Category: Popular Music

Browsing: Popular Music

CD Review: Baratin d’marins (Socan, 2022)

By Justin Bernard on 31 March 2022 CD and Book Reviews, Folk

Baratin d’marins Seán Dagher, conductor, arranger; Pierre-Alexandre Saint-Yves, Alexander Kehler, Amanda Keesmaat, Kate Bevan-Baker, Éric Breton, Jean-François Daignault, Claire Gignac. Socan, 2022 For its new album, La Nef has put together a repertoire of folksongs dedicated to seafarers. When one considers the numerous ship-related metaphors designating its past projects, it should not be that surprising to see yet another one appear in this offering. The Baratin d’marins, roughly translated as “seaman’s twaddle,” comprises a selection of songs dealing with the hardships of seamen from the north of France and Quebec who are confronted by the harshness of the elements and…

Amanda Keesmaat, violoncelle; Pierre-Alexandre Saint-Yves, flûtes, chalumeaux, cornemuse, voix; Patrick Graham, percussions; Seán Dagher, direction musicale, cistre, voix; Alex Kehler, violon, nyckelharpa.

La Nef: Styles and fields come together

By Justin Bernard on 12 January 2022 Baroque and Early, Contemporary, Folk, Interviews, Multimedia, World Music

La Nef is continuing its 30th anniversary celebrations under the general and artistic leadership of Claire Gignac. Though La Nef will present many concerts featuring various musical styles this season, it is currently being noted for its disc production at the start of a new year. On February 5, a concert will take the form of an album presentation, featuring Long Way Home by Andrew Wells-Oberegger, composer and multi-instrumentalist. Six musicians will join him at Montreal’s Maison de la culture Ahuntsic in the Concerts au bout du monde series. On March 10, another production will be led by Artistic Codirector…

Photo: Michel Pineault

La Nef: 30th anniversary

By Justin Bernard on 2 November 2021 Baroque and Early, Folk, Interviews

No fewer than three events are on the horizon between now and February. The musicians of La Nef will first present a concert on Nov. 11, another on Dec. 14 and, finally, a new album, which is due early in the new year. This is how the 30th-anniversary celebrations of this cultural organization unfold. In an interview, La Nef artistic director and co-founder Sylvain Bergeron shared some of his most vivid memories of the adventure: “Our first trips took us to Spain in the days of Jeanne la Folle, to the Cathars of southern France and even to the Middle…

La Scena Special on Indigenous Arts Revisited

By La Scena Musicale Team on 30 September 2021 Canadian Music, Indigenous, Popular Music, Vocal

On Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (September 30, 2021), La Scena revisits our Special on Indigenous Arts from June 2018. Below are articles on Indigenous artists. Cover Story: Jeremy Dutcher: A Musical Mosaic Portraits of Visual Artists Nadia Myre, Rebecca Belmore and Sylvain Rivard Alanis Obomsawin: Our People Will Be Healed Manon Barbeau & the Wapikoni Mobile: Bringing Production to the People Montreal First Peoples Festival: Creating a new collective “us” Ondinnok: A theatre in search of healing Lara Kramer: Generational Questioning Émilie Monnet: Building Bridges Joséphine Bacon: A Linguistic Legacy Musique Nomade: The Wapikoni Mobile of…

Carnaval des couleurs – A Multicultural and Inclusive Celebration

By Pierre Perreault on 10 September 2021 Popular Music

The Carnaval des Couleurs de Montréal, a multicultural and LGBTQ arts festival, has taken place annually in October since 2018. It is a response by the BBCM Foundation to the wishes expressed by many communities to see the organization reach a wider public and contribute to the multicultural and multi-ethnic life of Montreal. Ainsi, en 2021, le Carnaval des Couleurs de la Fondation BBCM propose les 9 et 10 octobre un festival éclaté en diffusant des spectacles dans trois sites distincts du centre-ville : le Complexe Desjardins, la place Émilie-Gamelin et la rue Sainte-Catherine piétonnière dans le Village gai. On…

Catherine Major at the inauguration of the Maison de la culture Claude-Léveillé (2018)

Catherine Major: from chanson québécoise to opera arias

By Justin Bernard on 15 July 2021 Interviews, Opera, Popular Music, Quebec Music

Albertine, en cinq temps is getting a makeover. For the first time, this play by Michel Tremblay, premiered in 1984, will be adapted as an opera. A few arias have already been composed by singer-songwriter Catherine Major. These will be featured in a pair of concerts. For Nathalie Deschamps, the artistic director of Productions du 10 avril, the choice of Major was obvious. “Michel Tremblay’s words express the heart of who we are, in our Quebec roots,” Deschamps explains. “I wanted to find a woman who shares those roots, who composes music that can be hummed easily and that would…

CD Review: Carte mère by Catherine Major (Audiogram, 2020)

By Justin Bernard on 15 July 2021 CD and Book Reviews, Popular Music

Composer of Albertine en cinq temps – L’opéra, Catherine Major is first and foremost a singer and pianist in Quebec popular music. Her latest album, released at the start of the pandemic, is the fifth of her career, following Par-dessus bord (2004), Rose Sang (2008), Le Désert des solitudes (2011) and La Maison du monde (2015). As in her previous recordings, we find rich textures and an interest in orchestration, both of which add value to the songs. We also find very poetic lyrics, which the author co-wrote with Jeff Moran. And as one expects in poetry, the meaning of…

Montreal Jazz Fest and Francos scheduled for September

By Newswire on 21 April 2021 Arts Industry, Popular Music, Scena Jazz

COVID-19 restrictions permitting, the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal will take place from September 15 to 19. The 32nd edition of the Francos de Montréal will be held from September 9 to 12 at the Place des Festivals as is customary. The vast majority of concerts scheduled for this year have been postponed to next summer and ticket holders are advised to keep their tickets as they will be valid for the 2022 editions. For more information, visit www.francosmontreal.com and www.montrealjazzfest.com

OSM POP: three webcasts announced

By Newswire on 16 March 2021 Orchestral, Popular Music

Montreal, March 16,2021 –The Orchestre symphonique de Montréal is pleased to present three original events for spectators to revisit pop music hits in their orchestral versions. A myriad of Quebec artists take to the stage of the Maison symphonique once again for OSM POP: GREAT MOMENTS. Charismatic tenor and versatile artist Marc Hervieux will perform in MARC HERVIEUX’S CARTE BLANCHE, and at long last, get ready for LES COWBOYS FRINGANTS’ ROARING OSM RETURN! Simon Leclerc, creator of the featured symphonic arrangements, will conduct all three concerts.Three unique, sometimes surprising, but always exciting musical encounters! DATES OF NEW WEBCAST CONCERTS March 23 – OSM Pop: Great Moments…

Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Journeys to Mars Composers in Outer Space

By Justin Bernard on 10 March 2021 Movie soundtrack music, Orchestral, Popular Music, Scena Jazz

On Feb. 18, after a seven-month trek, Perseverance landed on Mars. Costing more than $2 billion, this is the fifth rover NASA has sent to the Red Planet. Of its predecessors, only Curiosity, launched in 2011, remains operational. As images poured in, the very first sound recordings were being transmitted to mission control. Perseverance captured its landing as well, thanks to a breathtaking high-definition video that gives an eyewitness account of its slow and cautious descent. Needless to say, astrophysicists were elated, and many others, science buffs and laymen alike. Long before Mars was the subject of media hype, it…