{"id":5196,"date":"2016-07-02T08:21:20","date_gmt":"2016-07-02T08:21:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/franceblues.com\/?page_id=5196"},"modified":"2025-12-05T09:24:40","modified_gmt":"2025-12-05T09:24:40","slug":"keeping-the-blues-alive-awards","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/franceblues.com\/?page_id=5196","title":{"rendered":"Keeping The Blues Alive Awards"},"content":{"rendered":"<h4>2008 &#8211; Blues sur Seine<\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/franceblues.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/BSS.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-5200\" src=\"https:\/\/franceblues.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/BSS.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"160\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Jean Guillermo est le cr\u00e9ateur d\u2019un festival unique qui se tient dans plusieurs villes de la r\u00e9gion de Mantes-la-Jolie o\u00f9 les artistes se produisent pendant 17 jours. Le festival propose 140 spectacles dans 80 lieux diff\u00e9rents et 22 villes ou villages de la banlieue ouest de Paris. Ce qui en fait un \u00e9v\u00e8nement remarquable, c\u2019est que le festival se d\u00e9place vers le public. Les artistes, en plus des concerts publics, se produisent dans les \u00e9coles, les h\u00f4pitaux, les maisons de retraites ou encore les prisons. En 9 ans, le festival a vu se produire 350 artistes dans ce cadre unique. Afin d\u2019\u00e9duquer le public fran\u00e7ais, Blues-sur-Seine a mis en place un programme sp\u00e9cifiquement \u00e0 destination des \u00e9coliers, en amont du festival. En 2004, une \u00e9quipe de 15 enseignants a cr\u00e9\u00e9 un \u00ab Cahier du Blues \u00bb, et en 2007, ils ont propos\u00e9 une master class de deux jours \u00e0 destination des musiciens et des professeurs de musique afin de les aider \u00e0 d\u00e9velopper des strat\u00e9gies dans le cadre de leurs enseignements. Jean Guillermo et son \u00e9quipe compos\u00e9e de professionnels et de b\u00e9n\u00e9voles ont r\u00e9ussi \u00e0 immerger toute une r\u00e9gion dans la culture Blues.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/franceblues.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/flaguk.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-5254\" src=\"https:\/\/franceblues.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/flaguk.jpg\" alt=\"flaguk\" width=\"30\" height=\"20\" \/><\/a>Jean Guillermo has created an amazing multi-city festival in which Blues artists perform in various towns throughout the region of Mantes Le Jolie in France for 17 days. The festival includes 140 Blues events at 80 locations throughout 22 participating small and medium villages in Paris western suburbs. What is remarkable is that they take this festival to the people. The artists who play the festival also perform in schools, hospitals, nursing homes, and prisons. In its ninth year, the festival has presented over 350 bands with this unique experience. To educate the French audience, Blues sur Seine presents a Blues in the Schools program in advance of the annual event. In 2004, a team of fifteen teachers created a Teaching the Blues Guide, while in 2007 they are hosting a two-day \u00ab\u00a0Teaching the Teachers\u00a0\u00bb master class for Blues musicians and music teachers to develop classroom strategies. Jean Guillermo and his staff of professional and volunteers have immersed an entire region of France into the Blues culture.<\/p>\n<h4>2011 &#8211; Didier Tricard<\/h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/franceblues.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Didier.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-5201\" src=\"https:\/\/franceblues.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Didier.jpg\" alt=\"Didier\" width=\"200\" height=\"134\" \/><\/a>Depuis plus de 35 ans, Didier Tricard \u0153uvre pour la promotion du Blues en Europe. Il est le cr\u00e9ateur du Chicago Blues Festival Tour of Europe (le 41\u00e8me en 2010) et a initi\u00e9 des tourn\u00e9es pour des ic\u00f4nes telles que B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Albert King, Junior Wells, Albert Collins, Snooks Eaglin et Ike Turner. Il a d\u00e9but\u00e9 dans le m\u00e9tier en tant que roadie pour Luther Allison et John Lee Hooker pour une tourn\u00e9e de deux semaines organis\u00e9e par le label Black and Blue. Il a ensuite travaill\u00e9, de 1978 \u00e0 1981, pour l\u2019\u00e9quipe de George Wein bas\u00e9e en Europe et a organis\u00e9 des tourn\u00e9es pour Muddy Waters, Fats Domino et Chuck Berry. En 1982, il a mont\u00e9 une tourn\u00e9e dans le cadre du premier \u00ab Chicago Blues Giants tour \u00bb, parmi lesquels figuraient le Lonnie Brooks Band (avec Eddie Shaw, Lefty Dizz et Melvin Taylor). Vint ensuite en 1982 le \u00ab Chicago Blues Legends tour \u00bb avec Little Milton, Magic Slim, B.B. Odom et Lucky Peterson. Didier Tricard organise les tourn\u00e9es europ\u00e9ennes de Magic Slim (ils ont commenc\u00e9 \u00e0 collaborer en 1978), Kenny Neal, Lil Ed et Zac Harmon. Depuis 10 ans, il est directeur artistique pour le Jazz Club Etoile de l\u2019H\u00f4tel M\u00e9ridien \u00e0 Paris. Dans le m\u00eame temps, Didier Tricard produit des enregistrements d\u2019artistes Blues pour son label Isabel, fond\u00e9 en 1979. Ses enregistrements les plus c\u00e9l\u00e8bres, parmi lesquels \u00ab Alone &amp; Acoustic \u00bb et \u00ab Stone Crazy \u00bb de Buddy Guy ont \u00e9t\u00e9 publi\u00e9s aux Etats-Unis chez Alligator Records.