French Foreign Legion Band

French Foreign Legion Band

Emile Lardeux, Chief Conductor.
Chief Adjutant Dantin, Assistant to Chief Conductor.
Chief Adjutant Dumont, Drum Major.

The history of the orchestra begins when Louis Philippe, the King of France, creates the Foreign Legion in 1831. At these times the number of musicians in a military orchestra was restricted and consisted of a chief conductor, assistant conductor and 27 musicians.

In 1918 the Golden Age of the Legion’s orchestra begins: symphonic and brass bands are very popular with the public, and the structure of the orchestra is amongst the most complete of those times with its percussions, flutes, trumpets and horns.

The band has undergone several reformations. In 1962 it was transferred from Algeria to Aubagne en Provence, headquarters of the French Foreign Legion.

Legionnaires-musicians along with their comrades fought in the Far East and Northern Africa. The band carefully preserves its traditions still using the Chinese pavilion and flutes, as well as the low set of drums that provides for the group’s famous slow marching step aka “crawl”.