« C“It’s a famous three-masted ship, thin as a bird, hoist high, Santiano…” Raphaël Descamps did not wait for Hugues Auffray’s famous song to become the revisited anthem of Stade Rochelais to be caught in the net of singing marine. By his stage name Raph, quartermaster singer, the man who traveled from the Belgian coasts to Brittany via Vendée set down his bags in Arces-sur-Gironde, near Royan, four years ago. For several years now he has been singing about what the sea and those who frequent it have to offer, as a worthy representative of this sailor caste which carries high the standard of a world apart with its codes, its legends and… its songs .
Raph just got an extra rank. Since September 10, sea shanty has been officially included in the inventory of France’s intangible cultural heritage after an investigation carried out over six years and led by specialists such as Michel Colleu, co-founder of the magazine “Le chasse-marée. »
The sea singer draws from the wide repertoire of sea songs.
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An inventory of sea shanty groups and songs still sung today has been drawn up. If the majority of it comes from Brittany, this oral tradition is also still very present in Normandy and Vendée. A little less in Charente-Maritime. “It’s hard to explain. Perhaps because there are no large commercial ports like Le Havre, for example. In the past, these songs punctuated the work of the crew and allowed them to synchronize their efforts. Others allowed sailors to relax and endure life at sea. Each song had its use,” recalls the man who tries to bring this piece of history to life with his guitar.
Apostle of Tri Yann
Originally from the north of France, the person concerned was quickly immersed in these great stories of long-distance sailors. “I also did my military service in the navy troops. That’s where I learned to sing (laughs). » But more attracted by the melodies of Tri Yann or the folk singer Graeme Allwright than the songbook of his comrades in arms, he subsequently decided to ride Michao’s mare rather than the Leclerc tank.
With a friend we sang in schools. They called us blackmailers.
As a primary and nursery school teacher, he never stopped singing songs. “A friend and I sang in schools. They called us blackmailers. When I found myself alone, I was nothing more than a blackmailer’s quarters. This is how my stage name was born,” he says. Now retired, Raph has taken up “his guitar” again and continues more than ever to defend a repertoire now inscribed in the collective memory. “It ranges from traditional sea shanties to more contemporary ones. » In his singing tour we find big names in the discipline like Hugues Auffray or Alan Stivell. But also older things. And he doesn’t hesitate to draw out Brel or Brassens. Friends first.
A composer
The quartermaster singer is also a composer. “The entrance to the estuary, where I put my bag and my music, inspires me with some texts about these villages, these lighthouses and those who are lucky enough to live in these magical places,” he reveals . Like this “Plea to always stay in the estuary” or “Beautiful farmer of the estuary. »
This year, visitors to the Cordouan lighthouse were able to listen and enjoy it. “I did a concert there in the Chapel of the Kings,” enthuses the man who does not consider himself a great musician. “No need for sea shanties. The melody is simple and the chords are sometimes repetitive,” he admits. Which doesn’t take away from the performance. In this separate universe, Raph regrets the end of the Binuchards. “They sang about things relating to the sea and had a real local identity. » Everything he likes.
Cabaret formula or street or market atmosphere, with possible strolls, for a concert or an event lasting up to the day, Raph can be reached on 06 18 35 34 57.
A national inventory
The national inventory of intangible cultural heritage was launched in 2008 to meet the objectives of the UNESCO Convention. The ambition is to list the living practices of French culture, classified according to several themes such as play, know-how, rituals, social and festive practices… The Shepherds’ Festivals in Aramits (Pyrénées-Atlantiques) or the enamel works of Limoges (Haute-Vienne) are for example listed there. This inventory aims to safeguard cultural heritage in order to pass it on to future generations.
