Eurovision. « For the Breton language, it’s already a victory, » says the singer of Alvan & Ahez

On the evening of Saturday May 14, 2022, the group Alvan & Ahez will represent France with Fulenn, a title in the Breton language, on the occasion of the 66th eurovision song contest, in Turin (Italy). Sterenn Diridollou, one of the three singers, is from Coadout, very close to Guingamp (Côtes-d’Armor), where she was born. She delivers her impressions a few days before the grand finale.

What have your days been like since winning Eurovision France on March 5?

First, there was very little sleep (she laughs). After March 5, we continued with two or three days of interviews. Followed by the recording of our performance in “Live on tape”: if one of us has the Covid on the day of the final in Turin, we will broadcast this performance, which includes a little more visual technique compared to that of March 5.

We also took part in vocal coaching, choreography, “pre-parties” where we were able to meet the other Eurovision artists: in London, Tel Aviv, Amsterdam, Madrid. Mid-April, we resumed rehearsals, with TV sets and interviews… And then we arrived in Turin on Wednesday, for the on-site rehearsal on Thursday.

What is your state of mind as the date of the grand final, May 14, approaches?

I can’t really get that into my head. We stayed in the euphoria of victory for a long time, with a high rate of rehearsals. At first we were a little lost: a week ago, I couldn’t realize. For example, at the end of our concert in Madrid, the last one, Marine looked at us and said “It’s only now that I realize that I’m going to represent France”.

At the same time, when you’ve already sung at Les Vieilles Charrues or at the Interceltique festival, like you, it’s routine, isn’t it?

But yes, there you go, that’s it (she laughs), Turin, what will it be, just tens of millions more people!

What does it mean, for you, to sing in Breton, in front of nearly 200 million viewers?

We are very proud. With Sterenn and Marine, it’s our heart language, the one we learned at school, college, high school, that we speak on a daily basis, at work, between us. It’s important to show that France has this cultural diversity: Gallo, Occitan, Catalan, Corsican, Ch’ti, Picard… We represent all these languages, which are spoken too little in our country.

In your performance, there is a message to the country: Breton is a modern language, which can do honor to France, carry feminist fights…

Yes. We sing all three in the group Eben. Marine writes very current lyrics, which defend our values. It’s important for us to highlight feminism, which we face on a daily basis.

When you are as invested as you in the Breton language, the fact of having finished first in the jury and the public, does that reassure you about the future of Breton in France?

Yes. Beyond the song and its dynamism, there is the Breton language. The number of visits to his Wikipedia page has exploded since we won. We receive a lot of messages from people – including French people – who don’t know Breton. It was already, in itself, a victory to have arrived on the « prime » of March 5th. And now, it’s a European, even global opening.

Between your performance in the French final and that of Turin, what will change? What can we expect?

To gorgeous costumes! The first were simple clothes, found in stores. Our stylist had found old Breton embroideries in a museum, which she rented and then sewed on our costumes. For Turin, we called on Pascal Jaouen, who took the time to embroider for us, with the school of Quimper, the magnificent costumes that we discovered a week ago. We had vocal coaching, on the technique, the accuracy, we work on the intentions in the look… And on the staging side, it will be the same thing, but better… with fire all the same!

The town hall of Coadout, where your family lives, had planned a giant screen. The enthusiasm was so huge that they had to give up. What inspires you?

It touches me that the town hall of Coadout thought of doing this. I lived there for over 18 years. But in Brittany, there will be such events in Rennes, Nantes, Vannes… we feel a huge enthusiasm, which we did not expect.