[VIDEO] VIDEO. Lot-et-Garonne: before their concert tonight at the Music’Halle, Les Innocents « ambienced »

The day before the closing concert of the Rencontres d’Astaffort, Jean-Christophe Urbain and JP Nataf left their suitcases in the warm building of Voix du Sud. The two godfathers, installed in a music room, feel this very special atmosphere. They say: «  »the trainees have the impression of being mounted in a space capsule for ten days »

You knew about the Astaffort Meetings. Did you want to sponsor them or, on the contrary, did Voix du Sud solicit you?

JP.N: Voix du Sud approached us two years ago just before the “Covid century”. We were very flattered to become the sponsors of this first session of the 51st Astaffort Meetings. In addition, we had several echoes of people who had participated and who had a great time. We even have the impression that there is a before and an after.

You succeed to big names in French song, text singers, songwriters-performers such as Alain Souchon, Julien Doré and Big Flo & Oui. Would you say that there is a common thread or a musical kinship between the godfathers?

JC.U: We are all somewhat the antithesis of what the young artists who come here and work together experience. On the contrary, when we make an album, and I think this is the case for all the sponsors who came to the Rencontres d’Astaffort, we are often in our bubble. The exchange is much more difficult.

If the Rencontres d’Astaffort had existed when you started, would you have liked to take part?

JC.U: With my character at the time, I think I would have been mentally incapable of participating. I was very shy. The creation had to go through me alone. I was incapable of doing this musical sharing. At the time, the more I was alone in my room to compose, the happier I was. We then put ourselves in a group but the group is only a slightly larger room with two or three additional people to compose.

JP.N: I think that out of snobbery I wouldn’t have done that either. Originally when I started my band in high school, I just wanted to be with my friends, make some noise and have the world watch me. At the time, this kind of training did not exist. Before the music it was the maquis. We had to manage. We liked not being on the rails. This kind of training was not really the state of mind at the time.

What do you think of the Astaffort Meetings?

JC.U: I find this training great. Young artists are unfortunately very lonely today. They are rarely allowed to be many on stage because economically it is not viable. There are not many promises of being rewarded, in particular by a passage on the radio. I think it must do a lot of good for these young people to find « soul mates », to exchange music but also vagueness in the soul.

How do you find this place?

JC.U: Astaffort and more particularly the premises of Voix du Sud are very special places. A few years ago we had the chance to record an album at Peter Gabriel’s studio, Real World, in England. We felt the soul of this person everywhere in the studio, in the gardens, in the kitchen. I feel like it’s a bit like Astaffort. One man, Francis Cabrel, and his extended family worked to ensure there was that soul in this place. You feel it on arrival.

How do you feel as a sponsor?

JC.U: All these artists who didn’t know each other less than a week ago, who manage to get completely naked while each singing their own song, talking, sharing words, I find that very strong. That’s what amazes me.

JP.N: They are more than happy. They feel like they’ve been in a space capsule for ten days. It’s a small laboratory, everything is bubbling. We feel the youngsters totally thoroughly. They don’t sleep much, they go on. It’s like a little Olympics. Some of them even want to meet after the Astaffort Meetings to continue creating together. That’s wonderful.

If you had three pieces of advice to give to a young musician, based on your experience, what would they be?

JP.N: Low, medium, high. More seriously, you have to aim high, have ambition but also remain very modest. But from what we have seen, the fourteen trainees of this session do not need advice, only experience.