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/franceblues.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/flaguk.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-5254\" src=\"https:\/\/franceblues.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/flaguk.jpg\" alt=\"flaguk\" width=\"30\" height=\"20\" \/><\/a>For over 35 years, Didier Tricard has been one of the main blues promoters in Europe. He created his Chicago Blues Festival Tour of Europe (41st in 2010) in addition to promoting individual tours with blues icons like B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Albert King, Junior Wells, Albert Collins, Snooks Eaglin, and Ike Turner. He first began in 1976 as the road manager for Luther Allison and John Lee Hooker on a two-week summer tour for Black and Blue records. As part of George Wein&rsquo;s European office from 1978 to 1981, he booked shows and went on the road with Muddy Waters, Fats Domino, and Chuck Berry. In 1982 he booked his first Chicago Blues Giants tour, including the Lonnie Brooks Band featuring Eddie Shaw, Lefty Dizz, and Melvin Taylor, followed by the 1982 Chicago Blues Legends tour with Little Milton, Magic Slim, B.B. Odom, and Lucky Peterson. Tricard books European gigs for Magic Slim (their business relationship started in 1978), Kenny Neal, Lil Ed, and Zac Harmon, and for the last 10 years has acted as the artistic director for Jazz Club Etoile, Hotel Meridien, in Paris. At the same time, Tricard has also been a first-class producer of blues recordings for his Isabel label, founded in 1979. The most famous of his recordings have been released in America, including Buddy Guy&rsquo;s Alone &amp; Acoustic and Stone Crazy on Alligator.<\/p>\n<h4>2012 &#8211; Mike Lecuyer<\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/franceblues.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Mike.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-5205\" src=\"https:\/\/franceblues.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Mike.jpg\" alt=\"Mike\" width=\"200\" height=\"133\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mike Lecuyer est une figure du Blues fran\u00e7ais. Sa passion pour le Blues est n\u00e9e en tant que musicien, mais c\u2019est surtout \u00e0 travers la cr\u00e9ation de La Chaine du Blues en 1999 qu\u2019il s\u2019est fait conna\u00eetre. Ce site Internet permet aux amoureux du Blues d\u2019\u00e9changer avec l\u2019ensemble des acteurs de la sc\u00e8ne Blues. Le site Web (www.bluesfr.net) compile des informations d\u00e9taill\u00e9es sur les festivals et les clubs Blues en France. Il liste \u00e9galement les sites en lien avec le Blues, ceux des autres pays francophones (Belgique, Canada, Suisse entre autres), les interviews en ligne, les vid\u00e9os d\u2019apprentissage de la guitare et toutes les archives li\u00e9es au monde du Blues. Depuis 12 ans, il coordonne le Tremplin Blues sur Seine. Il est co-fondateur W3 Bluesradio, la seule radio web fran\u00e7aise \u00e0 ne programmer que du Blues. Il est enfin un des 14 co-fondateurs de France Blues.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/franceblues.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/flaguk.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-5254\" src=\"https:\/\/franceblues.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/flaguk.jpg\" alt=\"flaguk\" width=\"30\" height=\"20\" \/><\/a>Mike Lecuyer is one of the most important names in French blues. Though he began his love of the blues as a musician, it was his internet creation of La Chaine du Blues (the chain of blues) in 1999 that became his blues calling. This website connects the people of France with the totality of the country&rsquo;s blues scene. The website, www.bluesfr.net, contains detailed information about clubs and festivals throughout France. It also features a comprehensive listing of French blues websites, web sites from other French-speaking countries, e.g., Belgium, Canada, Switzerland, etc., e-interviews, video, guitar instruction and blues news archives. For 12 years, he has coordinated the Tremplin Blues sur Seine (Challenge). He is the co-founder of W3 Bluesradio, the only French blues web radio playing continuous blues. He is also one of the 14 co-founders of France Blues, the new French association dedicated to promoting blues in France.<\/p>\n<h4>2012 &#8211; Soul Bag<\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/franceblues.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/SoulBag.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-5207\" src=\"https:\/\/franceblues.