Overview
Cabestan – French folk band that specialised in “Chants De Marins Traditionnels” aka “Sea Shanties”. [Discogs]
Founded in 1982, this group of musicians from Brittany recorded a number of albums of traditional French mariner songs and gained fame in the Francophone world. [Rate Your Music]
This group was prominent on the maritime music scene in the ’80s
Cabestan was a group of Breton musicians and singers founded in 1982 following a recording of traditional songs for a celebrated anthology published by the Chasse-marée.
Born during the movement of the renewal of maritime heritage, Cabestan became the reference of traditional sailor’s song, where possible taking songs direct from source. However, the universe of Cabestan did not stop at the navy of the early twentieth century, it also offered new songs in tune with maritime news and strongly coloured by multiple traditional currents, (Breton, Vendée, Cajun, Quebec, U.K.).
“A breath of offshore air that smells of salt, wind, foam and seaweed”
Group Members included:
Benoît Chantran: violin, vocals
Michel Colleu: old, concertina and vocals
Christian Desnos: diatonic accordion, vocals
Arnaud Maisonneuve: guitar, bouzouki, vocals
Bernard Subert: bombard, clarinet, flute, vocals; he was one of the founders of the group and remained until 1990.
John Wright: violin, guimbarde, (“Jaw’s Harp”), vocals
Erik Marchand: singing, clarinet (treujenn gaol, “cabbage stalk”)
Thierry Moreau: violin, veuze (Breton bagpipes), cello
Jean-Luc (Ben) Creac’h: bass guitar
Bernard Simard: guitar, vocals
Thierry Decloux: guitar, bouzouki, vocal
Discography:
- 1984 : Cabestan
- 1987 : Il y a dix marins sur mer
- 1990 : Gwerz Penmarc’h (Grand Prix du disque Académie Charles Cros)
- 1991 : Chants de marins traditionnels (réunion en CD des 2 premiers 33t)
- 1993 : Fortunes de mer
- 1995 : Tempête pour sortir
- 1997 : Femmes de marins
- 2000 : La mer est trop vieille pour qu’on se moque d’elle
- 2002 : Best of Chants de Marins. La compil’ des 20 ans
Video
Recordings:
General Information
1982
No
Band Members
Christian Desnos Bernard Subert Arnaud Maisonneuve Michel Colleu Benoit Chantran Thierry Decloux Thierry Moreau
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabestan_(groupe)
Brittany
France