Discovering the song
In the last century, the germ, the song appears more during musical performances, either in adaptation or in pure creation. Laëty, one of the pioneers of this art, makes a clear distinction between accessibility singing and adaptation, where the performers are on the edge of the stage to translate the words and “open” the concert to the deaf audience: “I am there. integrating into the group of musicians, both with the singer, in the set and in the lighting working together This is a collaboration between music and songwriter Creative song composed directly in sign language Add accessibility [pour les entendants] at each artist’s option. » Songs of adaptation and creation use the resources of the symbolism of sign language to enhance its expressiveness: « Iconicity is one of the fundamentals for poetry. When talking about Shansign, we really need to get out of translation. Interpreting is done in the office and on a daily basis, not on stage or in public places. »
Laëty thrives on contemporary music, rock and hip-hop, and French singing: “I love Piaf so much! It was through hip-hop that he met the deaf dancer Adamo Sayad almost twenty years ago: “We started talking, he was already creating songs, I was just starting to ‘adapt’. In November 2020, it was possible to create a team for the Hip-Hop Symphonique, it was natural to call it. Deaf dancer Adamo Sayad started singing as well as dancing in the 1990s: “With Laëty and his Sign&Mouv setup, we have a more professional goal. We provide training to improve French to sign language translation for good expression of speech, music and rhythm. Creativity in sign language is also research. The song can be rap, opera, all styles. What can be found with the sensitivity and expressiveness of each singer in his interpretation and poetry.
Also, in the opinion of the public, children, young people or adults: “I work on the body as a whole. I move up and down while the others keep their feet more on the ground. Eyes, vision allow us to understand the world, everything is visual and through vision. I love music with vibes; classical music and violins are less interesting because they generate fewer vibrations. Unlike drums, the body is a percussion instrument that has a good sense of rhythm. During his internship, Adamo Sayad became a singer and dancer, as evidenced by his online videos. She also works with children with autism, vision and upper body mobility with people with motor disabilities.
If the chansigne has been practiced in France for several decades, Laëty believes that it has not yet been recognized, almost underground : “Before 2000, when I went to watch Deaf football matches, the fans would sing for me! When the team we were cheering for won, we would move our hands to a certain rhythm, all together. This is where my inspiration comes from. In Nantes (Loire-Atlantique), then a cultural wilderness for the deaf, he got acquainted with French Sign Language, then went to meet those who wanted to create together, deaf and hearing. “Depending on the region, there are big differences in terms of political preferences. Having worked in Grand-Est, for example in Belfort, Eurockéennes, I know that there is an LSF translator for the whole department! Deaf people remain in social isolation, they participate in events given to them. Seeing the difference between the people from Toulouse and the people from Belfort and the topics I will discuss! They tell me to slow down my sign language in Besançon and Dijon too! »
Laeti hopes that chansigne will be recognized by the Ministry of Culture: “This profession has special needs. I guess at the very beginning of the song, the mic came in to sing later. We are there in songwriting, we still need to work on the technical aspects for better public acceptance and better work convenience; videotaping faces and projecting them on a large screen could allow deaf viewers to be anywhere in the room and receive the message without being ghettoized in front of them to see clearly. He also mentions the remarkable progress in lighting effects that songwriters can benefit from: “We need to be able to create labs with deaf artists to see how we can better cut through the songwriter’s body with light, send information about rhythm, style. music, instrument. ” Adamo Sayad recalls that he has been campaigning for full recognition of sign language for 25 years: “Things have been improving for several years. In 2024 we will have the Olympic Games, I hope that we will have the right to sing, to speak in sign language, to dance, so that the world will see that France has a certain value, a certain quality, in terms of sign language and representation. of deaf people. »
Laurent Lejard, January 2023.
