{{Short description|French singer and storyteller (1930–2024)}} {{Infobox person | name = Marcel Guilloux | image = Entre-deux Fest 2016 Poullaouen - 05.jpg | alt = <!-- descriptive text for use by speech synthesis (text-to-speech) software --> | caption = Guilloux in 2016 | birth_name = <!-- only use if different from name --> | birth_date = {{Birth date|df=y|1930|10|08}} | birth_place = Lanrivain, France | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=y|2024|06|11|1930|10|08}} | death_place = Saint-Nicolas-du-Pélem, France | other_names = | occupation = Singer <br/> Storyteller <br/> Farmer | years_active = | known_for = | notable_works = }}
'''Marcel Guilloux''' ({{langx|br|Marsel Gwilhou}}; 8 October 1930 – 11 June 2024) was a French singer and storyteller from Brittany.<ref>{{cite news |last=Le Fur|first=Laurent|date=11 June 2024|title=Bretagne. Marcel Le Guilloux : la voix du kan ha diskan s'est éteinte|trans-title= |url=https://actu.fr/bretagne/lanrivain_22115/bretagne-marcel-le-guilloux-la-voix-du-kan-ha-diskan-sest-eteinte_61191312.html|language=French|work=Actu.fr|location=Lanrivain|access-date=13 June 2024}}</ref> In addition to his career as a farmer, he was active in the Breton musical tradition of ''kan ha diskan'' and modern ''fest noz''.
==Biography== Born in Lanrivain on 8 October 1930, Guilloux was the youngest of eight children.<ref name="Troadec">{{cite news |last=Le Troadec|first=Yves|date=September 2010|title=Marcel Le Guilloux. Porteur de mémoire et pédagogue hors pair|trans-title= |url=http://www.dastumedia.bzh/dyn/portal/index.seam?page=alo&aloId=53000&fonds=&cid=6205|language=French|work=Musique bretonne|location= |access-date=13 June 2024}}</ref> He taught himself how to play harmonica from a young age and learned the Breton language through his mother's teachings of catechism due to the fact that its teaching was banned in French schools.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hazera|first=Hélène|date=28 August 1999|title=Marcel Guillou, le relais breton. Cultivateur retraité, il a appris les chants anciens aux nouvelles générations. Festival Fisel. A Rostrenen (Côtes de'Armor) samedi à midi, apéro musical. A 17 heures, fest-noz. Dimanche à 10 heures, épreuve marche et mélodie du concours de sonneurs. A 13 h 30, concours de kan han diskan, de sonneurs et de danse. Tél. 02 96 24 56 12.|trans-title= |url=https://www.liberation.fr/culture/1999/08/28/marcel-guillou-le-relais-breton-cultivateur-retraite-il-a-appris-les-chants-anciens-aux-nouvelles-ge_280492/|language=French|work=Libération|location= |access-date=13 June 2024}}</ref> He grew up with vision problems, which prevented him from attending school until the age of 10.<ref>{{cite news |last=Martin|first=Céline|date=2012|title=Marcel Guilloux, une vie de maître chanteur|trans-title= |url= |language=French|work=Cultures bretonnes|location= |access-date=}}</ref> He then left school to work on his family's farm.<ref name="Troadec"/> His father died in an accident in 1953, leaving him the primary caretaker of the farm.<ref name="Troadec"/>
Guilloux began speaking Breton again in a Celtic circle made up of around 30 people in 1957. Although they spoke Breton with one another, they did not know the names for certain dances, instead singing in French during bal-musettes.<ref>{{cite news |last=Le Coz|first=Pascal|date=4 October 2010|title=Marcel Le Guilloux, passeur de la mémoire bretonne|trans-title= |url=http://www.ouest-france.fr/region/bretagne_detail_-Marcel-Le-Guilloux-passeur-de-la-memoire-bretonne_8619-1535859_actu.Htm|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20131030020250/http://www.ouest-france.fr/region/bretagne_detail_-Marcel-Le-Guilloux-passeur-de-la-memoire-bretonne_8619-1535859_actu.Htm|archivedate=30 October 2013|language=French|work=Ouest-France|location=Lanrivain|access-date=13 June 2024}}</ref> With the revival of Breton culture following World War II, he helped organize dance competitions.