A bagad (, ) is a Breton band, composed of

bagpipe Bagpipes are a woodwind instrument using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. The Great Highland bagpipes are well known, but people have played bagpipes for centuries throughout large parts of Europe, No ...

s (, ), bombards and

drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a ...

s (including

snare SNARE proteins – "Soluble NSF attachment protein, SNAP REceptors" – are a large protein family consisting of at least 24 members in yeasts and more than 60 members in mammalian and plant cells. The primary role of SNARE proteins is to m ...

, tenor and bass drums). The

pipe band A pipe band is a musical ensemble consisting of pipers and drummers. The term pipes and drums, used by military pipe bands is also common. The most common form of pipe band consists of a section of pipers playing the Great Highland bagpipe, ...

tradition in Brittany was inspired by the Scottish example and has developed since the mid-20th century. A bagad plays mainly Breton music, but a bagad's music is evolutionary: new forms and musical ideas are experimented with at each annual national competition. The plural for ''bagad'' is unusual in that many are referred to as ''bagadoù'' but for two, three or any other specified number they are simply referred to as ''bagad'' (following the rules of Breton grammar). Every major town and city in

Brittany Brittany ( ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the north-west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica in Roman Gaul. It became an Kingdom of Brittany, independent kingdom and then a Duch ...

has at least one ''bagad'' and there are over eighty in total. There are also many ''bagadoù'' outside Brittany, owing to large-scale Breton emigration throughout France. Bagad Lann Bihoue is well known to belong to the

French Navy The French Navy (, , ), informally (, ), is the Navy, maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the four military service branches of History of France, France. It is among the largest and most powerful List of navies, naval forces i ...

. For competition purposes the ''bagadoù'' are ranked into five categories. Major competitions take place annually in Brest and in

Lorient Lorient (; ) is a town (''Communes of France, commune'') and Port, seaport in the Morbihan Departments of France, department of Brittany (administrative region), Brittany in western France. History Prehistory and classical antiquity Beginn ...

, where the

National Championship A national championship(s) is the top achievement for any sport or competition, contest within a league of a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the be ...

takes place during the Interceltic Festival in August.

Premier Category 2008

The most successful ''bagadoù'' compete in the 'Premier Category'. * Bagad Brieg, Briec �
Bagad Brieg
* Kevrenn Alre,

Auray Auray (; , or simply ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Morbihan Departments of France, department, Regions of France, administrative region of Brittany (administrative region), Brittany, northwestern France. Inhabitants of Auray are cal ...

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Kevrenn Alre
* Bagad Roñsed-Mor, Locoal-Mendon �
Bagad Roñsed-Mor
* Bagad Kemper,

Quimper Quimper (, ; ; or ) is a Communes of France, commune and Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Finistère Departments of France, department of Brittany (administrative region), Brittany in northwestern France. Administration Quimper is the ...

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Bagad Kemper
* Bagad Cap Caval, Plomeur �
Bagad Cap Caval
* Kerlenn Pondi,

Pontivy Pontivy (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Morbihan Departments of France, department in Brittany (administrative region), Brittany in north-western France. It lies at the confluence of the river Blavet and the Canal de Nantes à Brest. ...

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Bagad Kerlenn Pondi
* Bagad Bro Kemperle,

Quimperlé Quimperlé (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Finistère Departments of France, department, region of Brittany (administrative region), Brittany, northwestern France. Geography Quimperlé is in the southeast of Finistère, 20 km t ...

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Bagad Bro Kemperle
* Bagad Quic-en-groigne,

Saint-Malo Saint-Malo (, , ; Gallo language, Gallo: ; ) is a historic French port in Ille-et-Vilaine, Brittany (administrative region), Brittany. The Fortification, walled city on the English Channel coast had a long history of piracy, earning much wealth ...

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Bagad Quic-en-Groigne
* Bagad Gwengamp, Guingamp �
Bagad Gwengamp
* Bagad Sant-Nazer,

Saint-Nazaire Saint-Nazaire (; ; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Loire-Atlantique Departments of France, department in western France, in traditional Brittany. The town has a major harbour on the right bank of the Loire estuary, near the Atlantic Oc ...

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Bagad Saint-Nazaire
* Bagad Er Melinerion,

Vannes Vannes (; , , ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Departments of France, French department of Morbihan, Brittany (administrative region), Brittany, northwestern mainland France. It was founded over 2,000 years ago. History Celtic ...

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Bagad er Melinerion
* Bagad Beuzeg ar C'hab, Beuzec-Cap-Sizun �
Bagad Beuzeg ar C'hab
* Bagad Penhars,

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Bagad Penhars
* Bagad Ar Meilhoù-Glaz,

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Bagad Ar Meilhoù-Glaz
* Bagad Sonerien Bro Dreger, Perros-Guirec �
Bagad Sonerien Bro Dreger

National Champions

* 2023 Bagad Cap Caval * 2022 Bagad Kemper * 2021 Canceled * 2020 Canceled * 2019 Bagad Cap Caval * 2018 Bagad Cap Caval * 2017 Bagad Cap Caval * 2016 Bagad Cap Caval * 2015 Bagad Cap Caval * 2014 Bagad Kemper * 2013 Bagad Kemper * 2012 Bagad Kemper * 2011 Bagad Kemper * 2010 Bagad Cap Caval * 2009 Bagad Cap Caval * 2008 Bagad Cap Caval * 2007 Bagad Brieg * 2006 Bagad Kevrenn Alré * 2005 Bagad Kevrenn Alré * 2004 Bagad Kemper * 2003 Bagad Ronsed Mor * 2002 Bagad Kemper

External links

* Official Bagadou Association
Bodadeg Ar Sonerion

Bagadou
{{Authority control

Premier Category 2008

National Champions

See also

External links