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Rioux, Christian. “Louise Forestier.” The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada. Article published August 20, 2007; Last Edited December 16, 2013. Accessed online, [date]. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/louise-forestier-emc
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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
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NOTE: “La chasse-galerie” refers to a Québec legend first written by Honoré Beaugrand (1892), a play by Victor-Lévy Beaulieu (2014), a film (2016), as well as the song by Claude Dubois. It also figures on “La Maudite” a beer produced by Unibroue (Chambly, Québec) and on a Canada Post stamp (1991).
French Lyrics:
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“La chasse-galerie” by Daniel Lavoie
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Official website: https://www.claudedubois.ca/biographie/
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“La chasse-gallerie (1978)”
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“La manic”
Suggested Sources:
Marthe Léger & Sarah Hanahem, “Pauline Julien : naissance de la ‘passionaria du Québec’,” Bibliothèque et Archives Nationales du Québec. Published online: 12 June 2024. Accessed online [date]: https://www.banq.qc.ca/explorer/articles/pauline-julien-naissance-de-la-pasionaria-du-quebec/
https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1126694/pauline-julien-quebec-politique-archives
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Paul Piché was born in 1953 in Montréal and grew up in Laval and La Minerve. Originally trained as an archeologist, he began singing and songwriting at university, performing in many boîtes à chansons in Québec. His first big breakthrough began when he opened for Beau Dommage (one of the most prominent rock groups in Québec) in the 1970s and was scouted by one of its members, Robert Léger.
Léger encouraged Piché to record his first album, helping him find a record company that would be interested. This was the Kébec-Disc label, which also recruited such talent as Diane Dufresne, Gilles Rivard and Marie Denise Pelletier. An amusing anecdote that Piché and Léger recounted in a 40-year retrospective of the recording of his first album was that Piché initially refused to record with an electric bass, thinking that the sound would overwhelm his voice and the other acoustic instruments.[1]
Piché’s first album, À qui appartient l’beau temps? (1977) had a measured success when it was initially released. Still, eventually, the song “Heureux d’un printemps” helped the album reach sales of between 100,000 and 200,000 copies in 1978, making it one of the most successful albums of Québécois music.
Along with his musical career, Piché is also devoted to political and environmental activism and was a prominent member of the Sovereigntist movement. In 2002, he travelled 550km by bike to deliver a letter to the premier of Québec, protesting the continued construction of hydroelectric dams on Québécois rivers.[2] He continues to be an active member of the artistic and political landscape of Québec and published his first book in 2007, which talks about some of the political events and trends he participated in.
[1] “Heureux d’un printemps, Paul Piché｜La Trame sonore du Québec,” posted December 3, 2024 by Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, Youtube, 6 min., 28 sec, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDhaYpZufp4.
[2] “Paul Piché.” Panthéon des auteurs et compositeurs canadiens, accessed March 16, 2025, https://www.cshf.ca/fr/songwriter/paul-piche/.
Suggested listening:
Piché, Paul. À qui appartient l’beau temps (Version Deluxe). Audriogram, 2012. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSoQQBWOvfk&list=PL9V-Gix3aQTlYmCaL0VooYwb9sLbdsvIy.
Piché, Paul. L’escalier. Audiogram, 1991. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBik9_JR6Wk&list=PL9V-Gix3aQTldbFms-xZexQCO5CO5npht.
Suggested sources:
“Heureux d’un printemps, Paul Piché｜La Trame sonore du Québec.” Posted December 3, 2024 by Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec. Youtube, 6 min., 28 sec. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDhaYpZufp4.
“Paul Piché.” Panthéon des auteurs et compositeurs canadiens. Accessed March 16, 2025. https://www.cshf.ca/fr/songwriter/paul-piche/.
Boisvert-Magnen, Olivier. “Anniversaires des Albums Marquants : Il y a 40 ans : Paul Piché- À qui appartient l’beau temps?.” Voir, March 9, 2017. Accessed March 16, 2025. https://voir.ca/musique/2017/03/09/paul-piche-il-y-a-40-ans-a-qui-appartient-lbeau-temps/.
Thérien, Robert. “Piché, Paul.” The Canadian Encyclopedia/L’Encyclopédie Canadienne, December 16, 2013. Accessed March 16, 2025. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/fr/article/piche-paul.
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Moi je viens de l'AbitibiMoi je viens de la Bittt à TibiMoi je viens d'un paysQui est un arbre fortMoi je viens d'un paysQui pousse dans le NordTam didelam tadlédidelidelam Dans ce pays qui était comme un oeufLe treize février mille neuf cent trente-neufJe suis né à Val d'Or en AbitibiDans ce pays qui est encore touttt neuf J'avions connu Harnest TurcotteQui vivait entre de beaux bois rondsQui parlait aux ârbres et aux taonsQui chaque matin chaussait ses bottesPour aller comme Ti-Jean HébertFendre la forêt avec ses nerfsQui n'avait pas de chain sawQui avait hache et boxaPis des bras durs comme la rochePis des cuisses comme des troncs d'arbrePis du front tout le tour de la têtePis qui n'était pas si bête En mille neuf cent dix en Abitibi dans mon paysColoniséTam didelam tadlédidelidelam Moi je viens de l'AbitibiMoi je viens de la Bitt à TibiMoi je viens d'un paysQui a un ventre en orMoi je viens d'un paysOù c'que le poisson mord Quand j'étions petitJ'allions jouer aux boisAvec les épinettes et les bouleauxJ'aimions gazouiller avec les oiseauxQuand j'étions petitJe suivions le ruisseauJe jouais de l'HarricanaSur la rivière HarmonicaJe regardions passer les gros charsSur ma petite cenne qui venait en orDans un banc de neige je creusais maisonEt dans la glace j'écrivais ton nom Et l'hiver à l'arénaOn patinait touttt en tasL'été près du lac BlouinOn faisions semblant de rienOn ramassait des bleuetsQu'on vendait pour presque rien En mille neuf cent quelquesEn Abitibi dans mon paysColoniséTam didelam tadlédidelidelam Moi je viens de l'AbitibiMoi je viens de la Bittt à TibiMoi je viens d'un pays qui a un ventre en orMoi je viens d'un pays où c'qui neige encore Dans mon pays qu'on dit hors de la carteMon oncle Edmond travaillait sous la terreMais il creusait dans l'or sa propre mortMon oncle Edmond nous a mis sur la carte Dans mon pays qui a grandiIl paraît qu'aux tous premiers tempsOn y gagnait beaucoup d'argentY a de l'or en barre qui dort icittY a même des poignées de porte en orEn cuivre en fer qui vont de l'autre bord J'aimions jouer dans la fanfarePour épater toutes les pétardsQuand j'allions au Château-InnBoire et rire avec mes piastresJe revenions comptant les astresAu petit matin près de la mine Tamdidelam tadlédidelidelamTam didlididelidelamEn mille neuf cent toutttEn Abitibi dans mon paysColonisé à libérerTamdidelam tadlédidelédelam
MORE:
Live performance, Parc Jarry, Montréal (Québec), 1978: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8p728qg96k
Anodajay et Raoûl Duguay, “Le Beat à Tibi,” Septentrion (2006): https://youtube.com/watch?v=k5KQEnSeSZc
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“La bitt à tibi,” Allô tôulmônde (1975)