<ref name="Troadec"/> He invited the bell ringers Georges Cadoudal and {{ill|Étienne Rivoallan|fr}} to participate in group dance weekly and accompanied them to the 1959 {{ill|Championnat de Bretagne de Musique Traditionnelle|fr|Championnat des sonneurs}} in Gourin, where the pair won their first championship.<ref name="Troadec"/> In 1978, he began to participate in the Kan ar Bobl,<ref>{{cite news |last=Poussier|first=Jean-Luc|date=11 April 2003|title=Le chant du peuple breton n'a pas pris une ride|trans-title= |url= |language=French|work=La Croix|location= |access-date=}}</ref> for which he won an award in 2008.<ref>{{cite news |last= |first= |date=3 March 2008|title=Kan ar Bobl. Éliminatoires, dimanche|trans-title= |url=http://www.letelegramme.fr/ar/viewarticle1024.php?aaaammjj=20080303&article=20080303-2631874|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160408014927/http://www.letelegramme.fr/ar/viewarticle1024.php?aaaammjj=20080303&article=20080303-2631874|archivedate=8 April 2016|language=French|work=Le Télégramme|location=Carhaix|access-date=13 June 2024}}</ref>
In the 1960s, Guilloux appeared at multiple ''festù noz'' and created his own original dance songs. During the cultural revival of the 1970s, he played the ''kan ha diskan'' with friends such as Guillaume Jégou.<ref name="Troadec"/> He also told traditional Breton stories, teaching courses on the topic in La Chapelle-Neuve,<ref>{{cite news |last= |first= |date=16 May 2018|title=Marcel Guilloux ou 30 ans de fidélité à Mod All|trans-title= |url=https://www.ouest-france.fr/bretagne/la-chapelle-neuve-22160/marcel-guilloux-ou-30-ans-de-fidelite-mod-all-5766008|language=French|work=Ouest-France|location=La Chapelle-Neuve|access-date=13 June 2024}}</ref> Paris, Quebec, and Denmark.<ref name="Tele">{{cite news |last= |first= |date=8 October 2010|title=Kan ha diskan. Marcel Le Guilloux fête ses 80 ans samedi à Lanrivain (22) [Video]|trans-title= |url=https://www.letelegramme.fr/elections/municipales/spankan-ha-diskanspan-marcel-le-guilloux-fete-ses-80-ans-samedi-a-lanrivain-22-video-1014004.php|language=French|work=Le Télégramme|location= |access-date=13 June 2024}}</ref> He taught the next generation of storytellers, such as {{ill|Ifig Flatrès|fr}}, Annie Ebrel,<ref>{{cite news |last= |first= |date=19 March 2004|title=La voix enracinée et libre d'Annie Ebrel|trans-title= |url=https://article.wn.com/view/2004/03/19/la_voix_enracin_233e_et_libre_d_39annie_ebrel/|language=French|work=Le Monde|location= |access-date=13 June 2024}}</ref> Denez Prigent, {{ill|Marthe Vassallo|fr}}, {{ill|Nolùen Le Buhé|fr}}, Yann-Fañch Kemener, and Érik Marchand.<ref>{{cite news |last=Ganne|first=Christophe|date=November 2000|title=Marcel Guilloux. L'âme du plinn|trans-title= |url=https://www.dastumedia.bzh/dyn/portal/index.seam?page=alo&aloId=50680&fonds=&cid=6205|language=French|work=Musique bretonne|location= |access-date=13 June 2024}}</ref> Kemener was his partner during the ''fest noz'' from 1979 to 1984.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kemener.com/guilloux.htm|title=Avec Marcel Guilloux|work=Yann-Fañch Kemener|language=French|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20131030020210/http://www.kemener.com/guilloux.htm|archivedate=30 October 2013}}</ref> He became founding administrator of Radio Kreiz-Breizh in 1983.<ref name="Troadec"/>
