Loeiz Ropars

Loeiz Ropars is one of the fathers of the Breton music revival. In the early '40s, he became interested in revitalizing the kan ha diskan, a special kind of call-and-response singing used to accompany dances. He made himself part of the post-war reawakening of Breton cultural identity. His background of peasant life and his involvement in the Cercle Celtique or Celtic Cultural Association of Poullaouen led him to the idea of creating a new type of event for Breton music and dancing. It would be like the community-based fest-noz, or night party, except that it would bring people together from different parts of Brittany. His idea, the new-style fest-noz, is the most important type of folk music event in Brittany.