Author Archives: eve poudrier

01/16/25

Suzie LeBlanc (1961–)

Introduction

Suzie LeBlanc is a soprano, a teacher, an actress, and a harpsichordist. She was born in Edmunston in 1961. She has an Acadian heritage (an ethnic group descended from the French who settled in North America) but grew up listening to and practicing classical music.

Early life and education

LeBlanc studied harpsichord, with singing as a second subject at CEGEP St-Laurent, Montreal. Later, she joined the women’s trio Musica Secreta on their tour of Western Canada. She moved to Europe to study voice a few years later and was eventually offered a singing part with The Consort Musicke. 

Career

LeBlanc specialized in baroque and classical repertoire. However, her career is also inextricably linked to her Acadian heritage. As a recording artist, she has contributed to numerous Acadian recordings. She has recorded many unpublished works, including Chants d’Acadie: Tout Passé, a collection of mainly Acadian songs. Her album La Mer Jolie, Chants d’Acadie celebrates the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the French settlers. 

As a performer, she has appeared in recitals with many leading early music ensembles and performers, performing pieces like L’Incoronazione di Poppea in L’Opera de Montreal and Grand Messe by Gilles Vigneault (a Quebec singer-songwriter) during Quebec City’s 400th anniversary year.

As a teacher, she has taught at the University of Montréal (2000-9), McGill University (2008-9), and the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal (2009). In 2005 she became the artistic director of Le Nouvel Opéra.

LeBlanc has been a great musician, she inherited her heritage and dedicated herself to Acadian music. 

 

Suggested Sources:

  • Ellis, Andrea , and Jennifer Gillis. “Suzie LeBlanc.” The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada. Article published March 10, 2013; Last Edited December 14, 2013.
01/16/25

La Bottine Souriante (1976–)

La Bottine souriante are a Québécois folk revival band, formed in 1976 by Yves Lambert and others in his home city of Joliette.[1] Since their founding during a peak period of Québec nationalism, they have become one of the most important disseminators of Québécois folk music, both within the province and internationally; many important Québécois folk musicians have at some time played with the group.[2]

Since their first album, Y’a ben du changement (1978), their music has been received with success: they recorded 14 studio albums with Lambert from 1976 to 2003, winning two Juno awards and eight Prix Félix during this time. La Bottine souriante continues to tour extensively around Europe and Canada,[3] and is especially popular in the USA.[1] They have also been politically active, and campaigned for “Yes” in the 1980 Québec referendum.

The personnel in the band have changed extensively since their founding; the current lineup consists of Eric Beaudry, David Boulanger, Robert Ellis, Jean Fréchette, Jean-François Gagnon-Branchaud, Mathieu Gagné, Jocelyn Lapointe, Olivier Salazar, Sandy Silva, Timi Turmel, and André Verreault, with Lambert having left in 2003. Founding members included Mario Forest, Lambert, André Marchand, Gilles Cantin, and Pierre Laporte, and many other musicians have been involved with the group both as core members and as guest artists. The instrumentation consists of common French-Canadian folk instruments (accordion, guitar, fiddle, harmonica, mandolin, jaw harp) as well as elements of Celtic and Irish music, brass instruments, and more recently jazz-inspired piano and bass.[4] The group has a long history with 16 studio albums and numerous guest appearances over their almost 50-year history. Some suggested listening has been included below.

Since much of their music is intended for dance, foot-tapping is featured prominently (e.g. the opening track Cette bouteille-là from Appellation d’origine contrôlée). This particular album also features percussive dancing by Sandy Silva as part of the music.[5] In this album, the title relates to an agricultural label (AOC) which designates local products produced in a particular region, perhaps to evoke an organic, agrarian aesthetic (though the instrumentals in this album contain a curious fusion of big band and funk not heard in their earlier output). The galloping rhythms are a commonality across much of their musical output across time, and can be also heard as early as in Y’a ben du changement. Alternation between songs and instrumental dance pieces also persists across albums, and many techniques (e.g. call and response) remain the same.

