Cyrille Laiguillon, Bayonne’s deputy mayor for sports, is wearing his boxing jersey to celebrate the sport he passionately practices in the “full-contact” style. This Sunday afternoon, the big sports and music festival welcomes young people and their families to the Palais des Sports in Lauga.
At the foot of the bleachers, in the center of the indoor arena, a boxing ring stands majestically, with blue and red ropes and white posts. The various participants in the event take turns stepping into the ring: representatives from the Aviron Bayonnais Disabled Sports Division, the Azkar Full Contact gym located at Cité Breuer, the Don Bosco Foundation’s Boxing Division, and Albert Camus and Marracq middle schools…
The reason everyone is here is that, leading up to this moment—since July—work has been ongoing with everyone who wanted to get involved, with young people as a priority. Dance and combat sports circled around each other, sniffed each other out, brushed against one another, and then came into contact until they became familiar with one another and came together to create something new. It started as a game, and now it’s becoming a performance.
Caïd Saïd, the champion grandpa with his gruff yet kind demeanor, shared his wise advice during the training sessions. Meanwhile, the middle school students wrote about their experiences in their own words. It turned into a little book. What a source of pride it was to see it passed from parent to parent when it was handed out during the event.
It's the big day: let the show begin!
The setup is crystal clear: on the floor of the hall, on either side of the ring, two drum sets are lined up. On one side, Nouhem Charliac is behind the drums; on the other, Stéphane Galland, the drummer from Aka Moon. In the ring, two opponents, each spurred on in their battle by the drumming of one of the two drummers. The battle becomes a dance. The toms and cymbals harmonize the blows.
Four mini exhibition matches are a highlight of this long-awaited event, which comes after months of preparation.
These video clips serve as a reminder of that.
Women's Boxing Match: Maeva Ibaremborde vs. Cassandra Fouvet
Video by Jérémy Casaux
Men's Boxing Match: Mickaël Fontelas vs. Joakym Ancelin, Title:
Video by Jérémy Casaux
Women's Handiboxe Match: Bintu Ibarboure vs. Audrey Dauriac
Video by Jérémy Casaux
Full-Contact Fight: Cyrille Laigillon vs. Guillaume Bernard
Video by Jérémy Casaux
Boxing Melody, a Haizebegi production
Melody Boxing is a musical and poetic performance. Structured in rounds, this production traces the life journey of Saïd Skouma. The former champion recites the poem of his life—inspired by his book—with vocal support from his friend Paul Minthe. This dramatic narrative is enriched by the inspired improvisations of saxophonist Fabrizio Cassol, bassist Michel Hatzigeorgiou, and drummer Stéphane Galland, who make up the trio Aka Moon. The first chapter of this tenth edition of the Haizebegi Festival concludes on a high note.
Melody Boxing – Casablanca
Video by Jérémy Casaux
Melody Boxing – Birth
Video by Jérémy Casaux
