Description :
This episode of Orality and Humanity, broadcast by Radio Pais, is part of the European Tramontana Network (Réseau Tramontana) project, co-funded by the European Union. The programme promotes Europe’s oral heritage by exploring the experiences of artists and cultural practitioners whose work preserves languages, traditions, and shared values. In this edition, musician Alain Larivette reflects on the meaning of humanity, the importance of cultural diversity, and the inspiration he draws from the natural world.
Larivette describes humanity as something first revealed through childhood and parenthood. He observes that the love and care shown to a newborn are universal, whether among humans or animals, and that becoming a parent teaches humility, patience, and self-understanding. He also stresses the importance of exposing younger generations to different cultures, explaining that every society has its own customs, rituals, and ways of seeing the world. Rather than creating divisions, these differences enrich humanity and help people grow while remaining connected to their own roots.
The conversation concludes with Larivette’s reflections on artistic creation. Recalling a collaborative musical experience in the Basque Country, he explains how he learned to trust spontaneous expression and to sing freely from the heart. He rejects technical virtuosity as an end in itself, emphasising instead attentive listening—to people, animals, birds, whales, and the sounds of nature—as the true source of inspiration. For him, music emerges from careful observation of the living world, where every voice and every sound contributes to a shared human experience.