Suggested Sources:

  1. “La Bottine souriante.” The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada. Article published February 07, 2006; Last Edited December 15, 2013.
  2. Thérien, Robert. “La Bottine souriante.” The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada. Article published August 21, 2006; Last Edited December 16, 2013.
  3. Noakes, Taylor. “Yves Lambert.” The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada. Article published September 7, 2022; last edited September 7, 2022.
  4. Wikipedia Editors. “La Bottine souriante.” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Bottine_Souriante
  5. Romero, Angel. “Foot Tapping Good.” Review of Appellation d’origine contrôlée by La Bottine souriante (Borealis, 2011). World Music Central. https://worldmusiccentral.org/2012/01/13/foot-tapping-good/

Suggested Listening:

Related Links:

01/16/25

Beothuk

The Beothuk (a word meaning “the people” or “true people” in the Beothuk language) were an Indigenous people who inhabited what is now called Newfoundland. They were coastal people who mainly lived off fish, seals, and other sea mammals and birds. They traditionally lived in settlements along the southern and northeastern coasts of Newfoundland. Their language is part of the Algonquian language family, and a dictionary of Beothuk vocabulary was created in the 1800s.

The Beothuk were likely the first Indigenous peoples to be in contact with Europeans, possibly as early as when the Norse settled in the area between 800 and 1000 CE. 500 years later, new European settlers arrived from England and France, and the Beothuk were immediately wary of them. As more Europeans flocked to the coasts of Newfoundland and encroached on traditional territory., the Beothuk moved inland. Interestingly, the Beothuk never participated in the trade of goods with Europeans but did repurpose metal objects left behind by settlers into tools for hunting.

As permanent settlements along the coast were established by the English and French, the Beothuk were blocked from fishing in their traditional waters and forced to live off of insufficient land and waterways for their needs. The deterioration of their living situation, combined with the introduction of European diseases, particularly tuberculosis, resulted in a rapid decrease in population. Many history books claim that the Beothuk were wiped out, with Shawnadithit, who died in 1829, being recorded as the last surviving Beothuk. However, the Mi’kmaq, who traded with the Beothuk, have always asserted that some Beothuk fled and intermarried with other Indigenous nations on the mainland.

Very little is known about the Beothuk’s musical traditions, but there are written accounts that reference traditional singing and dancing. One interesting musical artifact is a wax cylinder recording from 1910 of a Beothuk song sung by Santu Toney, a woman who self-identified as Beothuk despite speaking Mi’kmaq and living in Massachusetts. Toney claimed she learned the song from her father before fleeing Newfoundland. While we can never be sure whether the music was traditional or influenced by European traditions, the recording provides our only acoustic glimpse into the musical traditions of the Beothuk people.

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01/16/25

Métis

Métis People and Their Identity

The Métis community is one of Canada’s three recognized Indigenous peoples (Canadian Geographic 2018). The earliest mixed Aboriginal-European people could be traced back to the first contact period. However, the emergence of the first community that is made up of distinctly Métis people is still being studied to this day. Scholars have argued that their ancestry is either traced back to Red River settlement or the fur trade in the Great Lakes in the late 18th century. In today’s definition, the Métis people include those of mixed ancestry from the 18th to early 19th centuries fur traders of European descent, primarily French settlers, and Indigenous women of Cree and other nations like Ojibwa and Saulteaux. Before the term “Métis” was used to refer to this mixed community in the early 19th century, they were referred to as “Saulteurs,” “bois brûlés,” or “chicots” (Gaudry 2023). The term “Métis” came from the French verb “métisser,” meaning to mix races. The language developed and spoken within the Métis community is called Michif, which combines verbs and phrases from Cree and French nouns. Today, Heritage Michif is considered an endangered language, as less than a few hundred people speak it, and those who can speak the language are mostly people in their 70s or older (Canadian Geographic 2018).