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/SoulBag.jpg\" alt=\"SoulBag\" width=\"200\" height=\"133\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Elvin Bishop a d\u00e9clar\u00e9 que \u00ab Soul Bag \u00bb \u00e9tait la meilleure chose qui soit arriv\u00e9e \u00e0 la France depuis Django Reinhardt. Fond\u00e9 par Jacques P\u00e9rin en 1968, \u00ab Soul Bag \u00bb est le plus ancien magazine Blues en France. Depuis sa cr\u00e9ation, plus de 200 num\u00e9ros ont \u00e9t\u00e9 publi\u00e9s, couvrant des registres aussi divers que le Blues, la Soul, le Rhythm &amp; blues, le Gospel, le Funk et le Zydeco. Bien que le titre du magazine puisse laisser \u00e0 penser que le contenu est principalement ax\u00e9 sur la Soul, l\u2019amateur de Blues y trouvera son bonheur. Disponible tous les trois mois, Soul Bag compte 3500 abonn\u00e9s et vend environ 11000 num\u00e9ros suppl\u00e9mentaires en kiosque. Le num\u00e9ro de juillet\/septembre 2011, par exemple, contenait des articles sur John Lee Hooker, Jr., Derek Trucks, le mythe de Robert Johnson, et 30 pages de chroniques CD, DVD, et livres. Bien que le magazine soit publi\u00e9 \u00e0 des milliers de kilom\u00e8tres du Delta et en fran\u00e7ais, Soul Bag, \u00e0 l\u2019instar d\u2019autres publications non anglophones, permet de prolonger l\u2019histoire du Blues et encourage les artistes modernes qui le font vivre.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/franceblues.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/flaguk.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-5254\" src=\"https:\/\/franceblues.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/flaguk.jpg\" alt=\"flaguk\" width=\"30\" height=\"20\" \/><\/a>Elvin Bishop says, \u00ab\u00a0Soul Bag is the best thing to happen to France since Django Reinhardt.\u00a0\u00bb Founded by Jacques P\u00e9rin in 1968, Soul Bag is the oldest blues magazine in France. Since its founding, over 200 issues have been published, covering mainly blues and also soul, rhythm &amp; blues, gospel, funk and zydeco. Though its title might give the impression the magazine&rsquo;s content is soul, it truly is a blues lover&rsquo;s find. Published every three months, Soul Bag reaches 3,500 subscribers by mail and another 11,000 through its newsstand sales. The July-September 2011 issue, for example, featured stories on John Lee Hooker, Jr., Derek Trucks, the myth of Robert Johnson, and 30 pages of CD, DVD, and book reviews. Even though it is published thousands of miles from the Delta and in a foreign language, Soul Bag, like so many foreign publications, keeps American blues history and its modern performers alive throughout France.<\/p>\n<h4>2014 &#8211; Gerard Herzhaft<\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/franceblues.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Gerard.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-5204\" src=\"https:\/\/franceblues.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Gerard.jpg\" alt=\"Gerard\" width=\"200\" height=\"220\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">L\u2019encyclop\u00e9die de G\u00e9rard Herzhaft consacr\u00e9e au Blues devrait avoir une place de choix sur les \u00e9tag\u00e8res de chaque amateur de Blues. Le livre a \u00e9t\u00e9 publi\u00e9 pour la premi\u00e8re fois en Europe en 1979, mais apr\u00e8s de nombreux voyages aux Etats-Unis, Herzhaft a sorti une version revue et corrig\u00e9e aux Etats-Unis aux Presses Universitaires de l\u2019Arkansas. Le livre liste, par ordre alphab\u00e9tique, les noms de tous les musiciens r\u00e9pertori\u00e9s. Il inclut \u00e9galement une discographie et termine par une vingtaine de pages qui retracent les origines des standards du Blues. Cette encyclop\u00e9die a aussi \u00e9t\u00e9 traduite en Allemand, en Tch\u00e8que et en Espagnol. Mais Herzhaft a \u00e9crit bien plus que cette encyclop\u00e9die. Il a sign\u00e9, depuis 1971, plus de 1000 articles sur l\u2019histoire du Blues et de la musique, et a \u00e9t\u00e9 publi\u00e9 dans tout ce qui compte comme magazine musical \u00e0 travers le monde. Il a \u00e9crit de nombreux articles sur la musique am\u00e9ricaine, mais \u00e9galement trois romans prenant pour d\u00e9cor le Blues (tous traduits en anglais). Il a en outre re\u00e7u de nombreux prix litt\u00e9raires en France. Son livre \u00ab Le Blues \u00bb a \u00e9t\u00e9 traduit en Portugais, en Roumain et en Turc, permettant ainsi de diffuser le Blues aupr\u00e8s de millions de nouveaux lecteurs et auditeurs. Enfin, Herzhaft a \u00e9t\u00e9 sollicit\u00e9 en tant que consultant, de 1980 \u00e0 1992, pour participer \u00e0 la cr\u00e9ation du \u00ab Center for Southern Studies \u00bb \u00e0 l\u2019Universit\u00e9 du Mississippi.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/franceblues.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/flaguk.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-5254\" src=\"https:\/\/franceblues.