As soon as the doors opened on this sunny late afternoon, Friday evening June 5, the public was present for the 14th festival of the Swing nomade association, in Spechbach. Because, as we know, music brings people together. It is not Pierre Heyd, the president of the organizing association, who will say the opposite. But what goes around is just as important.
Conviviality was the order of the day on the square adjoining the town’s multipurpose room, which had become a borderless territory around drinks and tartes flambées, which the volunteers of the blood donors’ association took particular care of. A setting used for the third time now, it is so good to live there.
A caravan trip
The two concerts on the first evening delighted music lovers from all over, like Jean-Pierre, 79, who travels from Rouen every year to see his nephew, who is a volunteer, and to support the festival at the same time.
The Zima group opened the evening with its Slavic music from the steppes of Eastern Europe. A caravan trip in which the music, the songs and even the dancing literally set the stage on fire. And yet, Zima means winter. Traditional Romanian, Hungarian, Georgian, Russian and Ukrainian music plunges its Gypsy roots deep into a generational history in which everyone finds themselves and communicates with their ancestors.
The four musicians are interchangeable, they lend each other instruments, guitars, violin, pandouri, balalaikas of all sizes (the bass that Étienne plays is impressive). Their music is a story that they tell with immense generosity. That of their meeting around fifteen years ago, of their origins and their journey: they live in France but Nastassia and Tatiana are Russians, while Youra and Étienne are Ukrainians. Like what…
Fingers dance on the strings
After a welcome break to recover from their emotions, the audience was able to fully appreciate the virtuosity of guitarist Angelo Debarre, accompanied by Benji Winterstein on rhythm and Thierry Chanteloup on double bass. Traditional gypsy jazz in all its splendor, for one hour. It’s an understatement to say that the fingers danced on the strings at dizzying speed.
On the program for Saturday June 6, in particular, a mass in tribute to Mito Loeffler (with the Spechbach choir and gypsy musicians), three concerts (Un Soir de swing, then Stochelo Rosenberg & Jermaine Landsberger, and finally Tchavolo Schmitt), signing sessions, without forgetting the jam sessions and improvised jam sessions, the very essence of a festival that brings together souls and hearts.
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