International guitar fair in Toulouse: the dream of six-string lovers

Against all odds, the Confluences association continues its action which has been going on since 1996. The international guitar festival, transformed into Internationales de la guitar, takes place every year in Occitanie. Toulouse is hosting, for its part, the International Guitar Show, as Talaat El Singaby, its director, rejoices: “The City of Toulouse, a beautiful setting which has welcomed us since 2021, ensures the economic axis of the event. Our show is the largest in France because it welcomes 100 luthiers from all regions and Europe.”

There are in fact around a hundred artisans, goldsmiths in their activity, who will provide advice and informed advice to amateurs and fanatics of six strings or more, but also suppliers of wood and accessories, music professionals, amateur musicians. “These are great professionals who are grouped together and who embody a true showcase of the excellence of the crafts of guitar violin making in Occitanie and in other regions of France.”

A tradition for the event which, for 25 years, has highlighted more than 1,500 luthiers designers of hand-made plucked string instruments such as acoustic, electric, folk, gypsy, jazz guitars, etc.

Creation grant

The concerts of this edition will be provided by Papypop, who we saw alongside Thomas Dutronc and Michel Fugain (Saturday 6 p.m. and master class at 2:30 p.m.) and the classical guitarist Raphaël Feuillâtre (Sunday at 4:30 p.m.). The latter, first prize in the prestigious Guitar Foundation of America competition in 2018 and “Classical Revelation 2021” from Adami (Civil Society for the Administration of the Rights of Performing Artists and Musicians) will also provide a master class on Sunday at 10:30 a.m.

Also planned, a pick making workshop (Saturday 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.) and an introduction to the ukulele (Sunday 3 p.m. from 12 years old) provided by Manu Maillard, a specialist based in Toulouse. “And like every year, we award a research and innovation grant funded by the Occitanie Region in order to support innovation at all levels, acoustically, technically and in terms of the materials used,” continues Talaat El Singaby. It is awarded according to specifications defined by the profession, for the creation of a prototype instrument.”

After luthier Délia Moreno last year, it is Marine Pacaut who will present this year an astonishing project, Saturday at 2 p.m. His guitar, in dazzling Lectoure blue, combines artisanal know-how with an ecological approach. Indeed, she used materials recovered such as mother-of-pearl points in the Mediterranean, and others offered by Hepcat Pickups.” Proof of the know-how of this young Toulouse woman and of a sector in perpetual quest for innovation and acoustic and manufacturing pleasures.”