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/flaguk.jpg\" alt=\"flaguk\" width=\"30\" height=\"20\" \/><\/a>Gerard Herzhaft&rsquo;s Encyclopedia of the Blues should be an essential addition to every fan&rsquo;s bookshelf. It was first published in 1979 in Europe, but after many long trips to the United States, Herzhaft revised his book and released it in the U.S. through the University of Arkansas Press. The book includes alphabetical listing of performers, a discography, and 20 pages that trace the origins of blues standards. This encyclopedia has also been translated into German, Czech, and Spanish. But Herzhaft has written much more. He has penned over 1,000 articles since 1971 on blues history and music, published in nearly every blues and music publication here and abroad. He has written many essays on American music, as well as three blues-themed novels, all of which have been translated into English, and has won several literary awards in France. His Le Blues has been translated into Portuguese, Romanian, and Turkish, thus spreading the blues to millions of new readers and listeners. Finally, Herzhaft participated as a consultant from 1980 to 1992 in the creation of the Center for Southern Studies at the University of Mississippi.<\/p>\n<h4>2016 &#8211; Fred Delforge<\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/franceblues.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Fred2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-5203\" src=\"https:\/\/franceblues.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Fred2.jpg\" alt=\"Fred2\" width=\"200\" height=\"260\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bien qu\u2019il soit un photographe et un critique de renomm\u00e9e mondiale, Fred Delforge est plus connu en tant que cr\u00e9ateur du webzine Zicazic, cr\u00e9\u00e9 il y a 15 ans pour promouvoir tous les styles de Blues et ses d\u00e9riv\u00e9s aupr\u00e8s du public europ\u00e9en. Son site pr\u00e9sente chaque ann\u00e9e plus de 750 chroniques de Cds et 400 reports de concerts \u00e9crits par une \u00e9quipe de b\u00e9n\u00e9voles qui non seulement parcourt les festivals et participe \u00e0 l\u2019IBC (International Blues Challenge), aux Blues Music Awards et \u00e0 l\u2019European Blues Challenge mais qui rend compte \u00e9galement de fa\u00e7on r\u00e9guli\u00e8re d\u2019\u00e9v\u00e8nements ponctuels. De 1000 visiteurs par mois \u00e0 ses d\u00e9buts, le site est pass\u00e9 \u00e0 30000 quatre ans plus tard et a aujourd&rsquo;hui atteint 100000 visites par mois. Il y a sept ans, Fred Delforge a d\u00e9cid\u00e9 de constituer une nouvelle \u00e9quipe : aujourd\u2019hui, elle est compos\u00e9e de 15 photographes, auteurs et programmeurs web. Non seulement Fred Delforge contribue \u00e0 Zicazic en tant que photographe et journaliste, mais il est \u00e9galement membre du conseil d\u2019administration de l\u2019European Blues Union depuis 4 ans. En 2011, il a co-fond\u00e9 France Blues. Soutenu par l\u2019\u00e9quipe de Zicazic, il a d\u00e9velopp\u00e9 un site aussi efficace que possible. Apr\u00e8s une seule ann\u00e9e d\u2019existence, le site attirait plus de 20000 visiteurs par mois ; apr\u00e8s 4 ans, la barre des 65000 \u00e9tait d\u00e9pass\u00e9e.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/franceblues.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/flaguk.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-5254\" src=\"https:\/\/franceblues.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/flaguk.jpg\" alt=\"flaguk\" width=\"30\" height=\"20\" \/><\/a>Though he\u2019s a world-class photographer and writer, Fred Delforge is best known for developing his website, www.zicazic.com, 15 years ago as a portal to promote all forms of blues and other musical styles to his European audience. His site includes new reviews of more than 750 CDs and more than 400 live reports every year from volunteers around the world who attend festivals, the IBC, the BMAs, and the European Blues Challenge, and who report daily activity. From a modest 1,000 visitors a month when the site began, it grew to 30,000 four years later and then to 100,000 at its peak. Then seven years ago Delforge created a new team for ZicaZic, which now includes 15 photographers, writers, and web engineers. In addition to being a writer and photographer for his site, Delforge has been a member of the European Blues Union board of directors for four years. In 2011 Delforge and others co-founded France Blues, and with the ZicaZic team he tried to create a website as efficient as possible for this new association. After only one year, the site boasted more than 20,000 visitors a month; after four years, it reached 65,000 a month.<\/p>\n<h4>2016 &#8211; Cahors Blues Festival<\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/franceblues.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Robert.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-5206\" src=\"https:\/\/franceblues.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Robert.jpg\" alt=\"Robert\" width=\"200\" height=\"133\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Le Cahors Blues Festival, fond\u00e9 en 1982, est le plus ancien festival Blues en France. Son cr\u00e9ateur, G\u00e9rard Tertre, est d\u00e9c\u00e9d\u00e9 en 2002. Reconnu \u00e0 travers l\u2019Europe, ce festival qui a lieu en juillet attire plusieurs milliers de personnes chaque soir. Il permet \u00e0 de nombreux artistes encore inconnus de se produire lors d\u2019un challenge annuel, et il continue sans rel\u00e2che sa promotion du Delta Blues et du Blues sous toutes ses formes. En 2006, Robert Mauri\u00e8s est devenu pr\u00e9sident et il n\u2019a de cesse de perp\u00e9trer la vision originelle de G\u00e9rard Tertre. De nos jours, le festival attire plus de 20000 personnes chaque ann\u00e9e. L\u2019apr\u00e8s-midi, les caf\u00e9s et les terrasses de la ville proposent des concerts gratuits et Cahors prend alors des airs du Delta du Mississippi. Le soir, la grande sc\u00e8ne accueille les musiciens les plus talentueux du Delta et de Memphis. En 2014, Cahors s\u2019est vu d\u00e9cerner un \u00ab Mississippi Blues Trail marker \u00bb, le second en Europe. Johnny Winter a donn\u00e9 son dernier concert, en 2014, sur la sc\u00e8ne du Cahors Blues Festival, et l\u2019ann\u00e9e suivante, Robert Mauri\u00e8s a contribu\u00e9 \u00e0 renommer une rue de Cahors du nom de Johnny Winter. En f\u00e9vrier 2015, l\u2019European Blues Union a d\u00e9cern\u00e9 \u00e0 Robert Mauri\u00e8s le \u00ab Blues Behind the Scenes European Award \u00bb pour son travail en faveur du Cahors Blues Festival.