20 Frobies on stage!

Here is a great (but quite stupid) french TV video archive: 20 Frobies on stage!

On Dec. 6, 1987, as every Sundays, was broadcast the program Le Monde est à Vous ("The World is Yours"), presented by Jacques Martin, the same emcee that had already introduced Mr. Bourdin and is Narinophone/Ocariflute 5 years earlier, in 1982.

This time, Mr. Martin welcomed Les Petits Ecoliers Chantant de Bondy (The Little Singing Pupils of Bondy), a children chorale founded in 1945. Any of these 18 children had a Froby around the neck. With the nose flute of their leader "Moulinot" and the one offered to the presenter... that was a total of 20 Frobies!

No doubt on that, they were Frobies, and you can recognize them by the two long "wings" spread on each side of the nose.




Here is a transcription of what was said, because it gives some information:

— And now, an unusual show! A weird instrument, a new instrument is born, Sound the pipes, Let the trumpets play, and this instrument, as you gonna see, is played with the nose! Yes, it's one of the rare instruments, it's even the only one as far as I know, which is played with the nose. And to illustrate this instrument, the baptism of this instrument, we're going to listen to Moulinot and eighteen children of the Bondy's chorale, who will interpretate, obviously, Siffle-nez [Whistle-nose]. Please, children of Bondy, the stage is yours!

I won't transpose the whole song, but it's called Sifflenez, and was apparently especially written to launch Froby, which is also called Siffle-Nez in this show. All the lyrics deal about the different noses around the world, the magic whistle, the hapiness whistle, and exhort the people of the world to become "siffle-nez".

Sifflenez

Quelle que soit la couleur de votre nez, nez-skimo, nez-cossais,
Mon sifflet magique vous fera danser, siffler, siffler

Tous les nez du monde pourront se parler, nez-grillon, nez-palais,
Même les nouveaux nez sauront faire siffler leur p'tit bout d'nez
Du pôle Nord à l'Equateur
C'est le sifflet du bonheur

(...)

Et si tous les enfants du monde entier devenaient siffle-nez
Ça f'rait rigoler l'univers entier, quel pied de nez,
Du pôle Nord à l'Equateur
C'est le sifflet du bonheur

— Thank you. As a world premiere, the Children of Bondy just presented this weird instrument to you, which is called the ..
— The Siffle-Nez
— The Siffle-Nez! So, is it really possible to play it?
— It's a good question
— Give me a note... to check...

[The presenter plays the Froby]

— Done! Have fun with that, children, it won't hurt and it's less hazardous that smoking cigarettes! Let's applaud loudly the Children of Bondy, Thank you sir!

[Then, the presenter sends his froby to another guest, while saying "for your little daughter, not for the daddy"]


Here is the footage:



Apparently, a 45rpm was issued (with or without the Children chorale??).



Now, there are several interesting facts to point out here. First, all the Frobies are fluo green, and I suppose that if there had been different colors available, in such a motley group, they would have chosen to spread the whole range.

Then, this video is dating of Dec. 1987, and it seems to be the "official" launching of Froby (Mr. Martin speaks about "world premiere", "baptism", ...). This could be an help in chronology. Let's draw it in 2 points:

1987-12-06: Froby's launched on french TV
1988-03-07: the Papeleria Informal files its patent for... Flapi!

Was the Flapi born *after* the Froby, contrariwise to what I thought? Or is it just due to a long delay to "build" the patent (with lawyers, and so...). Whatever the answer is, it is now ascertained that both Flapi and Froby were launched in a very short lap of time. Flapi might have been a first version immediately followed by an "international" one, Froby.

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For sure, I have contacted the Les Petits Ecoliers Chantant de Bondy to ask them if they still had some Siffle-Nez in their drawers, or even if some ex-singing-children (they should 31-33 years old, now) had kept the Froby, would sell it... I got a gentle answer by the current curator, but for now, no other news.

I also think I have found again "Moulinot". After some meticulous researches, I believe he is the french comedian-musician-director Philippe Cotten, also called "Phillipe Cotten dit Moulinot". I'm currently trying to get in contact with him.

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As condescendant and over-playing he was, Jacques Martin has been (AFAIK) the only french TV presenter to introduce nose flutes on the screen. He did twice, in 1982 and here in 1987.
For this reason, I would like to propose him to the Nose Flute Hall of Fame, as simple member in the Promoters section. Please, give your opinion in the comments section.