Artist Category: Quebecois

Bon Débarras

Bon Débarras unites the worlds of music, dance and poetry through a collaboration between Montreal artists Dominic Desrochers, Jean-François Dumas and Véronique Plasse. Over the years, Bon Débarras moved boldly into an entirely original repertoire steeped in poetry and rhythmic sounds, with unambiguous Quebec flavors. On guitar, banjo, violin and harmonica, the group carries an identity, a style and an energy-filled zest for life quite unique and beautifully served by the versatility of the musicians as well as their daring jigging and vivid body percussion. Bon Débarras’ energy taps into the rhythms of today and ventures boldly on the multi-faceted road to tomorrow’s dreams, in an atmosphere that transcends boundaries and ages.

Dominic Desrochers
Dominic Desrochers’ passion for sound and movement comes all the way back from those family gatherings, where singers, dancers and accordionists helped create his artistic vision. Over time, Dominic added another passion to music and poetry: percussive dance. Multi-instrumentalist, choreographer and founding member of Zogma, an urban folk group, Dominic is always willing to share his knowledge through educational workshops and master classes. His talent has been widely recognized by various organisations and groups like le Cirque du Soleil, La Bottine Souriante, Loco Locass and Les 7 doigts de la main. His approach is to make percussive dance an extension of oneself. His motto: “Scratch the sky, the earth gives you an itch, then beat the earth and the sky warms you up… All you can beat, bon appétit! There is jig a plenty at the banquet of your two feet”.

Jean-François Dumas
Talk about a one-man band! Accomplished multi-instrumentalist, Jean-François Dumas grew up in a family of musicians and singers where his early musical talent bloomed among songs and melodies from times past. At the age of 17, driven by a thirst for freedom, his guitar slung over his shoulder, he chose travelling to learn his trade. His journeys took him through the United-States, Latin America and Europe. There he discovered other peoples’ folk traditions and colors, and nourished his boundless passion for musical interbreeding in which his own roots lie. Several participations to Noël dans le Parc (Christmas in the Park) as a performer and music director enabled him to stage shows convening artists of all cultures to help create ties between people and generations. Somehow, it’s there that the trio Bon Débarras was born. Equipped with a solid musical knowledge and background, Jean-François has performed with many spirited artists among which La Bottine Souriante, Cedric Watson, Juan Sebastian Larobina and Edgar Bori.

Véronique Plasse
Véronique Plasse, a trained actress and a musician, has joined the world of traditional music since a score of years, working at enhancing Québec cultural heritage. Her commitments and involvements are driven by goals which are at the heart of whatever she undertakes: creation, gathering, preservation and diffusion. Endowed with a very sensitive and positive energy, Véronique really enjoys bringing to the public her knowledge and a kind of cultural expertise she acquired through encounters and research. Spurred by her passion for Québec traditional music, this violinist and singer has been active on the international traditional folk scene for about 20 years. Recognized by her fellow trad musicians as a high-calibre performer, Véronique strongly believes that we must carry on the effort of creating moments and places where beauty, sharing and human interaction weave the threads of a sociocultural fabric we can all call our own. Véronique performs also in several other significant projects: Beaton-Plasse, Les Commandos Trad, Barbo and Hurlevent.

Josee Vachon

Born in Québec and raised in Maine, Josée Vachon shares her Franco-American upbringing through traditional and contemporary folksongs from Québec and Acadia and through her own compositions.

Though she often entertained at family gatherings, she began singing publicly with the support of the Franco-American Center at the University of Maine, where she discovered others who shared her rich heritage. After receiving her BA in Romance Languages in 1984, she continued to perform, quickly gaining recognition as a new Franco-American voice through early performances at state festivals in Maine and at schools and parish soirées.

In July 1993, she co-founded the folk group Chanterelle with award-winning fiddler Donna Hébert and singer/guitarist Liza Constable, often joined by bass and cajun accordion player Alan Bradbury. The group released the CDs French in America (1994) and Soirée Chez Nous (1996).

Ms Vachon has 12 solo recordings to her credit, and continues to perform and record the music that best represents her love of Franco-American culture.

Skye Consort & Emma Björling

Skye Consort & Emma Björling perform trans-Atlantic music from Scandinavia, Ireland and the British Isles, French-Canada, and tunes of their own devising. They find enchanting stories and melodies, then bring them into the 21st century with worldly chamber-folk settings.

Voices, fiddle, nyckelharpa, cello, bouzouki, banjo, and percussion riffing on whirling polskas, groovy reels, passionate love songs, breathtaking hymns, and original compositions.

Skye Consort and Emma met during a La Nef project in Montréal in October 2017. At the end of the project a HUGE storm in Iceland cancelled all of the flights from North America to Europe. Emma and the members of Skye consort spent the next several days listening to tunes, jamming, and joking about starting a band. By the time Emma went home, the BAND had actually been STARTED!

Emma Björling (lead voice, percussion & shruti box) is an award-winning Swedish singer, composer, and arranger, active in the renowned Scandinavian bands Kongero and Lyy. She has toured the world with numerous bands and stays busy on the European folk/trad scene. Emma is a board member of NASC (North Atlantic Song Community) and conducts workshops all over the world.

Seán Dagher (lead voice, Irish bouzouki & banjo) is an active performer, arranger, and composer of music from various folk and classical music traditions. He plays with The Swindlers, The Reese Witherspoons, and Gairloch, and is co-artistic director of La Nef. Seán is the curator of the Zone Musique Place d’Armes summer music series and has provided music for video games including the Assassin’s Creed series. You might have heard him singing on Black Flag and the others.

Amanda Keesmaat (cello & vocals) is a vibrant presence in the Montréal early music community. She has recorded and performed with many prominent singers, instrumental soloists, and renowned ensembles. She is the founder of Space Time Continuo and a regular collaborator with La Nef. She has toured extensively in North and South America and in Europe.

Alex Kehler (fiddle, nyckelharpa & vocals) is a member of Triton, La Nef, Soulwood, Kehler-Williams duo, and Les Siffleurs de nuits. Alex is one of the leading nyckelharpa players in Canada, is a much-coveted teacher at camps and courses, and is a ubiquitous presence playing for dances around Québec and New England.

Simon Alexandre (fiddle, nyckelharpa & vocals) is an accomplished chamber musician and orchestral violinist. He plays with the Ximenez String Quartet and is a member of the Orchestre Philharmonique du Québec. At age 17, he moved to Sweden to study nyckelharpa. He plays in the violin, nyckelharpa, and Hardanger fiddle in the folk duo La Traverse.

Genticorum

With multiple Canadian Folk Music Awards, as well as Juno and ADISQ nominations, GENTICORUM have earned a reputation as a leading voice in the evolution of Québécois traditional music.

For over twenty years, the trio has earned a place of privilege on world, traditional, folk and Celtic music stages. Known for their unbridled energy, their musicianship and their magnetic stage presence, the trio has won over audiences at such prestigious events as Celtic Connections in Scotland, the Tønder Folk Festival in Denmark, the National Folk Festival in Australia, the Independent Music Festival in Alexandria, Egypt, the Rain Forest Festival in Malaysia, as well as countless venues across North America.

Pascal Gemme (fiddle) and Yann Falquet (guitar), the group’s two founding members, are both recognized individually as major contributors to the trad music scene in Québec. Since 2015, they have been joined by accomplished multi-instrumentalist and composer Nicholas Williams (flute, accordion). Weaving intricate fiddle, flute and accordion lines, gorgeous vocal harmonies, subtle guitar textures and exhilarating foot percussion, the pleasure that these three musicians have creating and playing together is palpable, both in the studio and on the concert stage.