Rhizottome
Rhizottome was born from the encounter of two instruments: the sopranine saxophone of Matthieu Metzger and the accordion of Armelle Dousset.
It all started in the street and balfolk venues, where they play and build their repertoire from 2008, in France, Portugal, Belgium or Italy. Carried by “neo-traditional” tunes and more classical melodies (Rameau, Telemann, Schubert, Weill), they will gradually compose their own repertoire, and now present it to new audiences (in theaters, jazz festivals, Japan, Korea, Finland).
Rhizot(t)ome comes from an ancient term of herbalists that refers to the “root cutter.” Their music is always accompanied in its creation of the notion of tradition, with which one must play: reconnect with the own roots in order to play to get rid of them. The game also consists of inventing new colors, textures, rhythmic lines inspired by different repertoires and regions of the world. The original compositions are born from this creative process, revealing poetic territories to conquer.
Take, retake, turn over compositions whose structures come from traditional music, exploit them in improvised flight to “re-compose” better, and then find them – almost – intact.
They play music trying to find through listening and improvisation an energy that would make all the dances possible. Two sensibilities on the edge, between softness and impulsivity: the instruments are spoken, they try to learn, and to build new stories, new dances every time. The concert becomes a dance, and vice versa.
A thread runs between the here and the far, between the familiar and the strange, and it is on this thread that improvisations slide. The codes and reference points are sent into a waltz. It is, therefore, an intimate and musical cartography, which in fact invites the trip. Hence the desire to share these explorations with ever more different audiences, ever further away in the bodies, where the possible features of a common imaginary are woven.
Tralala lovers
The Tralala Lovers infuse a triggering energy into the great dance music gallery. Vincent Gaffet and Diego Meymarian, singers and multi-instrumentalists, propose a euphoric dance that mixes without restrictions original creations and an inventive reinterpretation of the popular repertoire.
The two musicians, on the other hand members of the group TRAM des Balkans, happily pass from the accordion to the tambourine, from the violin to the banjo to deliver small chiseled, cheerful and novelistic epics that do not fit into either the past or a particular fashion of a return to the trad. A pop and acoustic universe, malicious words about tunes that are resumed very quickly. From scottish to polka, from valse to branle de Noirmoutier, the Tralala dance is a folk journey that takes you to every corner of Europe.
The duo shares their passion for vocal harmonies, sound findings, rhythmic and dancing poetry of the French language. A record of singing words enriched with more exotic sounds: Italian, Creole or Romani. Experienced dancers or pathetic beginners, there is no way you can resist the call of the dancefloor, its contagious joy is like the singing of the sirens.
A dance to enjoy dancing as much as listening and looking at it!
Bahez
Bahez is a collective of singers and tambourine players anchored in current and traditional popular music from the Basque Country, on the initiative and under the direction of Maider Martineau and Pauline Lafitte.
Like the grains of sand on the sieve, the voices and the percussion make their way between the crowds, the streets and the parties, to make a tradition reborn again and again that resonates as close as possible to the people.
Feather & fox
Christiane Bisitz: Cello, Voice, Composition
Victor Lekeu: Mandolin, Percussion, Voice, Composition
Feather and Fox is a Belgo-German cello and mandolin duo. Christiane and Victor met during a Berlin summer on the banks of the river Spree and have been travelling all over Europe’s balfolk scene with their delicate music ever since. From the very beginning, the duo plays for dancers and is inspired by their energy; playful and sensitive, they explore the sound possibilities in the interplay of the twelve strings of their instruments and create a unique sound, both feather-light and energy-driven.
Quico Pugès eta Arkaitz Miner
+ Info soon
Sol do
Ludovico Pastore, from Italy, plays the diatonic accordion and composes melodies for this instrument.
Petra Pastore-Treichler, from eastern Switzerland, dances and plays the diatonic accordion and the tamburello. She is passionate about the dances of southern Italy and France.
They discovered the world of balfolk in Italy and France and were captivated by it. Since then, the instruments and dances of this style are part of their life.
Their accordion melodies are composed for dancing.
That’s why it fills them with joy, especially when the public joins them. They conduct couple dances, dances in circle and in a raw so that everyone, young and old, can participate. For Sol do, the important thing is not to execute the steps perfectly, but to unite and share the joy. For them, it’s not just music and movement that elevates the spirit; dancing connects people in a deeply moving way. And that brings them happiness.
Their aim is to encourage people in eastern Switzerland to dance, and to introduce them to the world of balfolk.
Azido folkloriko
Azido Folkloriko is a folk-based band from Vitoria-Gasteiz. Rooted in the traditional folklore of the Basque Country, their music draws inspiration from other musical traditions around the world, including Irish and Latin American styles.
With an acoustic instrumental foundation, the band also offers guided dantza plazan (traditional Basque social dancing), creating a warm and engaging atmosphere through close interaction with the audience. Their goal is simple: to have fun and make everyone else enjoy the experience too.
From the blend of all these musical ingredients comes the band’s essential compound: Folkloric Acid! Ready to give it a try?