Julien Tymen / Tangi Pensec Duo
Breton musicians Julien Tymen and Tangi Pensec have performed as a duo since 2020. Julien Tymen plays the bombard (a type of folk oboe) and is a six-time Brittany champion of the bagpipe-bombard duo competitions. Tangi Pensec plays the Scottish bagpipes and the traditional Breton instrument binioù (small, high-pitched bagpipes). In the Breton tradition of the pipe duos, the bombard begins to play a dance melody and is then echoed by the binioù or the Scottish bagpipes. It is an instrumental adaptation of the typical Breton call-and-response singing known as the kan ha diskan that would accompany dancing.
Julien Tymen’s music journey began in the Moulin Vert bagad (a Scottish-style pipe band) in Quimper. Tangi Pensec’s in Kevrenn Alré’s bagad in Auray. Their music paths crossed in Sonerien Du, a famous Breton band playing at the so-called festoù-noz (Breton for “night party,” a traditional dance festival rooted in group dancing with live singing and instrumental music. Some of the dances date back to the Middle Ages. In 2012, the fest-noz was added to the UNESCO cultural heritage list).
Julien and Tangi also play together in the Jahiner pipe orchestra. They love discovering new musical spaces and new Breton dances.