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/franceblues.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/flaguk.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-5254\" src=\"https:\/\/franceblues.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/flaguk.jpg\" alt=\"flaguk\" width=\"30\" height=\"20\" \/><\/a>The Cahors Blues Festival, founded in 1982, is the oldest blues festival in France. Its founder was Gerard Tertre, who passed away in 2002. Known throughout Europe, this July festival has attracted several thousand people to each of its evening main-stage concerts. It has introduced to the public many little-known or unknown artists through its talent competition, and it continues to pursue its goal of promoting Delta blues and blues music in general. In 2006 Robert Mauries joined the festival as president and CEO and continued with Tertre\u2019s vision. Now more than 20,000 people attend the festival each year. Its dozen free afternoon concerts and those on the caf\u00e9 terraces give Cahors the look of a town in the Mississippi Delta. The main-stage concerts welcome the most talented Delta bluesmen and Memphis artists. In 2014 Cahors was granted a Mississippi Blues Trail marker, the second in Europe. Johnny Winter\u2019s last performance was on the Cahors Blues Stage in 2014, and the next year Mauries had a street in Cahors named in memory of Johnny Winter. In February 2015 the European Blues Union recognized Mauries for the Cahors Blues Festival with the Behind the Stage European Award.<\/p>\n<h4>2017 &#8211; Jacques Morgantini<\/h4>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/franceblues.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/kbajacques.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-5595\" src=\"https:\/\/franceblues.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/kbajacques.jpg\" alt=\"kbajacques\" width=\"200\" height=\"264\" \/><\/a>Difficile de r\u00e9sumer tous les faits d\u2019armes de Jacques Morgantini, 92 ans, en quelques lignes. Mais la premi\u00e8re chose qui frappe lorsque Jacques Morgantini parle d\u2019un certain Bill \u00e0 c\u00f4t\u00e9 duquel il s\u2019est assis en 1951, c\u2019est lorsqu\u2019on r\u00e9alise qu\u2019il \u00e9voque Big Bill Bronzy ! D\u00e8s la fin des ann\u00e9es 40, il fait d\u00e9couvrir le Blues en France et en Europe. En 1945, il cr\u00e9e le Hot Club de Pau gr\u00e2ce auquel il organise des concerts de Blues dans la r\u00e9gion. Dans les ann\u00e9es 70, il se rend aux Etats-Unis avec son \u00e9pouse, Marcelle, avec pour but de photographier, filmer et enregistrer les musiciens de Blues noirs de Chicago afin de partager ces documents avec le public europ\u00e9en. De la fin des ann\u00e9es 40 et jusqu\u2019aux ann\u00e9es 70, il a enregistr\u00e9 les plus grandes ic\u00f4nes Blues, de Big Bill Bronzy \u00e0 Sister Rosetta Thorpe en passant par T-Bone Walker, Magic Slim, Memphis Slim, Luther \u2019Snake\u2019 Johnson et bien d\u2019autres encore. Il a \u00e9t\u00e9 pr\u00e9sident du Hot Club de France pendant 22 ans et a \u00e9t\u00e9 \u00e0 l\u2019origine de la cr\u00e9ation de labels tels que MCM et Black&amp;Blue. Il a \u00e9galement organis\u00e9 les tourn\u00e9es europ\u00e9ennes du Chicago Blues Festival. Sa biographie, M\u00e9moire de Blues de Jacques Morgantini, se d\u00e9cline en deux DVD (pour un total de 4 heures) et comprend des enregistrements et des interviews d\u2019archives de 30 musiciens parmi lesquels John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Jimmy Rogers, Luther Allison, Koko Taylor, Homesick James, Jimmy Johnson \u2026 entre autres. Bien que la narration soit en fran\u00e7ais, les enregistrements captent l\u2019\u00e9nergie brute de musiciens dans la force de l\u2019\u00e2ge. En 2017, Jacques a \u00e9t\u00e9 Laur\u00e9at France Blues, une r\u00e9compense amplement m\u00e9rit\u00e9e pour celui qui continue \u00e0 partager sa science du Blues o\u00f9 qu\u2019il voyage.<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/franceblues.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/flaguk.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-5254\" src=\"https:\/\/franceblues.