Merzhin: an experience of Celtic Rock

Chrisni MENDIS

Basic info

* What was your inspiration to form a band?

For our own personal love of rock music. Just like how some people love sport, music is a hobby, a passion and a lifestyle for us.

* What are there main themes and ideas of your songs? Meeting people. Human interaction. Basic sociology basically.

*What is your biggest challenge as a band?

Well, for example, let’s take the Asian tour, we performed 7 concerts in 15 days, we have no time to visit and experience the culture of the countries we play in. We were only able to listen to a couple of bands form Sri Lanka, such as Stigmata and the watch the Kalaniya University, and we noticed that Sri Lanka has a beautiful culture with a unique sense of rhythm and we want to incorporate some of those rhythms into our own music.

Rock. Alternative Rock. Celtic Rock. Whatever you call them, they are surely nothing other than different. This six member French rock band consists of a singer, Pierre Le Bourdonnec, bass guitar, Damien Le Bras, guitarist, Vincent L’Hour, Electric Guitarist, Stephan Omnes , bombards and flute player, Ludovic Berrou and the drummer, Christophe Rossini – all of whom performed on the grand stage of the BMICH on June 22 for the Fete de La Musique concert organized by Alliance Francais.

MERZHIN, a name originating from the band’s home town, Brittany, is the French name for the famous world-known fiction wizard Merlin.

Which does makes sense as their fusion of traditional and modern rock music seems to captivate their audiences worldwide. Performing in over 500 shows and no less than 200,000 albums sold, Merzhin is obviously a band that should be on your Ipod’s artist list. A group with a common passion for an indifferent, independent genre of French rock which gives a good place to the melody of sounds and words, while keeping its harshness and raw colors.

“The West of France, where Brittany is situated, has a culture dating back to the Saxon Era. Music, being an intrinsic part, has developed with wind instruments, such as the flute, clarinet, bombard, saxophone and the piano of course.

All we have done is added ourselves into it, which is downtown rock and roll.” Says a member of the band.

With Merzhin’s three albums in 1996, ‘Adrenaline’, ‘Live’ and ‘Naked feet on Ember’. The public critics state their music as daring, traditional yet unconventional, but pleasant like the garnish overtones of pure Celtic of just rock.

What is French Celtic Rock?

Celtic rock is a genre of folk rock which incorporates Celtic music instrumentation and themes. Celtic rock is a sub-genre of Celtic fusion, an umbrella term for any modern music with traditional Celtic influences.

Merzhin, the Celtic rock group from Landerneau, in Brittany, France, has blossomed form their first performances in 1996. Other than influences from ‘Rock and Roll’ from the US and the UK in the 60s and 70s; Merzhin is inspired by a particular French band named, ‘Nanonegira’.

Pictures by Nissanka Wijerathne