Friday May 3, as part of the Jeunesses Musicales de France, a bridge was launched between Occitanie and the Maghreb for an exceptional concert at the Grand Cahors auditorium.
Nearly 900 children from schools in Cahors and Grand Cahors took part in one of the three sessions of Anda-Lutz (Anda for movement in Spanish and Lutz, light in Occitan). They are welcomed by Isabelle Fredon, president of JM France Cahors, who thanks the technicians and volunteers mobilized in the organization of this day. Then it’s time for music with Guillaume Lopez, Thierry Roques and Sébastien Gisbert for an ambitious concert.
“We learned things about music”
From Occitan to Arabic via Spanish, children discover different sounds and instruments: transverse flute, fife, piccolo, soprano saxophone, accordion, percussion, Landes bagpipes (la boha), tambourine ropes of the Pyrenees (the tun tun)… “The Pyrenees, this pass of exchange and sharing,” explains Guillaume. What interests us is meeting others, discovering, doing things together…”
From the second piece, quite naturally, the feet beat time and the hands mimic the gestures of the musicians. After having tried clapping the hands as in Andalusia in order to obtain more or less clear sounds with the “palmas claras” and “palmas sordas”, it is the discovery of rhythms struck with the fingers spread apart as in Morocco. A chorus in Occitan then begins with Lo solelh, la luna. And now, after saying Mercès, Gracias and Choukran, we say Adiu, Adios, Salam.
“This link between cultures is a service to us at school. This is part of the cultural route file. We can come back to it during the year,” underlines a teacher from Terre Rouge. Musical education is in fact one of the major missions of Jeunesses Musicales de France, an association working for 80 years to make music accessible to children and young people through shows and workshops. Mission accomplished, as evidenced by the CP/CE1 class at Lacapelle: “I loved that the musicians made us participate,” rejoices Mila. Gabin remarked: “It was pretty, the lights changing with the music.” Valentina recognized Occitan because “it’s like the songs we learn at school.” Ethan points out: “We heard the song Mi Granada that we listened to in class. » Victor liked to clap his hands and sing Lo solelh, la luna. Gabriella is delighted: “We learned things about music, instruments and languages” and above all… that music knows no borders!
