World
Jérôme Désigaud, gourd luthier in Puycelsi, preserves a rare musical craft
In Puycelsi, southern France, Jérôme Désigaud cultivates, shapes, and transforms dried gourds—called cougourdes—into musical instruments. According to Le Temps, he is one of the last luthiers practicing this craft in the region. His expertise is rooted in the tradition of the Vespa de Nice, a historic carnival troupe from Nice that no longer exists. The distinctive sounds of this group continue to resonate through Désigaud's work.