Three days of dance in St Gervais d'Auvergne

Comboros 2024, festival de danses et musiques trad

If I was to name one thing truly unique to France, it would be, with absolutely no hesitation, Les Bals Trad. The recent growth of the traditional dance and music community in France is a phenomenon I will not risk explaining (leaving space for a PhD in sociomusicology) . I also won't waste words to describe the energy, joy and power of dancing, playing and being together, and immersing in live tradition with roots generations ago. Enough to say: if you go to France without seeing a bal, you miss an important part.

(note: the community of French dances also exist outside the country, known as Bal Folk. The experience is also interesting but different - perhaps comparable to an Irish pub in Budapest)

Anyways. I am coming in Auvergne to participate in Comboros, one of a hundred festivals of Trad (all found in agendatrad). Here’s a few impressions.

Many people check the names of bands before signing in to the bals. I don’t, leaving space for surprise and discovery. It’s true that what’s in the program matters. What is outside the program matters more:…

… endless conversations with Khafiz, a traveler from another dimension of time and space met on the way who decided to join… a surprise rehearsal with the band Ginginha Gratis from Bordeaux, on the field near a stack of hay… precious moments with Camille and Sophie, from whom I borrowed the last song of the recording. Here are the words.

Le septième jours de mai que donnerais-je à ma mie

Le septieme jour de mai que donnerais-je à ma mie

Sept saumons d'argent

Six agneaux de lait

Cinq lapins grattant dans l'herbe

Quatre canard volant en l'air

Trois ramiers au bois

Deux tourterelles

Une perdriole qui va, qui viens, qui vole

Une perdriole, qui vole dedans le bois