Our World
Cornwall is a small Celtic land (roughly the size of Luxembourg or Brunei) jutting out into the Atlantic ocean halfway between Ireland and Brittany. It is a small land with a giant history. A history with its roots firmly in Celtic culture, but also an extremely cosmopolitan history buzzing with a host of other influences, due to ancient maritime links with, and waves of emigration to and from, all parts of the world.
Cornish identity has also been shaped by extremes of success, and of hardship. Successes such as the Cornish engineering innovations which sparked off the worldwide industrial revolution, and the boom years which followed at home. Hardships such as famine, disease, and political and cultural oppression throughout history.
The result of all this is a strong sense of identity, which is not just Celtic, but uniquely Cornish. An irrepressible sense of identity which can never be kept down for long.
In the present day we are witnessing once again a growing feeling of renewed pride, confidence and optimism in Cornwall, and in turn, a re-assertion of this Cornish identity. Our language 'Kernowek' has recieved official recognition as a minority language by the European parliament, and the status of Cornwall as a minority nation within the UK, equivalent to that of our Celtic cousins in Wales and Scotland, has been recognised by the UK government.
This feeling of renewed confidence and assertion of our identity finds its voice in many aspects of Cornish culture, but nowhere has it found better expression, and celebration, than in the music of Dalla.
Cornish identity has also been shaped by extremes of success, and of hardship. Successes such as the Cornish engineering innovations which sparked off the worldwide industrial revolution, and the boom years which followed at home. Hardships such as famine, disease, and political and cultural oppression throughout history.
The result of all this is a strong sense of identity, which is not just Celtic, but uniquely Cornish. An irrepressible sense of identity which can never be kept down for long.
In the present day we are witnessing once again a growing feeling of renewed pride, confidence and optimism in Cornwall, and in turn, a re-assertion of this Cornish identity. Our language 'Kernowek' has recieved official recognition as a minority language by the European parliament, and the status of Cornwall as a minority nation within the UK, equivalent to that of our Celtic cousins in Wales and Scotland, has been recognised by the UK government.
This feeling of renewed confidence and assertion of our identity finds its voice in many aspects of Cornish culture, but nowhere has it found better expression, and celebration, than in the music of Dalla.