With the Eurovision Song Contest across the airwaves this weekend, I thought it worthwhile to take look at one of my favourite French entries in recent years.
Given that I've already featured Sébastien Telliér's remarkable appearance in 2009, I'm looking at Diwanit Bugale, the 1996 entry by Dan Ar Braz and L'Héritage des Celtes at the contest that was held in Norway in 1996.
The song was a surprise as it was the first ever French entry that was not in French language, being sung entirely in Breton. This year's entry, Sognu by Amaury Vassili, is also in one of France's regional languages, being performed entirely in Corsican.
The 90s had seen Ireland take an unprecedented position in Eurovision, having won the competition for 92, 93 and 94, Norway winning in '95.
The winner of 1996's competition was to again be Ireland, with singer Eimear Quinn's The Voice.
Diwanit Bugale came 19th among 23 entries, a very poor result but possibly one that came about as a consequence of France's nuclear testing in the South Pacific being reflected in the international vote.
There was international protest and calls for boycotts following France's decision to resume testing in June '95, President Mitterrand finally confirming in January after the sixth test that it would stop.
Most interesting from the point of view for a Scottish viewer like myself was the inclusion of Capercaillie vocalist Karen Matheson in the band. Given that Scotland isn't a country according to Eurovision, this is as close as we've got in recent years.
AS a Scottish representative n Eurovision, it's certainly a big step forward from Lulu, and the song certainly raised awareness of the Breton language internationally and of the common Celtic heritage in western Europe.
Eimear Quinn would herself record a cover version of Diwanit Bugale for her 2006 album Gatherings, and her 2001 album Through the Lens of a Tear leaned heavily on Breton mythology.
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