never imagined we'd be able to appear on such a legendary stage as the Olympia. We sometimes listened to the "Musicorama" radio broadcasts at the Olympia, where all the "stars" of the time appeared. But all this seemed abstract to us, even inaccessible to "provincial amateurs" like us. It was necessary for the singer-actress Juliette Greco to choose to have young talents sing in the first part of her show so that we would be in good company on the Olympia stage, alongside singers like Daniel Guichard, Yves Duteil, and others.
TA: At the time, were you satisfied with the quality of your second album, "Dix ans, dix filles"?
TY: Oh! Of course not!!! And we still regret having recorded that album in the rush caused by the request of our then-recording company, "Kelenn." Not that the choice of titles was frankly bad, but the preparation was too rushed, which led to a number of mistakes: dancing wasn't respected, humor was poorly distributed, etc. But whatever, it's enough to consider this effort a youthful mistake. Even the album cover was lacking!!! We changed strategy with the third album, "Suite gallaise," for which we took the time necessary to fine-tune it and make it "sound" the way we wanted.
TA: When did you decide to quit your jobs to go professional? Was it a difficult decision?
TY: It happened between late 1972 and early 1973, depending on the jobs we each held. It was no longer possible to balance our day jobs with the travel required for the music. We had to make a choice, and when you’re 24, if you aren’t willing to take a few risks, life can end up being pretty dull! So, we chose music—the stage, concerts, life on the road, hotels... the adventure! We thought it would last a few years... yet here we are, thirty years later. There were four of us back then: Jean-Louis Jossic and Bernard Baudriller were schoolteachers, Jean-Paul Corbineau was a supermarket buyer, and I—Jean Chocun—worked in the personnel complaints department of a shipping company. Admittedly, it was a tough decision to make; some left their students mid-year, others walked away from attractive, well-paid careers... but when you’re driven, obstacles are easily overcome.
TA: Many journalists consider *La découverte ou l’ignorance* to be your best album. Do you agree?
TY: Looking back, you could certainly say that album was a turning point for us. However, I wouldn't go so far as to call it our best work—even though I love that record. After all, if we believed it was the best album of our career, why bother recording others that couldn't possibly compete? For me, the moment a new CD is finished, it’s the best one of all... it’s only later that you notice any flaws, imbalances, or shortcomings relative to the standards of music production at the time. When *La Découverte ou l’ignorance* was released in 1976, we were still a four-piece band; we soon realized that performing the album live required a bassist and a drummer as well. Now there are eight of us on stage, and I believe the current lineup is much richer and more balanced than the one from back then. So, today I consider *Marines* to be the best album in our history—though in a few years, I might well rank them differently.
TA: How did the idea to use electric instruments on the album *La Découverte ou l’ignorance* come about?
TY: Quite simply—almost automatically—to flesh out the instrumental lineup we had at the time, which was limited to acoustic guitars, double bass, cello, flutes, bombards, dulcimer, violin, autoharp, and so on. We felt that the "drone" quality of a distorted electric guitar would blend beautifully with traditional music, where the drone of a *biniou*, bagpipes, or hurdy-gurdy is a natural part of the harmony. And once you use an electric guitar, adding bass and drums becomes almost essential—which is exactly what we did. It was a huge risk at the time, though; this electro-acoustic blend was quite iconoclastic for "traditional" ears, which were often quick to criticize. We won that gamble, as the album was embraced by many listeners, and it remains a landmark in our discography.
TA: The group has had only one female member in its history: Mylène Coué. Are you still in touch with her? Why doesn't she play with you occasionally anymore?
TY: Mylène had joined Tri Yann when Jean-Paul Corbineau left (finally at the time). We quickly realized that her vocal tones didn't really match those of the other male members of the group. Added to this, integrating a woman into an essentially male group can pose particular problems that make life together a bit complicated... We parted ways without any qualms, and then Jean-Paul returned to take up his place. We occasionally see Mylène, who still lives in our region; she joined us to celebrate Tri Yann's 25th anniversary together, and we saw her again recently... everyone continues their lives. Another woman also joined Tri Yann: Bleuwenn Mevel, sister of our bagpipe player Konan Mevel.
TA: In 1986, Bernard Baudriller left the group. For what reasons? How did you experience the episode?
TY: Painfully; Yes, it was undoubtedly the first trauma we had to cope with. But what do you do when life as a group becomes too much to bear? When going on tour too often risks sidelining your family? Bernard preferred to find a job as director of a music school that would allow him to remain in constant contact with music while preserving his family life. We understand. Bernard's voice can be found on the album "Portraits," released immediately after his departure, and whenever the opportunity arises, Bernard joins us on stage to sing a little choral song...
TA: How do you explain the group's exceptional longevity?
TY: A few words: rigor, creativity, pragmatism, tenacity, passion, humanity, confidence, respect, tolerance, complementarity, artistic flair, health, humor, and good humor... Arrange all these definitions in any order you like; they are interchangeable. And none of them would be right without the audience that has supported us for over thirty years.
TA: In the 1980s, when folk music went through a bit of a crisis, did you experience any difficult times? At the same time, what are your fondest memories?
TY: Crisis! "What a crisis" (to paraphrase some famous artists!). It was at the depths of the crisis that we built our most ambitious show: "Le vaisseau de Pierre," which was also the most painful financial setback of our career... but since nothing can strengthen a friendship like adversity, we faced it together, and I like to think that this experience, artistically rich but financially exhausting, allowed the group to lay the foundations for the future. So, it's a fond memory of this show, "Le vaisseau de Pierre," with about a hundred of us—musicians, dancers, extras, and giant puppets. But there are so many fond memories that it's hard to choose.
TA: What can you tell us to introduce your new CD, "Les Marins"?
TY: This CD is actually called "Marins," like those paintings depicting the sea, whether tempera, watercolor, or oil. They all have one thing in common: the sea that laps our shores, this coastline that makes Brittany a "Pays d'Armor" ("Armor" means "seaside country"), a coastline that we've sung so little about, being "terrieri," that is, "urbains de l'argot" ("argot" means "forest country"). The CD is therefore a succession of impressions and feelings inspired by the maritime presence. It speaks of characters, places, and atmospheres with a common denominator: the sea. These aren't simply songs of the sea, but songs of seafarers, seawomen, the ship's cat, the woman left behind on the dock, the whisky that helps one forget... a truly good album.