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/flaguk.jpg\" alt=\"flaguk\" width=\"30\" height=\"20\" \/><\/a>It\u2019s hard to summarize all that 92-year-old Jacques Morgantini has accomplished in this short biography. The first thing you understand when talking to Jacques Morgantini is that the \u201cBill\u201d he\u2019s talking about sitting with in 1951 is Big Bill Broonzy! He first introduced blues music to France and all of Europe in the late 1940s and 1950s. In 1945 he founded the Hot Club de Pau, through which he organized blues concerts throughout the region. In the \u201970s he came with his late wife, Marcelle, to the U.S. with a passion for photographing, filming, and recording black blues musicians in Chicago and delivering this content to Europeans. The recordings he produced in the late \u201940s and through the \u201950s, \u201960s, and \u201970s range from Big Bill and Sister Rosetta Tharpe to T-Bone Walker, Magic Slim, Memphis Slim, Luther \u201cSnake\u201d Johnson, and many other iconic blues masters. He chaired the Hot Club of France for 22 years and started influential record labels like MCM and Black&amp;Blue. He arranged the European tours for the Chicago Blues Festival. His biographical DVD, M\u00e9moire de Blues de Jacques Morgantini, is a four-hour, two-DVD set which features archival performances and interviews with 30 featured musicians like John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Jimmy Rogers, Luther Allison, Koko Taylor, Homesick James, Jimmy Johnson, Hubert Sumlin, and many others, Though the dialogue is in French, the performance segments showcase the raw energy of a band of blues musicians in the energetic prime of their lives. In 2017 Jacques was presented with the first French Blues Laureate Award, a fitting honor for a man who continues to share his blues knowledge wherever he travels.<\/p>\n<h4>2019 &#8211; Jean Guillermo<\/h4>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-6793\" src=\"https:\/\/franceblues.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/kba2019.jpg\" alt=\"kba2019\" width=\"200\" height=\"178\" \/>La passion de Jean Guillermo est de maintenir le blues en vie en France, et il a consacr\u00e9 des milliers d\u2019heures \u00e0 cet effort. Il est l&rsquo;un des six membres fondateurs de l&rsquo;European Blues Union dont il a \u00e9t\u00e9 membre du conseil d&rsquo;administration et vice-pr\u00e9sident. En 2011, il a particip\u00e9 \u00e0 la cr\u00e9ation de France Blues, dont il a \u00e9t\u00e9 vice-pr\u00e9sident et pr\u00e9sident. Il a consacr\u00e9 sa vie \u00e0 promouvoir le blues et ses musiciens partout en France, en Europe et dans le monde en facilitant les relations entre les promoteurs de festivals, les stations de radio et les DJ, les lieux et clubs, les magazines et la presse \u00e9crite, et les artistes eux-m\u00eames. Il a fond\u00e9 et g\u00e9r\u00e9, en tant que b\u00e9n\u00e9vole \u00e0 plein temps, un festival de blues multi-villes de 17 jours avec un m\u00e9lange de spectacles en soir\u00e9e donn\u00e9s par des musiciens de blues et d&rsquo;activit\u00e9s en journ\u00e9e dans le cadre de programmes \u00ab\u00a0Blues in the Schools\u00a0\u00bb. Il a popularis\u00e9 le blues \u00e0 tous les niveaux de l&rsquo;enseignement, des \u00e9coles primaires jusqu&rsquo;aux universit\u00e9s, en passant par les centres de soins pour personnes \u00e2g\u00e9es, les refuges pour sans-abri, les prisons et les h\u00f4pitaux. En 2018, l&rsquo;European Blues Union lui a d\u00e9cern\u00e9 un Blues Behind The Scenes Award.<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-5254\" src=\"https:\/\/franceblues.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/flaguk.jpg\" alt=\"flaguk\" width=\"30\" height=\"20\" \/>Jean Guillermo\u2019s passion is keeping the blues alive in France, and he has put thousands of hours into this endeavor. He is one of the six founding members of the European Blues Union and has served as both board member and vice president. In 2011 he helped found the French national blues society, France Blues, and has served as both vice president and president. He has spent his life dedicated to promoting blues music and blues musicians throughout France, Europe, and the world by facilitating relationships between festival promoters, radio stations and deejays, venues and clubs, magazines and print media, and the artists themselves. He founded and managed, as a full-time volunteer, a 17-day, multi-city blues festival with a mix of evening performances by blues musicians and daytime Blues in the Schools activities. He has brought blues music into all levels of education, from primary schools through universities, and to senior care centers, homeless shelters, jails and prisons, and hospitals. In 2018 he was honored by the European Blues Union with a Blues Behind the Scenes Award.<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<h4>2024 &#8211; Anne-Marie &amp; Jacques Garcia<\/h4>\n<div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-9656\" src=\"https:\/\/franceblues.