The music

If the murmur of the waves accompanies walkers and bathers, music lovers gather in La Rochelle to enjoy La Sirène. This space of current music is not only a place which makes the beautiful part with the popular musics and its actors but it is also an important architectural project since installed in an old silo which was rehabilitated. All types of contemporary music are presented to the public (hip-hop, metal, rock, jazz...). La Sirène's mission is the diffusion of concerts, the reception of amateurs and artists - in one of the 5 studios - and the implementation of a program of Artistic and Cultural Education.
In Saintes, it is in another place, even more astonishing, that the music resounds. A former women's monastery, the Abbaye aux Dames has been converted into a cultural center and is now an integral part of the musical city. Music is at the heart of this monument with the Festival of Saintes! The surprising Musicaventure offers a sensory exploration of the site. The sound journeys invite travelers to wear headphones while the carousel allows everyone to handle bows, keyboards, harps... A training ground for musicians from all over the world, the Abbey is at the center of artistic discoveries.

Local artists

The Charente-Maritime has many artists. One of them is "The Big Idea". These childhood friends, passionate about music since their youth, left La Rochelle after graduating from high school to move in together and record three albums. Above all, the six friends took a daring gamble during their first confinement: compose their album in the middle of the ocean! Six weeks of sailing aboard a sailboat for a trip leading them from La Rochelle to the West Indies with the ambition to compose acoustic music.

Jesse Garon - whose real name is Bruno Fumard - is a musician, author, composer and performer. Born in La Rochelle, this multidisciplinary artist (he is also a painter and calligrapher) became known in the early 1980s with titles such as "C'est lundi" or "Nous deux". He is nicknamed the "Prince of rock'n'roll" and is just as passionate about the world of jazz, blues, rock'n'roll and classical music.
As for Bérald Crambes, born in Saint-Georges-de-Didonne, he made his name by officially joining the French rock band BB Brunes in 2007. Very inspired by the Anglo-Saxon scene, the group has since evolved its style which is closer to pop. In 2009, he won a Victoire de la Musique award in the "Revelation of the Year" category.

Festivals

The Charente-Maritime region has many festivals which each year give rhythm to the hearts of the inhabitants. The most famous is undoubtedly the Francofolies. Created in 1985 by Jean-Louis Foulquier and directed by Gérard Pont since 2005, its ambition is to put forward the French-speaking scene. Taking place during five days in the heart of July, it attracts each year more than 150 000 spectators who crowd the esplanade of the Parks. Not only has this festival seen the greatest artists of the French scene such as Alain Souchon, M, Johnny Hallyday... but it also allows the public to discover new singers. The Francofolies is also free concerts in the whole city!
In the south of the department, the Freemusic offers a completely different atmosphere! For more than 20 years, it attracts every year and during two days a crowd of festival-goers who come to discover confirmed talents such as IAM, Orelsan, Shaka Ponk. The setting is very pleasant since the stage is located in a protected natural area, the lake Baron Desqueyroux. For 72 hours, without interruption, the music is in full swing with a current program taking into account the idea of sustainable development. Indeed, the eco-responsible charter aims at reducing waste, using reusable cups and setting up dry toilets.
The Charente-Maritime is also home to jazz festivals on the Ile de Ré, in La Rochelle, in Fouras... Classical music lovers will go to Royan during the month of July. Not only does the seaside resort lend itself ideally to a moment of idleness, but it also hosts an annual symphonic music festival "Un violon sur le sable". The setting is splendid, the beach of the Grande-Conche from which the notes of the orchestra, composed mainly of musicians from the Paris Opera, accompany world famous soloists. The concerts are free.

The dance

In Charente-Maritime, we love to dance and when we are not attending a festival we can learn a few steps in one of the many schools of the department. There are classes for beginners, classical dance, modern jazz and also pole dance... everyone can have fun! We can also note the presence of several dance conservatories which allow an access to artistic practices for all the public. In Saintes, some 800 students attend the conservatory located in the heart of the Abbaye aux Dames and certified by the Ministry of Culture.
The Brazilian percussion group, Batala La Rochelle, is one of the most danceable! Created in 2000 by Giba Gonçalves, a Brazilian from Bahia, it is recognizable among all, because it makes resound everywhere traditional Brazilian percussions, on rhythms resulting from the samba. Guaranteed effect! On stage, outside or even during a match of the rugby club of La Rochelle, everyone is carried away by this festive music.
A last dance step or rather a last wiggle to end this section. In La Rochelle, in Rochefort or on the island of Ré, Caribbean dances are very popular! If the association Salsa Pimente invites the inhabitants of La Rochelle to take lessons to improve their skills, it also proposes to move to the rhythm in a "guinguette" at the water's edge or on the island of Ré during the famous festival "Salsa en la Playa". Conviviality guaranteed!