THE Beatles' songs are being given a Celtic makeover by a band playing some of their greatest hits in Cornish, the BBC reports.
Skwardya, from Cornwall, England's most southwesterly county, have translated four Beatles songs into the Cornish language - including She Loves You (Hi a'th kar) and Something ( ldquo;Neppyth rdquo;) - with more to follow.
Cornish, closely related to Welsh and Breton, died out as a living language in 1777 but has recently benefited from a revival in interest.
Some 3,00 people now speak basic Cornish, or Kernewek, and around 500 can speak it fluently, according to a 2006 estimate and the European Union formally recognised the language in 2002.
Matthew Clarke, half of the Skwardya duo and a Cornish speaker for 16 years, said translating the legendary 1960s pop band's songs was ldquo;a bit of fun rdquo;.
ldquo;We're just trying to expand the amount of stuff in Cornish that's out there, rdquo; the 36-year-old said.
ldquo;It's good to have some other things rather than just folk songs and the odd hymn. rdquo;
ldquo;I was in another band and we used to do Eight Days A Week in Cornish, and it went down really well. That started the ball rolling.
rdquo;
The chorus of the love song Something by Beatles lead guitarist George Harrison comes out as ldquo;Ny vynnar hy gasa mann, Ha ny'm beus na fella hwans rdquo;.
Now other Kernewek enthusiasts are helping out translating more Beatles hits but Skwardya need to get permission from The Beatles' Apple Records company before they can release the songs.
ldquo;We can't sell anything until we get something sorted out, rdquo; Clarke said.
Half a million people live in Cornwall and many Cornish folk are fiercely proud of the rugged coastal county's distinct Celtic culture and traditions.
News RSS