Forbans de Lion, Les

Forbans de Lion, from Lion-sur-Mer in Northern France have been singing the maritime songs of yesterday and today for more than 7 years.

The group is diversifying its repertoire, also  performing  acoustic concerts. “That’s not all, those who will have the pleasure of listening to us will find some nice surprises,” says Philippe Lamy, the group’s president, musician and singer. One thing is certain, faithful to its commitments, the group remains in the tradition of sea songs, to make people sing and dance.  The Forbans de Lion will continue to sing the verses that rocked and motivated the navigators of yesteryear. At the time, these sailors’ songs made it possible to establish a rhythm of work on board the boats in a true team spirit. It was a way to distract the crew in their work, says Philippe.

The musicians set the rhythm with a bass guitar, a guitar, two accordions, a banjo, harmonicas, guimbarde and Canadian spoons to accompany three baritones, a tenor and three basses. “Quickly, we find ourselves tapping our foot to beat the measure and hum the chorus. We have a new singer who comes straight from Cherbourg in the English Channel and who was part of the Marins du Cotentin group.”

Today, sailors’ songs are anchored in the festivals of the sea. The Forbans de Lion took a course and challenged themselves to record a CD of their music. Their first CD, composed of ten well-known titles, was released in 2019. It is available at the price of €10, (details from Philippe Lamy), with a second album already planned. 

The group performs for the benefit of the SNSM, the French Lifeboat Service, as well as attending a number of Sea Song and other Festivals.