On 16 October 2010, a celebration of Guilloux's 80th birthday took place.<ref name="Tele"/> Every year, he would participate in the Plin du Danouët in Bourbriac since its foundation in the 1970s.<ref name="Troadec"/> He accompanied the {{ill|Bagad Bourbriac|fr}} during their performances of ''fest noz''.<ref>{{cite news |last= |first= |date=9 April 2018|title=Bourbriac. Bagad Boulvriag : une magnifique première place|trans-title= |url=https://www.ouest-france.fr/bretagne/bourbriac-22390/bourbriac-bagad-boulvriag-une-magnifique-premiere-place-5684480|language=French|work=Ouest-France|location=Bourbriac|access-date=13 June 2024}}</ref> In 2019, Dastum and the Presses Universitaires de Rennes published a biography and CD on his work for the cultural heritage of Brittany titled ''Marcel Le Guilloux. Chanteur, conteur, paysan du Centre-Bretagne''.<ref>{{cite news |last=Menguy|first=Nicolas|date=21 March 2019|title=Centre-Bretagne. Un livre et un CD sur Marcel Le Guilloux|trans-title= |url=https://www.ouest-france.fr/bretagne/lanrivain-22480/centre-bretagne-un-livre-et-un-cd-sur-marcel-le-guilloux-6273316|language=French|work=Ouest-France|location=Lanrivain|access-date=13 June 2024}}</ref> In May 2022, he left his hometown of Lanrivain to live in a nursing home in Saint-Nicolas-de-Pélem. There, he died on 11 June 2024, at the age of 93.<ref>{{cite news |last=Le Corre|first=Thierry|date=11 June 2024|title=Marcel Le Guilloux, une voix du kan ha diskan s'est éteinte|trans-title= |url=https://www.letelegramme.fr/tourisme/culture-bretonne/musique-bretonne/marcel-le-guilloux-une-voix-du-kan-ha-diskan-sest-eteinte-6602304.php|language=French|work=Le Télégramme|location= |access-date=13 June 2024}}</ref>
==Decoration== *Officer of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (2015)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.culture.gouv.fr/Nous-connaitre/Organisation-du-ministere/Conseil-de-l-Ordre-des-Arts-et-des-Lettres/Arretes-de-Nominations-dans-l-ordre-des-Arts-et-des-Lettres/Nomination-dans-l-ordre-des-Arts-et-des-Lettres-juillet-2015|title=Nomination dans l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres juillet 2015|work=Ministry of Culture|date=4 September 2015 |language=French}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last= |first= |date=14 September 2015|title=Marcel Guilloux, nommé officier des Arts et des lettres|trans-title= |url=https://www.ouest-france.fr/bretagne/lanrivain-22480/marcel-guilloux-nomme-officier-des-arts-et-des-lettres-3689140|language=French|work=Ouest-France|location=Lanrivain|access-date=13 June 2024}}</ref>
==Discography== *''Kontadennoù'' (1991) *''Un devezh 'ba Krec'h Morvan'' (2004) *''Marcel Le Guilloux : Chanteur, conteur, paysan du Centre-Bretagne'' (2019)
===With Yann-Fañch Kemener=== *''Kan ha Diskan - Chants à danser'' (1982) *''Vent d'Ouest'' (1985) *''Kan ha diskan'' (1997)
===With Skolvan=== *''Kerz Ba'n' Dañs'' (1991)
===Participations=== *''Bro vFañch - Cahier Dastum n°5'' (1975) *''Kazetenn ar Vro Plinn, Journal parlé du pays Plinn de 1978 à 1981'' (1981) *''Kan, Kan ar Bobl Duault 1988'' (1988) *''Fañch ha Fisel - Danses du Centre-Bretagne'' (1994) *''Tre ho ti ha ma hini'' (1996) *''Gouez'' (2003) *''Festival Plinn du Danouët 2008'' (2008) *''Festival Plinn du Danouët 2010'' (2010) *''Annie Ebrel - 30 ans de chant'' (2013) *''Carré Manchot 30!'' (2016)
==Filmography== *''Marsel, paotr-plaen'' (2010) *''Marsel Gwilhouz, ur skouarn da selaou'' (2010) *''Un nozvezh e Breizh'' (2016)
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{discogs artist|Marcel Guilloux}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Guilloux, Marcel}} Category:1930 births Category:2024 deaths Category:French singers Category:Breton-language singers Category:People from Côtes-d'Armor Category:Officiers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres