Vilaine, a women’s vocal ensemble of 5 singers, was created in 2021 on the initiative of singer and choirmaster Mélanie Panaget.
Having long practiced world music, sung in many languages and discovered a wide variety of colors and universes, Mélanie Panaget is now refocusing on France and exploring the rich traditions of her country.
The name Vilaine refers to two elements:
The Vilaine is the name of the river in our region, which flows through a large part of the Gallo country. This name was given to it because of the yellow color it takes on when it floods, a color due to certain schists it flows through over 140 km. It symbolizes our birthplace, our roots in this land, since we all originate from the banks of the Vilaine, in Upper Brittany.
There’s also a legend: a young girl with beautiful hair but an unattractive face loved a handsome prince. Unable to share her love, the girl wept so much that her tears created the river, then called La Vilaine in her honor.
This legend invites us to reflect on self-acceptance and the freedom to be, as we perceive it today, in the 21st century.
Through this name, Vilaine highlights, defends and transmits the strength and beauty of women past and present, in their differences, their diversity, their contradictions and their struggles.
The project features a repertoire of original compositions and is part of a creative process that blends traditional elements: the regional languages of mainland France (Gallo, Breton, Basque, Catalan, Alsatian, Provençal, Languedoc, Corsican, Poitevin-Saintongeais, etc.) and the colors of world music.
Vilaine is at times raw, tribal, accompanied by percussion (Spanish pandeiro and pandereta, …), and at other times soft and bewitching, leaving the voices totally free and airy, carried by the magic of a cappella singing …
Since the start of Vilaine’s career, several collaborations have taken place or are underway with different artists and partners.
For work residencies, the group has been welcomed by the Au bout du plongeoir association (Thorigné-Fouillard), the Grange Théâtre (Thourie), Le Rotz (Val d’Anast), Espace Beausoleil (Pont-Péan) and the Coglais cultural center (Montours).
Vilaine called on several authors and contributors to work on the texts: singer Bèrtran Ôbrée for the composition and/or writing of pieces in Gallo; storyteller Yannick Jaulin for the text in Poitevin-Saintongeais; various authors/musicians/performers also agreed to help us with the pronunciation of their texts (Marthe Vassallo, Laurence Lavrand and Axel Landeau for Breton ; Itxaro Borda for Basque; Patrizia Gattaceca, Jean-Claude Acquaviva (A Filetta), Johan Bernardini for Corsican; Clément Chauvet (Du Bartas) for Provençal; the group Babüsk for Alsatian).
To complete the musical arrangements, Vilaine called on various artists: Manu Théron (Lo cor de la plana) for some vocal arrangements, Jean-Félix Hautbois for percussion, Emmanuel Pesnot for vocal work, Sylvain GirO (Le Chant de la griffe) for stage direction.
Artistic director: Mélanie Panaget
Stage director: Sylvain GirO
Vocal coach: Emmanuel Pesnot
Outside ear: Manu Théron
Percussion arrangements : Jean-Félix Hautbois
Texts in Gallo: Bèrtran Ôbrée
Texts in Poitevin-Saintongeais: Yannick Jaulin
Concerts
Spring // Eglise – La Ménitré (49)
in programming
May 29 // C.C. René d’Anjou (8.30 pm) – Baugé-en-Anjou (FR)
Feb 21 // Le goût des langues Festival – C.C. La Balise – St-Hilaire-de-Riez (FR)
March 15 // Polyphonic singing workshop – Granjagoul – Parcé (FR)
March 22 // Coglais Cultural Center – Portes du Coglais (FR)
April 25 // RAF Communauté (château) – Marcillé-Robert (FR)
April 26 // La Lune Rousse Festival – Questembert (FR)
April 27 // Church – Peillac (FR)
June 06 // Chapelle Méguillaume (7 pm) – Putanges-le-Lac (FR)
June 07 // L’Appel au Bois Normand (5.30 pm) – Loré (FR)
June 29 // Gallésie en fête (4.15 pm) – Monterfil (FR)
July 12 // FestiValais (6 pm) – St-Brieuc (FR)
July 16 // Mercredis du Lac de Trémelin (7 pm) – Iffendic (FR)
July 21 // Festival La Voix – Quintin (FR)
July 26 // Festival La Houle des Mots (9 pm) – St-Jacut-de-la-mer (FR)
Aug 08 // Festival du chant de marin (6.15 pm) – Paimpol (FR)
Aug 20 // Festival des Chapelles – Erdeven (FR)
Sept 21 // Church – Guégon (FR)
Oct 24 // Cultural season – Bain-de-Bretagne (FR)
in programming
May 18 // Church– Locronan (FR)
May 19 // Si la mer monte festival – Île-Tudy (FR)
May 25 // Aelwez Endansé festival – St-Dolay (FR)
Aug 16 // Les Vendredis du canal – Malestroit (FR)
Aug 20 // Chapelle du Moustoir – Arradon (FR)
Aug 31 // “Ô Ponio” festival – Pancé (FR)
Sept 07 // Les Jardins de Pougne – Pougne-Hérisson (FR)
Sept 08 // Les Rendez-vous du Prieuré – St-Rémy-La-Varenne (FR)
Sept 18 // Les Champs Libres – Rennes (FR)
Sept 25 – Oct 01 // Work residence with Sylvain GirO – Cultural center du Coglais – Les Portes du Coglais (FR)
Dec 07 // L’Eprouvette – co-stage Mze Shina – St-André-des-Eaux (FR)
April 28 // Private concert – St-Georges-Des-Sept-Voies (FR)
April 29 // Librairie l’Idiot – Chênehutte (FR)
May 27 // Festival ‘Care Mess #1 – Messac-Guipry (FR)
June 02 // Les Barbillons – Ferme France – Guignen (FR)
Oct 07 // Chubri – Parquet de bal – Rennes (FR)
Oct 13 // Annexe 23 – Moëlan-sur-Mer (FR)
Oct 14 // Loveshaks – Melgven (FR)
Oct 15 // Le Flux – Quimper (FR)
Oct 23-27 // Work residence – Espace Beausoleil – Pont-Péan (FR)
Oct 26 // Concert – Espace Beausoleil – Pont-Péan (FR)
2022
May 24-27 // Work residence – St-Senoux (FR)
June 13-16 // Work residence with Manu Théron – St-Senoux (FR)
Oct 17-21 // Work residence – Le Rotz – Maure-De-Bretagne (FR)
Oct 21 // Concert – Le Rotz – Maure-De-Bretagne (FR)
2021
May 17-20 // Work residence – Au bout du plongeoir – Thorigné-Fouillard (FR)
June 20 // Concert – Au Bout Du Plongeoir – Thorigné-Fouillard (FR)
Sept 26 // Concert – Au Bout Du Plongeoir – Thorigné-Fouillard (FR)
2020
Dec 01-03 // Work residence – Grange Théâtre – Thourie (FR)
Contact booking
Contact France
Martine Jouzel
06 62 80 02 50
Contact International
Mélanie Panaget
06 83 18 21 08