Festi Cozes 2010

On Saturday April 24-25 Cozes was the place of country music and horse performances. Every year at the same time, the festival focuses on equestrian jumping , cross-country hiking, line dancing and some keen organizers involve themselves a lot during the 2-day festival.

On Saturday when we arrived, the sun was shining, and lots of regular visitors were gathered around the beer tent. Some were queuing to order their "c�te de boeuf" for the" dinner champ�tre" which took place under a large tent.

We had arranged to meet with friends to have a potluck dinner.

The men cooked the "c�tes de boeuf" on an outdoor barbecue and for once the women were relaxing expecting to have a beautifully-cooked piece of meat.



This year the country music band was a famous local band called " Les Binuchards" In Charente Maritime they are as famous as "the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, ....." in the 1970s.

The Binuchards group is composed of Binuche who sings, plays the violin, the bouzouki ( which is a mainstay instrument in Greece.) , the banjo and the wheel fiddle. He is also a sommelier. Richard plays the bass guitar, the contrebassine ( which is a musical instrument used in American folk music) sings as well. He is a ma�tre d'.

JC plays the electric guitar, the acoustic guitar and he also sings in the band. He is also a chef .

Jean-Marie plays the drums. Then the group is also composed of Jean-Fran�ois in charge of audio signal, Bruno in charge of light, Yves ( equipment...) and Coco sells the CD's and T-shirts.

Their trademark is represented by a snail formed with two fingers for the feelers and a hand for the body of the snail. They are all natives of G�mozac and Binuche who is a poet, a musician and a storyteller has been a troubadour for more than twenty years He went to Germany, Switzerland, Scandinavia, Africa and recently has been to Brittany his second native home land.

Binuche was courageous and bold enough to sing in the Charentais dialect about ten years ago and he wrote lots of juicy local stories about the local way of thinking and living He is also inspired with the French society's weaknesses.

The Binuchards'music is a festive music influenced by Celtic, rock and Cajun music. Their songs provoke laughter and provide amusement. Their performance is always a success, they are full of energy, a communicative energy and the performance in Cozes was a success .

To conclude here's a list of definitely essential vocabulary to understand some of the

Binuchards 'songs.

Les baignassoutes ( les touristes)

Les cagouilles ( les escargots) = snails

Le cananbis ( le canabis)

cheur ( tomber) = fall

nigher ( noyer / se noyer) = drown

buffer ( souffler) = blow



La route � trois grammes.

J'ai pris la route � trois grammes,

Pour �viter les gendarmes,

Les chemins et les palisses

Pour �viter la police.

J'ai bu deux ou trois Pastis,

C'est s�r je suis positif,

J'ai beau expliquer aux flics

Que je suis pas un alcoolique,

j'ai essay� le p�tard,

La Tourtel et un peu tout

Mais je pr�f�re le pinard

Et la bi�re de Bercloux.

J'ai branch� mon GPS

Sur le route de l'ivresse,

Je passe � travers les vignes

Et les chemins de traverses,

Qu'elle est la route la plus s�re,

Quand t'as soup� un vin pur,

T'as d�j� un gramme ou deux.

Tu peux bouffer des croix bleues

Et moi qui n'ai plus qu'un point

dessus mon permis � points

M�me si j'avais trois cents points

Dans six mois j'aurais plus rien.

Pour mettre des contraventions

Les motards ont le bras long,

Faut toujours faire attention

Aux radars et aux ballons

Alors comme j'en avais marre,

D'�tre toujours un peu tricard

J'ai achet� un camping-car

Et une bouteille de Ricard,

Je dors avec mes trois grammes

Pour �viter les gendarmes

Je dors avec mon Pastis

Pour �viter la police.

Acknowledgements : Photo of the bouzouki provided by Matt.ohara under Creative Commons licence via Flick