Pillar of the Celtic revival and founder of the magazine Tradition Vivante (Living Tradition)

The Musician Paul Wright has died

It was with sadness that his many Breton friends, whose numbers extended well beyond the Celtic music scene, learnt at the end of last week of the death of the musician and singer Paul Wright, at the age of 50. A discreet and very affable man, brother of Kevin, the rhythm and blues guitarist, this Londoner of Irish origin had made Brittany, and in particular Brest, his second homeland. Below, the singer Arnaud Maisonneuve pays tribute to him.

"Paul Wright arrived in Brittany in 1974 for a holiday, in the course of which he discovered a land which he was never to leave. This young Londoner was a journalist by training. Proud of his Irish ancestry, he started to play in the Irish pubs of London, accompanying the old traditional musicians exiled far from Erin's green isle.

"In Brittany, he was bowled over by the musical excitement of the Breton revival. In Brest he met the group 'Bleizi Ruz', with whom he was soon appearing on stage under the name 'Erin Go Breizh'. During the 70s, you'd often see his name on posters for concerts and festivals, alongside the top Breton and Irish singers and bands.

"At the beginning of the 80s he moved to Lorient, where he founded Tradition Vivante (Living Tradition), a magazine dedicated to different musical traditions. He edited this until his return to Finistere. He stayed for a short time in Douarnenez, and finally came back to Brest.

"During the 90s, you'd find him, guitar in hand, sat at a table with a pint of beer in front of him and a Dubliners chorus or an Emmylou Harris lyric on his lips. And now, at the beginning of the year 2002, Paul has gone to sing elsewhere, far away. His family and friends will be gathering tomorrow (Tuesday) at 5.45pm, at the funeral centre of Vern, in Brest, to salute his memory."