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/kbajack-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"133\" \/>Originaire de France, Jacques Garcia est un passionn\u00e9 de blues depuis toujours, dont la rencontre avec Muddy Waters a d\u00e9clench\u00e9 une profonde passion pour le genre, passion qui perdure avec la m\u00eame intensit\u00e9 aujourd\u2019hui plus que jamais. \u00c0 partir du d\u00e9but des ann\u00e9es 1980, Garcia, aux c\u00f4t\u00e9s de son \u00e9pouse Anne-Marie, est devenu l\u2019une des forces motrices de nombreuses initiatives qui ont contribu\u00e9 \u00e0 favoriser une communaut\u00e9 de blues florissante en France. La cr\u00e9ation et la direction artistique du Salaise Blues Festival entre 1983 et 1991 constituent l\u2019une des contributions les plus marquantes de Jacques Garcia. De plus, il a cofond\u00e9 Rh\u00e9sus Blues Productions (1986-1989), qui organisait des tourn\u00e9es europ\u00e9ennes pour des musiciens de blues renomm\u00e9s tels que Otis Grand, Joe Louis Walker et R.L Burnside. En 2009, Jacques Garcia a fond\u00e9 la Black Jack Blues Association et, entre 2009 et 2011, il a cr\u00e9\u00e9 et g\u00e9r\u00e9 un club et un festival de blues \u00e0 Ampuis, en France, offrant une sc\u00e8ne aux musiciens locaux et internationaux. Le r\u00f4le de Jacques Garcia dans l\u2019organisation de la c\u00e9l\u00e9bration du 100e anniversaire de Robert Johnson \u00e0 Ste Colombe, en France, et sa cocr\u00e9ation d\u2019une conf\u00e9rence sur l\u2019histoire et la culture du blues en 2012 sont deux autres r\u00e9alisations notables. En 2017, Jacques Garcia et son \u00e9pouse Anne-Marie fondent La Maison du Blues, un club de blues \u00e0 Ch\u00e2tres-sur-Cher. L\u00e0, ils ont organis\u00e9 et pr\u00e9sent\u00e9 plus de 260 concerts mettant en vedette des musiciens de blues internationaux. La Maison du Blues en est venue \u00e0 englober la Blues Preservation Association et le Mus\u00e9e Europeen du Blues, dont l\u2019inauguration a \u00e9t\u00e9 marqu\u00e9e par un concert de Bobby Rush. En 2023, La Maison du Blues a collabor\u00e9 avec le Blues Hall of Fame Fran\u00e7ais pour agrandir le Mus\u00e9e Europ\u00e9en du Blues, en y ajoutant un centre de cin\u00e9ma documentaire ax\u00e9 sur le blues et les droits civiques. Actuellement, La Maison du Blues participe activement \u00e0 la cr\u00e9ation d\u2019un centre d\u2019\u00e9ducation musicale blues appel\u00e9 \u00ab Crossroads \u00bb, sur le mod\u00e8le du \u00ab Crossroads Arts and Cultural Center \u00bb de Clarksdale. La Maison du Blues de Jacques et Anne-Marie Garcia a incontestablement laiss\u00e9 une marque ind\u00e9l\u00e9bile sur la promotion et la pr\u00e9servation du genre en France et, pour ces raisons, est l\u2019un des r\u00e9cipiendaires les plus m\u00e9ritants des Keeping The Blues Alive Awards 2024 de la Blues Foundation.<\/p>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-9712\" src=\"https:\/\/franceblues.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/flaguk.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"30\" height=\"20\" \/>A native of France, Jacques Garcia is a lifelong blues enthusiast whose transformative encounter with Muddy Waters ignited a deep passion for the genre that continues to burn just as brightly today as it ever has. Beginning in the early 1980s, Garcia, alongside his wife Anne-Marie, became a driving force behind numerous endeavors that have helped foster a thriving blues community in France. The creation and artistic direction of the Salaise Blues Festival between 1983 and 1991 stands as one of Garcia&rsquo;s most notable contributions. Additionally, Garcia co-created Rh\u00e9sus Blues Productions (1986-1989), which organized European tours for renowned blues musicians such as Otis Grand, Joe Louis Walker, and R.L Burnside. In 2009, Garcia founded the Black Jack Blues Association, and between 2009 and 2011, he created and managed a blues club and festival in Ampuis, France that provided a stage for both local and international musicians. Garcia\u2019s role organizing the Robert Johnson 100th Anniversary Celebration in Ste Colombe, France, and his co-creation of a conference on blues history and culture in 2012 are two other notable achievements. In 2017, Garcia and his wife founded La Maison du Blues, a blues club and caf\u00e9 in Ch\u00e2tres-sur-Cher. There, they have curated and presented over 264 concerts featuring international blues musicians. La Maison du Blues subsequently came to encompass the Blues Preservation Association and the European Blues Museum, whose grand opening featured a performance from Bobby Rush. In 2023, La Maison du Blues collaborated with the France Blues Hall of Fame to expand the European Blues Museum, adding a documentary film center with a focus on blues and civil rights. Currently, La Maison du Blues is actively involved in creating a Blues music education center called \u00ab\u00a0Crossroads,\u00a0\u00bb modeled after Clarksdale\u2019s \u201cCrossroads Arts and Cultural Center.\u201d Garcia\u2019s La Maison du Blues has unquestionably left an indelible mark on the genre&rsquo;s promotion and preservation in France, and for these reasons, is a most deserving recipient of The Blues Foundation\u2019s 2024 KBA Award.<\/p>\n<h4>2026 &#8211; Cognac Blues Passions<\/h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-11115\" src=\"https:\/\/franceblues.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/kba26-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/franceblues.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/kba26-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/franceblues.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/kba26-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/franceblues.