After making his adieux to opera in 2010, José van Dam began venturing into other musical genres by revisiting the tangos of Carlos Gardel in the company of Jean-Louis Rassinfosse and Jean-Philippe Collard-Neven. Caminito, an album released by Cyprès, ravished fans keen to discover the famous bass-baritone in an unexpected repertoire, and also featured an unexpected collaboration with an already atypical duo: a jazz double bass-player and a polymorphic pianist. Sharing moments of music and friendship from one concert to the next, the trio acquired a unique sheen, born of spontaneity and complicity. A desire to prolong the adventure was only natural, though this time in a selection from a much broader repertoire: the French chanson. José van Dam began by exploring songs he has always known, putting lyrics above vocal effect, for in the simple melodies of the chanson, everything can often be said in just a few notes. From this unlimited repertoire, José chose texts that move him the most. Texts that talk of love. The love of the sublime Jacques Brel for the flatness of his homeland, love for a father, for a friend, for the bohemian Montmartre of one’s youth, for jazz, for partying... the trio leads us by the hand in search of the traces of separated lovers whose footprints on the sand are so quickly erased by the sea.

Haïg Sarikouyoumdjian, young master of the duduk oboe (so emblematic and evocative of the Armenian people), favors a personal approach both sober and moving, between improvisations and traditional repertoire –refined aesthetic also at play in his own musical instruments making. Haig Sarikouyoumdjian studied the duduk in Armenia with different teachers, and mastered duduk technique and its multiple nuances of timbre, along with all the subtleties of traditional repertoire (perfecting intonation, rhythmic ambiguities, ornamentation, modal development). At the same time, he has collaborated on different projects directed by Jordi Savall like ‘Istanbul’, Mare Nostrum, and others. His research on duduk timbre began to draw him more and more towards instrument making. He learned how to make his own reeds with Ashot Martirosyan, and studied wood turning and tuning in the Myerrecorders studio workshop with Ernst Meyer and his two sons (renowned Baroque recorder manufacturers).

Composed by Julien Joubert, the author of some sixty operas for children's choir, "Nous n'irons pas à l'Opéra" and "Aimez-vous Bach?" are playful initiations to this repertoire of classical music for young audiences. Performed here by La Maîtrise de Radio France conducted by Sofi Jeannin, with the participation of Justin Taylor, harpsichord, Hélène Collerette, violin super-soloist of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, five instrumentalists and two star producers of France Inter, one of Radio France's most popular public radio channels: Charline Vanhoenacker and Alex Vizorek (narrators).

Using simple means -yodeling, musical bow, mouth harp, gong, drum and voice- the Adadi of Atauro share their sorrows and joys, both intimately and collectively. The Atauro island has around 10,000 inhabitants, divided into three ethno-linguistic groups, of which only the Adadi (around 2,000 people) have preserved a varied musical practice, despite the fact that it (and their language) is in serious danger of extinction. The music gives rhythm to the walks to the fields, and enhances the harvest of palm wine morning and evening. It often brings tears to the eyes, but softens sadness and intensifies joy at celebrations that include all age groups and genders. Despite an abrupt interruption in transmission in 1974 by Christian missionaries, certain forbidden ritual songs are still remembered.

The nyckelharpa, a bowed instrument, with keys, sympathetic and drone strings, dating from the 14th century at least, in songs and instrumental pieces (scored also for violin, viola and quinton d'amore) -a rich, remarkable timbre still at the heart of Sweden's musical tradition. The nyckelharpa (which resembles a violin with a keyboard of wooden keys), once widespread throughout northern Europe, has seen it's range shrink as music has evolved, surviving only where it has been able to adapt. In Sweden, from the early 20th century onwards, traditional musicians, who until then had been confined to playing solo in a small area around their homes, began to meet up at folk events, spurred on by the Romantic wave sweeping across Europe. They were then confronted with other practices, other tonalities and other repertoires. Even today, the nyckelharpa is still incredibly adaptable. Different research undertaken by instrument-makers and musicians are enlarging it's sound range, and opening it up to classical or contemporary repertoire, to jazz and ancient music.