Musical cradle
Manitas de Plata (1921-2014). A prodigious gypsy guitarist whose legend was born in a caravan in Sète, without him would we have had the Gipsy Kings twenty years later? A child of the Ile Singulière, he launched the flamenco and gypsy guitar with his astonishing dexterity in the 1960s, thanks to the patronage of Jean Cocteau, who one day, in Arles, exclaimed upon hearing him: "He's worth more than I am." His mythical name was used to baptize the current conservatoire à rayonnement intercommunal.
Georges Brassens (1921-1981). "Georges Brassens was born here," reads a plaque on the wall of a house at number 20 on the street that now bears his name. Brassens, a famous singer-songwriter and free-thinker, grew up in Sète's Révolution district. His work is imbued with sketches of his hometown and its surroundings, where there is a museum dedicated to him, as well as a number of winks and events in his memory. He is now buried in the Le Py cemetery, facing the Thau lagoon.
Demi-Portion (1983). Rachid Daif, a French rapper born on the island of Thau, on the north side of Sète, is a standard-bearer of Sète culture. A lover of hip-hop, he began writing and rapping his lyrics at a very early age, never to stop. Between touring and recording his albums, he likes to return to his unique island to savor family moments and simple pleasures. He's collaborated with some of the biggest names in the genre, but keeps his feet firmly on the ground with his no-nonsense music. His Demi-festival attracts bigger and bigger crowds every year.
Men of the stage
Jean Vilar (1912-1921). Jean Vilar is a famous Sétois actor, theater and film actor, director, theater manager and author, who now rests in the marine cemetery facing the Grande Bleue. Creator of the Avignon Festival, he is one of the most important figures in 20th-century theater. Placing the audience at the heart of artistic creation, he is a benchmark for all those who wish to share art and culture with as many people as possible.
Gilbert Py (1933-2021). Gilbert Py is an atypical artist who, in the course of his eventful life, became an internationally renowned tenor. Born in Sète, he was the son of fairground artists, which led him to become a pianist, violinist, dancer, painter, stuntman and even a herdsman. He made his debut at the Paris Opera, notably with Maurice Béjart. He went on to play some of the greatest roles of his brilliant career.
The Shirt Shuffle
Every year, in the village of Poussan, the day of Shrove Tuesday becomes the unusual festival of the Branle de la chemise. Men and women come out in white nightgowns to dance at dusk to the sound of the oboe. They sing joyfully while strolling in a line through the streets of the old village. Quite a show!
