The sponsor of the event, the world-renowned drummer André Ceccarelli, will be present and will perform a jam session on stage with all the groups.
A great musical moment in prospect!
In the prelude, in the middle of the afternoon, the folkloric group from Levens, “Lou Brandi Levensan” will have announced the event to the sounds of fifes and drums, parading through the streets of the village.
At 5 PM, the children of the Levens school will sing their repertoire of songs in Niçois and Levensan on stage, as the opening act of the groups.
The Festin d’Aqui Program
7 PM
Paures Nautres (rock, fusion)
8 PM
Lo Mago d’en Casteù (folk)
9 PM
Nux Vomica (ragga muffin)
10 PM
Lou Seriol (rock, ska)
Entrance: 5 euros
Free, supervised parking at the large field of Levens – Free shuttles from the large field to the old town center
Activities, demonstrations of Pilou and Mourra, bar and food service on site
Information: OT Levens: 04 93 79 71 00
Interview with Fabrice Mauro
President of the Sian d’Aqui association
Nice Premium: So Fabrice, tell us a bit about this Festin d’aqui?
Fabrice Mauro: The idea of organizing a festival dedicated to the local music has been in our minds for years. Last year, along with Nissart Per Tougiou, who co-hosts the festival with Sian d’Aqui, we took the plunge, we found where to organize this event, with whom, how to finance it…
We started from a simple observation: Niçois expression songs are almost nonexistent on the airwaves! If we don’t work to make them known, they will eventually disappear.
Beyond the music, we imagined a Niçoise festival with plenty of activities (demonstrations of Mourra, Pilou) socca and other local “specialties” to taste.
Then we were lucky to have André Ceccarelli as patron of this first edition, Richard Cairaschi who will host the evening, and the town of Levens, which has gone all out to make the celebration beautiful…
NP: An artist lineup like no other, I believe?
FM: Yes indeed, there will be something for everyone. At 5 PM, the school children will come to sing as the opening, about 200 kids who will sing in Niçois and Levensan. From 7 PM, we will have Paures Nautres, Lo Mago d’en casteu with André Ceccarelli as guest star, Nux Vomica who will take turns on stage. It will be the time for a memorable jam session with all the musicians and Dédé Ceccarelli, our sponsor, on the drums. Finally, our guest, coming directly from the Occitan valleys of northern Italy, the band Lou Seriol will set the stage on fire. I can tell you that it’s going to rock in Levens on Saturday!
NP: How did this event come to be, and will we ever see a similar one in Nice?
FM: It was born like all events, I think: an idea, important encounters, luck, and hours and hours of work to make everything perfect!
One in Nice? I’m not sure it would be necessary, the Niçois are happy to travel to Levens and then let me share a crazy dream: we’ll organize this festival for two or three years in the public garden with a capacity to accommodate 2,000 to 3,000 people, and, but make no mistake, if the festival pleases the audience and grows well, we will move it to the large field, and there…we will be able to host 20,000, 50,000 or 100,000 people!
After Woodstock, we will make… Woodstockfish with a Niçoise touch. More seriously, the Bretons have a Celtic music festival that brings together hundreds of thousands of people, TV channels… and I believe that in the county we are not less capable than the Bretons. We are betting on the future!
NP: Any other projects in Sian d’Aqui’s portfolio?
FM: Yes, as every year we will celebrate at the end of September the anniversary date of the birth of our identity, 1388, County of Nice. This year will be the 620th anniversary and we intend to make a big impact. We will contact each commune of the County to propose to the Mayor to display at the entrance of their commune, the town’s original name sign. In addition, we are working with Serres publishing on a small book that will tell the history of our county and will be distributed to children on this occasion.
Then, in October, from the 15th to the 18th we will gather at the Francis Gag Theater for the 6th Comedy Festival… it’s not time to rest yet. But I will tell you more when the time comes, if you kindly invite me, of course.
NP: Finally, what would you say to people to make them come to Levens on Saturday?
FM: That they will have a magnificent evening, that they will be able to park in the large supervised parking lot, free shuttles will take them to the concert. That on site, the atmosphere will be family-friendly, relaxed, and nice, that they can eat, try out local sports, listen to good music, dance, laugh with Richard Cairaschi…
Also telling them that we have a few surprises in store for them and finally telling them to come in large numbers and make themselves heard because this first edition, fully recorded, will lead to the DVD of the 1st Festin d’Aqui. Got the drift?
All Together at the Festin d’Aqui!
