Category Archives: People

01/1/25

Gilles Vigneault (1928–)

Gilles Vigneault is a poet and chansonnier from Natashquan, in the Côte-Nord region of Québec. He is regarded as one of the most important chansonniers of the 20th century, and can be credited with preserving and disseminate Québécois language and culture for an international audience.

Vigneault was born in 1928 in Natashquan; his father was a fisherman, and his family was likely of Acadian descent (as with many Natashquan residents). He studied at classics-focused schools and read French literature in university in Québec City; during this time he worked as a librarian, archivist and publisher, and inspired by important French authors such as Paul Verlaine, Victor Hugo, and Pierre de Ronsard, he took up writing poetry; he began to circulate his work and write songs for other musicians in the 1950s. In the beginning of the 1960s, he began to perform at clubs in Québec City, and released his first album, Gilles Vigneault, in 1962. With his song Mon Pays from the soundtrack to La neige a fondu sur la Manicouagan (1964), his reputation began to spread in Québec, and also Europe and the rest of Canada. During the 1970s, and marked by his featuring at the Superfrancofête (on the Plains of Abraham), he was cemented as one of the Francophone world’s most well-known artists, and toured through much of Europe and Canada: Vigneault is credited as one of the major revitalisers and disseminators of Québécois music and culture throughout the world.

Vigneault has released a staggering 44 studio albums, plus additional documentaries, soundtracks, collections of poetry, singles, and collaborations. His music has also been widely recorded by other chansonniers. Much of his output centres around Québec and its unique culture and people; he has been a strong voice for Québec nationalism including during the referenda, has starkly defended the French language, and has subsequently endorsed the Parti Québécois. Two of his songs, “Mon pays” and “Gens du pays,” have been adopted as unofficial national anthems of Québec. Vigneault founded his own record label in the early 1970s, releasing over 20 recordings with Éditions du vent qui vire. 

Vigneault has received seven honourary Doctorate degrees, and has received a number of awards from the governments of Québec and France. There are a number of streets named after him in Québec, and even schools named in his honour in Québec, Montreal and Marseilles.

 

Further Reading:

Wikipedia (FR): https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilles_Vigneault

Official Biography: https://gillesvigneault.com/biographie/

Canadian Encyclopedia: https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/fr/article/vigneault-gilles

Discographie: https://disqu-o-quebec.com/Artistes/U-V/vigneault_gilles.html

 

Streaming: https://music.youtube.com/channel/UC07AAQqy1bL_dKrhuEI8ceg

Much of his music is not available on streaming platforms, but some has been uploaded to Youtube by third parties; e.g. his debut, eponymous album (which is actually really good): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGb0opOAMj8

 

Related Contents:

Si les bateaux (1963)

Mon pays (1965)

Les gens de mon pays (1965)

 

01/1/25

Édith Butler (1942–)

“Tall and regal, dressed all in white, Edith Butler sparkles on stage,” Le Droit (Ottawa, 12 April 1979). Hailed as the “mother of Acadian music,” Edith’s captivating presence allows her to share Acadian folksongs and culture with the world.

Born in the remote village of Paquetville, NB in 1942, singer-songwriter Edith Butler was raised by a family of musicians. She performed at cafés while studying at l’Université de Moncton where she earned a Bachelor of Arts. After a brief period of teaching school (1964-1966), Edith acquired a Master’s degree in ethnographic research at Laval University, QC. She remained active in the musical community during these years, including performances at festivals, on Halifax TV, in boîtes à chansons[1], and the leading role in the film Les Acadiens de la dispersion (National Film Board of Canada, 1964).

As Edith’s musical career developed, she began touring internationally. Edith started composing her own songs in the early 70s and collaborating with her agent Lise Aubut. These compositions reflect New Brunswick’s Acadian and Mi’kmaq culture and history. Edith and Lise established les Éditions de l’Arcadie and l’Acalf[2] in 1975. They also formed the record company SPPS[3] with Angèle Arsenault, and Jacqueline Lemay in 1974.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Edith continued to perform across Canada and Europe. She won the Prix international de la chanson (1981) and the Grand prix du disque de l’Académie Charles-Cros (1983) for her album De Paquetville à Paris. Edith won two Félix trophies and her albums … et le party continue! (1986) and Party pour danser (1987) were certified gold.

Edith’s effortless beauty and full-throated vocals combined with “rollicking footstomping” made her an ideal recipient for numerous awards: the Ordre du Mérite de la culture française (1971) and the Officer of the Order of Canada (1975) are two of many. She was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame for her song “Paquetville,” in 2007.

Although she is well-known for her colourful, infectious energy in Acadian folk song, Edith holds her audience through the most soft, sobering laments as well. A variety of instruments appear at her shows, including the banjo, dulcimer, guitar, harmonica, drum, and violin. Edith’s blend of traditional folk songs with new compositions preserves while expanding Acadian art. Despite the unjust deportation and hardships of the Acadians, they endured as America’s first francophone culture through a fierce oral tradition. Edith Butler is an undisputed pioneer and advocate of Acadian heritage.

[1] Intimate performance spaces for young musicians. Benoît L’Herbier, “Boîtes à chansons,” The Canadian Encyclopedia, February 7, 2006, https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/boites-a-chansons-emc (accessed January 20, 2025).

[2] Acronym for Aide à la création artistique et littéraire de la femme. Sarah Church et al. “Edith Butler,” The Canadian Encyclopedia, August 10, 2010, https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/edith-butler-emc (accessed January 20, 2025).

Suggested Sources:

Related Contents:

12/29/24

Rita Joe (1932–2007)

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Suggested Sources:

Film by Brain Guns, “Song of Eskasoni (28 min)” National Film Board website, https://www.nfb.ca/film/song_of_eskasoni/