This year France has chosenlvan & Ahez as its representatives on Eurovision 2022 that will take place in Turin next May with the song “Fulenn”. But who are Alvan & Ahez? In this article you will have the opportunity to know more about France’s band for Eurovision 2022.
About Alvan & Ahez
Alexis Morvan-Rosius (Alvan) is a Breton singer born in Lorient on 17 March 1993. Although he has been involved in the music world for more than a decade, this is the first time he has embarked on a project related to the contest and he does it in an ambitious way, being the second time in the history of France in the contest that the Breton language has been used.
Ahez is a Breton group composed of Marine Lavigne, Sterenn Diridollou and Sterenn Le Guillou. They have based their musical career on Celtic mythology and traditional music, performing much of their work in Breton.
The song was born from a meeting both Alvan and Ahez had during the summer of 2021. The Breton word fulenn means both “spark” and “pretty girl”. It is a word that is sometimes perceived as pejorative and sexist to describe women as “light girls”.
The lyrics are intended to be feminist and advocate for women’s emancipation. The story is inspired by a Breton legend, Katel Kollet, born near Landerneau, in the Pays de Leon (Finistère).
It tells the story of a young and beautiful girl, “Catherine la Perdue”, who emancipates herself from the gaze of others by going to dance at night by the light of a bonfire in the forest, instead of doing what her family told her to do, such as thinking about marriage, and “to make slanderous glances fly”. But one day, Katell Gollet meets a mysterious young man who turns out to be the devil and who takes her on a hellish jig.
France was one of the debutant countries and has not missed the festival since then, winning 5 times and bringing great successes to the festival’s history. However, its last victory dates back to 1977 with Marie Myriam and her song “L’ Oiseau et L’ Enfant”.
Lyrics
Tan de’i !
E teñvalijenn ar c’hoadeier e tiwan an noz
Ar stered a deu war-wel en hiboud direpoz
Ur skeud benel a droidell ouzh skleurenn ur flamboz
Oc’h ober fae deus ar fall loened e tañsan
Me bak an tan en o lagad leun a droukc’hoant
Ha da dreiñ ‘n’añ en ur c’han da gan’ a-unvan
Dañsal a ra gant an diaoul ha para ?
Dañsal a ran gant an diaoul ha para ?
Entan ha taras, entan jabadao ha taras
Trid’ a ra ar c’hoad ouzh stok’ ar fulenn a-bilpaz
He hud dudius a bign betek penn ar qwez bras
Oc’h ober fae deus ar fall loened e tañsan
Me bak an tan en o lagad leun a droukc’hoant
Ha da dreiñ ‘n’añ en ur c’han da gan’ a-unvan
Dispont ‘kreiz an digoadell e tans ar fulenn
Trein ha distreiñ en-dro de’i eneoù dichedenn (bis)
Lalalalalalaleno lalelalo
Lalalalalalaleno lalelalo
Lalalalalalaleno lalelalo
Lalalalalalaleno lalelalo
Dañsal a ran gant an diaoul ha para ?
Ga’ ‘n diaoul e tañsan
Dañsal a ra gant an diaoul ha para ?
Lalalalalalaleno lalelalo
Lalalalalalaleno lalelalo
Lalalalalalaleno lalelalo
Lalalalalalaleno lalelalo
Dispont ‘kreiz an digoadenn e tañs ar fulenn
France in Eurovision
France participated in the very first Eurovision Song Contest in 1956. They placed in the top 5 in the first 10 years of the Eurovision Song Contest. France is known around the world for its cuisine, fashion, language and culture.
Although a song in French won the very first Eurovision Song Contest, Refrain, it represented Switzerland. It wouldn’t take long for France to catch up as the first 3 of France’s 5 victories in the Eurovision Song Contest were achieved in the very early years and by 1969 their record of 4 wins was unmatched.
In 1977, France won the Eurovision Song Contest for the fifth, and to date the last time. The song L’Oiseau Et L’Enfant was performed by Marie Myriam, and her victory meant a new record in Eurovision Song Contest history.
One placing that France had never got in the ranking was the last, until 2014 when the band Twin Twin came 26th and last in the Grand Final with Moustache. In 2016, France returned to the Top 10, and in the charts, with Amir and J’ai Cherché which narrowly missed a place in the top 5 in Stockholm.