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/kba26.jpg 526w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/>Depuis sa cr\u00e9ation en 1994, le Festival Cognac Blues Passions s\u2019impose comme une force majeure de l\u2019excellence musicale, de la fiert\u00e9 culturelle et de la rencontre humaine authentique. Install\u00e9 au c\u0153ur de Cognac, ville riche de son patrimoine, de son esprit artistique et du breuvage mondialement c\u00e9l\u00e8bre qui porte son nom, le festival est devenu l\u2019un des rendez-vous les plus respect\u00e9s et les plus vibrants d\u2019Europe pour les musiques blues et roots. Depuis plus de trente ans, Cognac Blues Passions transforme la ville enti\u00e8re en une sc\u00e8ne vivante et palpitante. La musique s\u2019\u00e9l\u00e8ve des jardins publics verdoyants, r\u00e9sonne sous le ciel \u00e9toil\u00e9 du Th\u00e9\u00e2tre de la Nature, emplit les vo\u00fbtes de pierre du Ch\u00e2teau des Valois et se r\u00e9pand dans les rues, les places et les bars o\u00f9 habitants et voyageurs se retrouvent c\u00f4te \u00e0 c\u00f4te. Cognac devient alors un lieu o\u00f9 les histoires du blues ne sont pas seulement racont\u00e9es, mais v\u00e9cues. Les valeurs du festival reposent sur ce qu\u2019il y a de plus vrai et de profond\u00e9ment humain. Il c\u00e9l\u00e8bre l\u2019authenticit\u00e9, embrasse la diversit\u00e9 et s\u2019exprime avec g\u00e9n\u00e9rosit\u00e9. Il accueille des artistes venus des quatre coins du monde et des publics de toutes g\u00e9n\u00e9rations, cr\u00e9ant un espace o\u00f9 chacun est invit\u00e9 \u00e0 ressentir, \u00e9couter et partager. Avec plus de 1\u202f200 formations et pr\u00e8s de 5\u202f000 artistes mont\u00e9s sur sc\u00e8ne depuis la premi\u00e8re \u00e9dition, Cognac Blues Passions est devenu une v\u00e9ritable p\u00e8lerinage pour les amoureux du blues. Chaque ann\u00e9e, des dizaines de milliers de festivaliers reviennent pour vivre l\u2019\u00e9motion brute, la joie partag\u00e9e et la sinc\u00e9rit\u00e9 des r\u00e9cits qui d\u00e9finissent ce genre et entretiennent sa flamme ardente.<\/p>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-9712\" src=\"https:\/\/franceblues.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/flaguk.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"30\" height=\"20\" \/>Since its founding in 1994, the Cognac Blues Passions Festival has stood as a powerful force for musical excellence, cultural pride, and genuine human connection. Set in the heart of Cognac, a city known for its deep heritage, artistic spirit, and the world-famous drink that carries its name, the festival has grown into one of Europe\u2019s most respected and soul-stirring gatherings for blues and roots music. For more than thirty years, Cognac Blues Passions has turned the entire city into a living, breathing stage. Music rises from the lush public gardens, echoes under the open night sky at the Theatre de la Nature, fills the vaulted stone chambers of the Chateau des Valois, and spills into the streets, squares, and bars where locals and travelers mingle shoulder to shoulder. The city becomes a place where blues stories are not only told, but lived. The festival\u2019s values are rooted in something real and deeply human. It celebrates authenticity, embraces diversity, and leads with generosity. It welcomes artists from every corner of the globe and audiences from every generation, creating a space where all are invited to feel, to listen, and to connect. With more than twelve hundred formations and nearly five thousand artists having taken the stage since its first edition, Cognac Blues Passions has become a true pilgrimage for blues lovers. Tens of thousands return each year to experience the raw emotion, shared joy, and honest storytelling that define the genre and keep its fire burning bright.<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>2008 &#8211; Blues sur Seine Jean Guillermo est le cr\u00e9ateur d\u2019un festival unique qui se tient dans plusieurs villes de la r\u00e9gion de Mantes-la-Jolie o\u00f9 les artistes se produisent pendant 17 jours. Le festival propose 140 spectacles dans 80 lieux diff\u00e9rents et 22 villes ou villages de la banlieue ouest de Paris. Ce qui en [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-5196","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/franceblues.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5196","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/franceblues.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/franceblues.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/franceblues.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/franceblues.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5196"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/franceblues.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5196\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11131,"href":"https:\/\/franceblues.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5196\/revisions\/11131"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/franceblues.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5196"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}