Overview
Bordée Nantaise is a mixed maritime song and folk dance music group from Nantes in the Pays de la Loire region of France.
“The main objective of Bordée Nantaise is to preserve the heritage of traditional sailors’ songs, particularly those originating from the Nantes region,” says Jean-Pierre Viaud, president of the association. Since 2016, the group has travelled throughout the region, performing at concerts, fest-noz, fest-deiz, bagad events and maritime festivals.
The group’s repertoire includes traditional sailors’ songs, as well as songs of the Loire sailors and the bateliers of the Nivernais, who travelled downriver carrying timber and other goods to trade in Nantes.
“For our first six-track mini-album, which is sold on CD or on a USB key, at the price of only €5, we went in search of songs from Saint-Nazaire, Redon, Nantes and Trentemoult,” explains Jean-Pierre Viaud. Lovers of Breton dance will also find plenty to enjoy, with traditional dances such as the an dro, Scottish, rond paludier and mazurka.
The Bordée Nantaise association is deeply rooted in the local community. The idea of creating the group dates back to 2015, following the break-up of the former group Vent de Galerne. Jean-Pierre Viaud, himself a singer, recalls how the new group came into being.
There is also an amusing story behind the name Bordée Nantaise. During the days of Vent de Galerne, audiences often felt that the group’s name gave no indication of where it came from. As a result, Jean-Pierre Viaud says, it was decided that the word “Nantes” should be incorporated into the name of the new formation. At the same time, the members wanted to create a play on the initials BN, a reference to the famous Biscuits Nantais. They therefore looked for a nautical term that would fit the spirit of the group — and so Bordée Nantaise was born.
The group currently has seven members, including a sound engineer. Originally, most of the members were involved with the Celtic Circle of Tréteaux et Terroirs in Nantes. “At one festival, the dance group started singing. That was how the idea of creating a sailors’ song group came about,” says Jean-Pierre Viaud.
The group’s mission is to rediscover traditional songs, adapt them, perform them and, above all, encourage people to dance. Bordée Nantaise performs as part of theatrical shows as well as at fest-noz and fest-deiz events, keeping the region’s rich maritime and musical heritage alive for new generations.