Le Marquis from La Rencontre by Kyra Shaughnessy & Bear

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.

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.

kyrashaughnessy.com