Q:
What do get if you put an Englishman, a Scotsman and three Frenchmen in
Corrigan’s Irish bar in the Atlantic coastal fishing port of La
Rochelle, France?
A: A five piece Franco-Britannic sea shanty group that goes by the name
of Les Brouilleurs d’Ecoutes !
It all started in june 2005 when from one end of the bar at Barry Murphy’s pub a
couple of ex-pat’s spontaneously sung an English sea-shanty. From the
other end of the bar a French reply was soon to be heard. After an evening of
alternating shanties that ended in a friendly draw, and the downing of
a good few pints, the group was born.
Since that historic date, Les Brouilleurs d’Ecoutes have featured on
the French shanty festival circuit from their homeport in La Rochelle,
to Brittany and to the famous international festivals of Paimpol and
the Brest tall ships gathering.
Their repertoire is made up of traditional shanties, sea-songs, and
self-penned material accompanied on accordion, banjo, bouzouki, fiddle,
guitar and bodhran.
Alternating from English to French songs with passion, energy and
camaraderie the group’s performance and their contagious “bonne humeur”
guarantees excellent entertainment for any audience.
Les
Brouilleurs d’Ecoutes are:
-
Bernard: banjo, mandolin
-
Martial: fiddle
-
Tom: Vocals, guitar and bouzouki
-
Stuart: bodhran, harmonica
-
Véronique: Irish flute and whistles
-
Yves: Vocals, accordion, Harmonica
