Quick Facts
Biography
Gilles Servat is a Breton singer, born in Tarbes in southern France in 1945, into a family whose roots lay in the Nantes region of Brittany.
He spent his early childhood around Nantes and Cholet. His music evoques the Isle of Groix, off the coast of Morbihan.
His music was originally inspired by the works of Breton musicians Glenmor and Alan Stivell. The title song from his first album, La blanche Hermine, the White Ermine being the national emblem of Brittany, became an anthem for Bretons.
In the 1990s he became part of the Héritage des Celtes, led by Dan Ar Braz and featuring the most famous names in Celtic music.
In 1998 he released the album "Touche pas à la Blanche Hermine" ("Don't Touch The White Stoat") as a defiant stand against the French National Front who had used Servat's song La blanche Hermine during its meetings.
Servat sings in Breton, French and English.
Servat is also an actor and writer; he has authored several novels inspired by Celtic myths and legends. He is also a campaigner for the Breton language and a supporter of the Skol Diwan Breton language schools.
Albums
- 1970: La Blanche Hermine (The White Ermine)
- 1971: Ki du (Black Dog)
- 1972: L’hirondelle (The Swallow)
- 1974: La liberté brille dans la nuit (Freedom Shines in the Night)
- 1976: Le pouvoir des mots
- 1977: Chantez la vie, l’amour et la mort (Sing to life, love and death)
- 1979: L’or et le cuivre (Gold and Copper)
- 1980: Hommage à René-Guy Cadou (Homage To Rene-Guy Cadou)
- 1981: Gilles Servat en public (Gilles Servat Live)
- 1982: Je ne hurlerai pas avec les loups (I will not howl with the wolves)
- 1985: La douleur d’aimer
- 1988: Mad in sérénité (Mad in Serenity)
- 1992: Le fleuve (The River)
- 1993: L’albatros fou (The Foolish Albertros) with Triskell
- 1994: Les albums de la jeunesse (Albums of Youth)
- 1995: A-raok mont kuit (Before Leaving)
- 1996: Litanies pour l’an 2000 (Litanies for the Year 2000) a compilation album
- 1996: Sur les quais de Dublin (On the Quays of Dublin)
- 1998: Touche pas à la Blanche Hermine (Don't Touch the White Ermine)
- 2000: Comme je voudrai ! (As I wish!)
- 2003: Escales (Stopovers) a 'Best of' album
- 2005: Sous le ciel de cuivre et d'eau (Under the Copper and Water Sky)
- 2006: Sensation [guest artist on the title track of this album by Anúna]
- 2010: Gilles Servat 40 ans de succès best of
- 2011: Ailes et îles (Wings and isles, word play with "She and he")
- 2013: C'est ça qu'on aime vivre avec (That's what we like to live with)
Also features on (amongst others):
- 1993: Again (Alan Stivell)
- 1994: Dan Ar Braz and The Héritage des Celtes
- 1995: L’Héritage des Celtes en concert
- 1997: L’Héritage des Celtes - Finisterres
- 1998: L’Héritage des Celtes - Zénith
- 1999: Bretagnes à Bercy