SZABADSÁG

[pronounce sa-bad-chag]

Traditional music hold the soul of the world. Colored by its History, marvelous or tragic, they preserve an heritage, ensure its transmission through times.

Szabadság gathers Ariane Cohen-Adad, violinist franco-sephardi and Jefferson Louvat, mandolinist belgo-hungarian. Together they cross their routes blending music from Eastern Europe, Klezmer-Balkans with those from Northern America, Bluegrass and Irish folk.

Ariane Cohen-Adad : violin, viola, 5-string fiddle, vocals
Jefferson Louvat : mandolin, mandola, mandocello

Jefferson Louvat : mandolin, mandola, mandocello

Jefferson started to play the mandolin at age 11. The crystal clear sound similar to a “star rain” took him instantly away to another world.
Mainly self-taught, his curiosity rapidly led him to discover fabulous musicians from the Bluegrass scene whom he drew an endless inspiration from for many years.
One of his most significant and early collaboration was with his brother Steve with whom he played since the very beginning (Louvat Bros-Award 2012 for the most innovative European Bluegrass band received at the European World Of Bluegrass in the Netherlands).
Two friends and legendary musicians, violinist Byron Berline and banjoist Bill Keith played a crucial role in his access to the US scene back in the 90’s.
From intimate concerts, through renowned festivals and mythic stages such as the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA), he performed across Northern America and Europe.
The virtuosity acquired with the Bluegrass school combined to his sensitivity inherited from his Hungarian roots helped him to develop a subtle, authentic and dynamic style of play.
Now, Jefferson plays in Szabadsag, a duet with french violinist Ariane Cohen-Adad, which combines Bluegrass and Klezmer/Yiddish music.
Together they have been playing extensively in Belgium and France as well as abroad including Bulgaria, Sweden, Hungary, America and Japan.
Their latest album « Ellis Island » has been nominated at the Octave de la Musique in the World Music category in 2021.
Jefferson is regularly solicited to take part to diverse projects, music camps, workshops and recording sessions.
He plays a custom mandolin built by Master luthier Oliver Apitius from Toronto, Canada and is an official endorser  http://www.apitiusmandolins.com/

Ariane Cohen-Adad : violin, viola, 5-string fiddle, vocals

In the heart of the musical expression, Ariane develops a sensitive violin style of play having no boundaries. At age seven, she begins her classical violin studies bringing her a first prize at the Lyon Academy of Music. At fifteen, her dad introduces her to Klezmer music through different projects including theatre, yiddish songs and tales. The band Dibouk, burnt with that flame, performed countless concerts, dancing parties, workshops based on oral transmission of the yiddish culture. With Quintet Bumbac, (www.quintetbumbac.com), string quintet playing music from the Balkans, Ariane travels all across France honoring string and bow intruments and their subtleries. (www.quintetbumbac.com)

With her rich and eclectic backgrounds, she has experienced other musical aesthetics (classical orchestra, chamber and modern music, European and American traditional music, improvisation sessions) as well as other art forms (danse, theatre). Ariane has also a degree in musicology (Sorbonne, Paris) and a double diploma for the teaching of the classical violin and traditional music (CEFEDEM, Lyon).