Singer and ethnomusicologist, Yann-Fañch Kemener was born in 1957, in Sainte-Tréphine (22) in Haute-Cornouaille, into a family of popular traditional singers and dancers. A native Breton speaker, he learned the repertoires from Albert Boloré, Eugène Grenel, Jean-Marie Youdec, Jean Poder, Emmanuel Kerjean, Lomig Doniou, Marie Harnay, Hélène Parc…

Influenced by the great voices of elders like Mme Bertrand, he alternates between gwerziù and fest-noz dance tunes, in the company of Marcel Guilloux, Erik Marchand, Ifig Troadec… In 1975, the public rediscovered him on the stages of the Langonnet Games (Morbihan) and that of the Kan ar bobl in Lorient. In 1982, the Charles-Cros Academy rewarded him with the Heritage Prize for the three albums of Chants profounds of Brittany. In 1988, Yann-Fañch Kemener  founded the group Barzaz with Gilles Le Bigot (guitars), Jean-Michel Veillon (flutes), Alain Genty (bass) and David Hopkins (percussion). This formation became one of the legendary music groups Breton. He then multiplies experiences and shows with Anne Auffret, Kristen Noguès, Jean-Louis Le Vallégant…

Then he meets Didier Squiban with whom he records three albums, creating a new genre that he describes as “chamber gwerz”. At the beginning of the 2000s, in duo with the cellist Aldo Ripoche, he recorded several records and collaborated with Patricia Petitbon, Dominique Vellard, Emmanuel Bonnardot. The duo also works on the work of philosopher Emile Masson. Yann-Fañch Kemener also pays homage to the Breton poet Armand Robin, in a production by Madeleine Louarn. After being decorated with the Collier de l'Hermine in 2010, he received the medal of Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters in 2015. In 2016, he created the Yann-Fañch Kemener Trio with Erwann Tobie and Heikki Bourgault: the group is dedicated to festoubli-noz.