Resistance to the Canadian government

For a long time, the Métis people faced ongoing discrimination and especially land encroachments from the Canadian government. In 1869, the Canadian government acquired Rupert’s Land from the Hudson’s Bay Company, which the territory belonged to the descendants of original inhabitants including the Métis nation, and sold without consultation or consent from the Indigenous people. The event of sending surveyors onto André Nault’s (Métis leader, farmer and buffalo hunter) land further increased the tension between the Métis and the Canadian government, which ultimately led to the Red River uprising. The continuous disregard for Métis people’s land claims and marginalization angered the Red River Métis people, who eventually formed the National Committee of the Métis in October 1869, and later established their provisional government on December 8, 1869, with Louis Riel as the leader (Gaudry 2023). The Métis people, whether they participated in the 1885 North-West Resistance or not, would be socially, economically, and politically marginalized. As they lose their title to the land, they can’t pay taxes, which results in a cycle of poverty for generations to come (Canadian Geographic 2018).

Contribution to Francophone music

The Métis people also made significant contributions to Canada’s music, mostly in the form of dance and fiddle music. Traditional dances like the Red River Jig (1850s), the Rabbit Dance, and the Sash Dance are highly celebrated dances of their heritage, they are still being performed at powwows, functions, national competitions, and community gatherings (Gaudry 2023). As Europeans brought violins to Canada, the Métis people adopted the instrument and played their traditional tunes with it, these tunes are usually a mix of French-Canadian and Indigenous tunes. Many Métis fiddlers traveled across North America and participated in fiddle contests, as many Métis people held competitions to determine who was the best jiggers and fiddlers. Despite a lack of formal training, many Métis fiddlers could play at a virtuosic level and have developed excellent musicianship (Canadian Geographic 2018).

Suggested Sources:

01/16/25

Mi’kmaq

The Mi’kmaq (or Mi’kmaw, L’nu) are an Indigenous people with roots in the Atlantic provinces of Canada and parts of the northeastern United States that date back to around 10,000 years ago. Their traditional territory, Mi’gma’gi, spans Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and parts of Newfoundland, Quebec, and Maine, with a population of over 70,000 people identifying as Mi’kmaq in the 2021 Canadian census. Central to their culture are their strong ties to the natural world, their language (now recognized as Nova Scotia’s first language), and their vibrant artistic traditions, particularly music.

Mi’kmaq music has long been an integral part of cultural expression. Traditional songs and chants, often performed during ceremonies or powwows, convey deep emotion using syllabic sounds rather than structured lyrics. The term “welta’q”, meaning “it sounds good,” refers broadly to all pleasing sounds, including music, storytelling, and natural soundscapes. Many traditional songs are believed to have been inspired by animals, such as birds, whose calls serve as the basis for musical creativity.

A recent example of Mi’kmaq musical innovation is Emma Stevens’ 2019 viral cover of Blackbird by the Beatles, sung in the Mi’kmaq language. Her rendition brought global attention to endangered Indigenous languages and highlighted the power of music in preserving culture. Stevens’ performance, supported by her Cape Breton community, aligns with broader efforts to revitalize the Mi’kmaq language, which, despite challenges, has grown in use due to immersion programs and legislative support such as the 2022 Mi’kmaw Language Act.

The Mi’kmaq people’s resilience is also evident in their activism. From advocating for fishing and hunting rights under 18th-century Peace and Friendship Treaties to protests against environmental exploitation, they continue to assert their sovereignty and protect their lands. This cultural perseverance, mirrored in their music, exemplifies the deep connection between art, language, and identity in Mi’kmaq traditions.

Suggested Sources:

01/16/25

Acadian Music

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Suggested Sources:

  • Labelle, Ronald. “Acadian Music.” The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada. Article published March 03, 2014; Last Edited March 04, 2015.
01/15/25

Le fleuve (1973)

It passes like a dream Ça passe comme un rêve
 Between our gray banks Entre nos rives grises
It carries like a taste Ça charrie comme un goût
To go and look further D’aller chercher plus loin
It’s like a little of the open sea C’est comme un peu du large
Spread out in our streets Ecarté dans nos rues
Of the open sea that we call Du large qu’on appelle
And that we never take Et qu’on ne prend jamais
The river the river Le fleuve le fleuve
 

Sometimes when my heart

 Des fois quand j’ai le cœur
Is sickened by being in the city Ecœuré d’être en ville
I come to see him pass by Je viens le voir passer
With my feet glued to the ground Les pieds vissés à terre
But my eyes have flown Mais les yeux envolés
Towards the east, further than the island Vers l’est plus loin que l’île
Where the horizon tilts Où l’horizon bascule
And the banks are lost Et les rives se perdent
 

The river the river

 Le fleuve le fleuve
With the wind that it makes Avec le vent qu’il fait
Ruffling the smoke Décoiffant les fumées
I invent the storms J’invente les tempêtes
And the blows that I miss Et les coups qu’il me manque
As with the cargo ships Comme avec les cargos
Which are all foreign Qui sont tous étrangers
I remake boats Je refais des bateaux
Which would belong to us Qui nous appartiendraient
 

The river the river

 Le fleuve le fleuve
And it’s a little bit of me Et c’est un peu de moi
And it’s a lot of us Et c’est beaucoup de nous
That he takes with him Qu’il emporte avec lui
Towards tides elsewhere Vers des marées d’ailleurs
While the birds Tandis que les oiseaux
Linger on the quays S’attardent sur les quais
I come back another time Je rentre une autre fois
Without having really seen Sans l’avoir vraiment vu
The river the river Le fleuve le fleuve 

Author: Sylvain Lelièvre
Lyrics source: Musixmatch
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01/15/25

Si les bateaux (1963)

Si les bateaux que nous avons bâtis
If the ships that we builtPrennent la mer avant que je revienne
Take to the sea before I should returnCargue ta voile, aussi la mienne
Furl your sail, and mine tooFais comme si, fais comme si
Act as if, act as ifNous en étions toujours les capitaines
We were always its captainsNous en étions toujours les capitaines
We were always its captains

Profond comme au large de l'île
Deep as the waters off the coast of the islandDoux comme une aile d'istorlet
Soft as the wing of a tern
Loin comme l'Angleterre
As far as EnglandJe t'aimerai
I’ll love youJe t'aimerai
I’ll love you

Si les trésors dont nous avions la clef
If the treasures to which we hold the keyLe plan, la carte et la belle aventure
The chart, the map, and the great adventureN'étaient que rêve et qu'imposture
Were all but dreams and deceptionÉvoque-les, évoque-les
Recall them, recall themPar des drapeaux de plus dans les mâtures
Through flags added on the mastsPar des drapeaux de plus dans les mâtures
Through flags added on the masts

Profond comme au large de l'île
Deep as the waters off the coast of the islandDoux comme une aile d'istorlet
Soft as the wing of a tern
Loin comme l'Angleterre
As far as EnglandJe t'aimerai
I’ll love youJe t'aimerai
I’ll love you

Si je me fais facteur ou jardinier
If I become a postman or gardenerNe me viens plus parler de contrebande
Never speak to me again of smugglingMais si tu veux que je me pende
But, if you would like me to hang myselfAu grand hunier, au grand hunier
From the topsail, from the topsailRaconte-moi que tu as vu l'Irlande
Tell me that you’ve seen IrelandRaconte-moi que tu as vu l'Irlande
Tell me that you’ve seen Ireland

Profond comme au large de l'île
Deep as the waters off the coast of the islandDoux comme une aile d'istorlet
Soft as the wing of a tern
Loin comme l'Angleterre
As far as EnglandJe t'aimerai
I’ll love youJe t'aimerai
I’ll love you

Translated by: Jason, Isaac, and Simon

Interpretation based on translation:

An ode to the sea, to love, and to travel. Expresses love, nostalgia, and melancholic memories. Maybe the “ships” are metaphors for dreams and aspirations.

Author: Gilles Vigneault

Lyrics Source: Musxmatch

 

Suggested Sources:

Recording by Gilles Vigneault: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ti4JEaLX4WU