BANDA SAGANA Fanfare Band from Montpellier

To mark the 65th anniversary of the German-French city partnership and the 40th anniversary of the Montpellier House, a fanfare band from Montpellier, accompanied by a stilt walker, will perform at the “à la française” food and culture market on Wilhelmsplatz.

With its rousing, Mediterranean music, the Banda Sagana troupe puts the world in a festive mood, bringing the living traditions of the Languedoc to Heidelberg. It was founded in 1992 during the festival in honor of Saint Blaise in the Cévennes, the patron saint of Carnival. Its name is derived from a witch from Montpellier named Sagana, who coined the Occitan expression “faire sagan”—meaning “to make noise”—as is customary on St. John’s Day, Martor (the Occitan Halloween), or even at Christmas. Drawing on a repertoire of ancient oral traditions (festive rituals, work in the fields, songs of longing and love, and the southern way of life), the group cultivates an energy that resonates with our times while reviving the “bygone era” of these melodies from days gone by. The musicians’ costumes reflect this traditional culture. Flutes and percussion accompany the songs in Occitan. Banda Sagana combines tradition with imagination!

With support from Occitania, the Heidelberg Initiative for Art, Culture, and Enjoyment, e.V., and the neighborhood association