At the Nice Jazz Fest, they "listen" to the music thanks to a vibrating vest, despite their deafness

Harnessed up, they're ready for the concert. Alex, Jérémy, and Marie-Céline have decided to treat themselves to a musical evening at the Nice Jazz Fest. But without this strange vest, which looks a bit like a life jacket, the ride would be less interesting.

These three are from Nice and suffer from deafness. But thanks to this device, they can "hear" the music in their bodies: a sensor is connected to the control panel and the sound is transformed into impulses.

The equipment sends vibrations to their backs, shoulders, and pelvises. "If you pay attention, you can feel the bass vibrations even without a vest. The principle is the same, but in an amplified version ," says Alex, who had already tried it. "You can really follow the rhythm."

Jérémy also knew and had already experienced "at the Clin d'Oeil festival in Reims, a sign language arts festival. I thought it would be nice to do it at the Nice Jazz Fest since I live here."

The rhythm but not the lyrics

Marie-Céline has worn a vibrating vest for the first time and is enjoying it. However, all three of them point out: "You have to be in front of the stage and watch the singer to understand what's going on."

"On the other hand, we only have the rhythm, no translation of the words like in sign singing ," Jeremy says. "And some styles are perhaps more pleasant to listen to than others when the melodies are less jerky than in certain styles" such as rap or R'n'B.

The latter confides that he came "to enjoy a good evening. We too can go to a concert to take our minds off things!"

This is the third year that the Nice Jazz Fest, which ends this Sunday evening, has offered this free service for the deaf and hard of hearing. Please note, however, that the equipment is not suitable for pregnant women or people with pacemakers.