Cabestan

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