Blues stars and proletarians...

Blues Passions delights in stars like Sting as much as it does musicians to discover.

"Back to Bass." The title of Sting's show, Friday night at Cognac Blues Passions, sums it up well. Firmly anchored to his four-string guitar, the artist performed a tour of his repertoire, with the Police or solo, in a framework close to the originals, although the order is a bit disjointed. It's clean, effective, and the idol doesn't forget to raise a glass to the health of a fully-stocked open-air theatre to tie his work together. The star shared the bill with some charming assets: the sweet FM Laeti, the captivating Karen Lovely, and the explosive singer of The Excitements.

One of the festival's strengths is its ability to blend blues stars and blues proletarians. Laetitia Gouttebel, aka Tia, opened the day at the Jardin Public yesterday on the small "Show Case" stage with a new project combining blues, hurdy-gurdy, and African rhythms. Thanks to the Cognac Passions Prize, a boost for a French artist, Tia & The Patient Wolves will be propelled onto the Blues Paradise stage next year. Director Michel Rolland wanted to reward a woman who has managed to stick with it for the long haul. "She sacrificed everything for this; she's very open-minded. She fully deserves it," he said.

She says she's "super thrilled" about this recognition for an event she's frequented as a festival-goer and musician, both inside and outside the festival scene.

(c) Sud Ouest