La Rioule was founded in 2017. It was created as part of the Grandes Médiévales d’Andilly, a must-see event for lovers of medieval festivals in Haute-Savoie (France). Initially composed of ten volunteers from the festival in various roles, the members of the group came together on the initiative of Yoann Pesenti, with the help and supervision of Claudia Humbert and Moon Beausoleil, then in charge of the artists and volunteers at the festival.

In its early years, the troupe was dedicated solely to this annual event, and the group’s repertoire remained simple, consisting of traditional pieces with Celtic and Central European roots.

In 2019, after three years spent developing the troupe’s universe, the first creations were proposed by Yoann, a professional composer.
To immortalise these first notes in their own image, the musicians of La Rioule recorded at home with rudimentary equipment: Autour de la Lanterne, an EP that brought together a selection of the original repertoire and the new compositions. These compositions became part of the group’s identity. Although not historical in form, they pay homage to the minstrels of old through their desire to tell a story, praise a character or satirise them in each song…

Inspired by the tracks on this album, gathering, travelling and diversity became major themes for the ‘riouleux’, and so the name of the group was extended to become La Rioule des Compagnons du Monde (The rioule of the companions of the world)