This introduction to France’s biggest bluegrass festival is a contribution from Swiss bluegrass writer and promoter Angelika Hernmarck. She will provide a daily report this week as the music rolls on.
I’m packing my bags and bubbling with anticipation – Bluegrass in La Roche festival is just around the corner! A quick stop at the store, and then we’re hitting the road for the 3.5-hour drive that will take us into the heart of the French Alps. Tonight, the music begins – right in the streets of the charming medieval town of La Roche-sur-Foron.
You’ll find all the key info about the festival online. According to the schedule, things kick off tonight from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. with music flowing from seven different cafés and bars, featuring six French bands and one very special guest from Argentina – Estación. And then the first US bands awaits us at 9:00 p.m. at Brasserie Mino, where we’ll get our first taste of American bluegrass with none other than Rapid Grass from Colorado!
Set in a storybook village nestled among the pre-Alps of Haute-Savoie, La Roche-sur-Foron offers a picture-perfect backdrop for what is arguably Europe’s finest celebration of bluegrass. And this year is extra special: it’s the festival’s 20th anniversary. To mark the occasion, the organizers have taken a different approach. Instead of focusing on bands who’ve never played here before, they’ve invited back some of the most beloved performers from past years from both sides of the Ocean – the “best of the best,” as they say.
A quick word about myself, so you know where I’m coming from: Based in Switzerland, I’ve been active in the European bluegrass scene since the 1990s – as a board member in various associations, as tour organizer, then also as a concert and festival promoter, and editor of bluegrass newsletters in Switzerland and Europe. Currently, I serve on the board of the European Bluegrass Music Association (EBMA) and co-chair the Swiss Bluegrass Music Association (SBMA). So yes – bluegrass runs deep for me, and La Roche is one of the annual highlights I truly look forward to.
So that’s the festival – and I’m Angelika. Over the next few days, I’ll be sharing daily updates from La Roche, offering glimpses into the music, the town, and the people I meet along the way. In just a few hours, I’ll be soaking in the first sweet sounds of this year’s bluegrass magic.
Come back here tomorrow for more stories and snapshots from the heart of it all. See you soon!
