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Alan Stivell (born '''Alan Cochevelou''' January 6 , 1944 ) is a Breton musician from the town of Gourin . He spent his childhood in Paris , absorbing the music of the city's many different populations from across France , Algeria , Morocco and elsewhere. He became interested in Breton Music and culture, however, and returned to Brittany as a teenager. His stage name, ''Stivell'', means "fountain" or "spring" in Breton. This name refers both to the Breton renewal and to his name "Cochevelou", evolution of ''kozh stivelloù'', the old fountains. In 1953 , Stivell's father, Georges Cochevelou, made a Celtic harp in the ancient Breton style, and Alan began playing the instrument immediately. He also learned the Breton Language , which was then moribund, and traditional Breton dance, as well as the Bagpipe and the Bombarde , a kind of Breton Oboe . He competed in and won several Breton folk festivals. Stivell's first recording came in 1959 , and was a single that was followed by the LP '' Telenn Geltiek '' in 1960 . With a new bardic harp with bronze strings, Stivell began experimenting with modernized styles of music, eventually performing with the Moody Blues in London. In 1970 , he released his first hits, the single "Broceliande" and '' Reflets '', both on the Philips Record Label . He became closely associated with the burgeoning Breton Roots Revival , especially after the release of the purely instrumental 1971 album '' Rennaissance De La Harpe Celtique '', recorded with Dan Ar Braz . Stivell's newfound fame gave him reason to travel on tours across France, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States. He continued recording, and published a collection of Breton Poetry in 1976 . With his 1980 , '' Symphonie Celtique '', he had added elements of rock, an ensemble with bombardes and accompaniment by Berber vocalist Djourha and Sitar ist Narendra Bataju . The folk revival faded somewhat in the 1980s, and though Stivell was still very popular, he did not reach the heights he had in the 70s. He continued touring in many parts of the world, and recording for a loyal fanbase, and also worked with the English singer Kate Bush . In the 1990s , he recorded again with Bush, as well as with French singer Laurent Voulzy , Irish traditional performer Shane MacGowan and Senegalese singer Doudou N'Diaye Rose . The album was '' Again '', and it became very popular in France. His records in the late 1990s contained more pronounced rock elements, and he performed at a rock festival called Transmusicales in Rennes . He continued working with a variety of musicians, including Paddy Moloney (of The Chieftains ), Jim Kerr (of Simple Minds ), Khaled and Youssou N'Dour . Stivell's style, as has been seen, is eclectic. The height of his popularity was reached in the late 60's and early 70's when he invented and played Celtic rock music, which evenly blends traditional tunes and playing with rock elements. Since the mid 70's, he has largely departed from this, playing music that has been increasingly experimental and blended to a point that traditional elements (Breton, Celtic, or from elsewhere) become unrecognizable in the end product. This has alienated his more traditionalist fan base, but apparently drawn on a new audience reservoir, as he doesn't seem to fade into oblivion despite his advancing years; there's also no disputing the virtuoso quality of his playing. Stivell's most recent album is 2002 's '' Au-delà Des Mots '', his twenty first LP, which featured Stivell playing six different harps. DISCOGRAPHY
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