Maugein was the last French manufacturer of the strap accordion in France, an instrument elevated to the rank of national emblem by the songs of Édith Piaf, artists like Yvette Horner or even former president Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, who played it willingly. But the Maugein factory, established in Corrèze, will close, “forced into liquidation after 105 years of manufacturing the instrument, nicknamed the ‘poor man’s piano’”, announcement The Guardian with emotion.
For the British daily, it is a part of French history which is coming to an end, only six months after the inauguration of the City of the Accordion and Heritage in Tulle by François Hollande, former President of the Republic and current deputy for Corrèze, and Rachida Dati, Minister of Culture.
70 to 80 accordions per month
The adventure of the Maugein factory began after the First World War “in a former munitions factory”. But it was after the Second World War that the activity took off “when the arrival in France of jazz and swing stimulated sales”.
The decline began in the 1970s and, over the years, the market was gradually dominated by the Chinese. Since the 1990s, only Maugein remained in France to “producing instruments from A to Z and to order, a process that requires 110 hours and up to 6,000 parts, to make 70 to 80 accordions per month”, counts The Guardian.
Richard Brandao, the company’s CEO, has fought for more than ten years, particularly trying to penetrate the Chinese market, whose size (and enthusiasm for the instrument) offered hope of growth. For him, Chinese competition and then Covid are responsible for the current situation. Questioned on this issue, François Hollande wants to be reassuring. According to him, new investors could ensure the sustainability of the Maugein brand.
Across the Channel, the time is rather for nostalgia in the face of a symbol on the verge of disappearing. “The last Maugein accordion will be delivered on Monday [7 octobre]”, underlines the everyday.
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