Bengal's Corner

Date: Aug 1st, 2nd, 3rd 2008
Local: The Androscoggin Bank Colisee
(No Activities at The Franco-American Heritage Center)

TICKETS: 207-783-2009

More tradition! More novelty! All of this and more is in store for the Festival FrancoFun 2008! Visit this site for more information as FrancoFun develops into another exciting year of celebration.

• New Tune - called "Raven's Wing," the tune is a slow air or waltz in 3/4 that fiddlers and dancers seem to enjoy. It's not difficult to play - the A part's in Em and it moves to E major in the B. Go ahead and learn it by ear. This is a new tune, written with Groovemama's Max Cohen in memory of my father and Julie Beaudoin, who both died in the early spring.

• Julie Beaudoin's spirit lives on in our work and her family's music. We are incredibly lucky to have a good film of her last concert with us on March 29 at the Blackstone River Theatre in RI. We are editing a DVD of the concert from the footage. For now, check out The Beaudoin Legacy on YouTube. The 8-minute finale starts with two songs, "Franque-Franque sur la riviere"
and "Ferme ta guelle," moving into "Dad's Reel" and ending with "La Bastringue," with Glenn Bombardier step-dancing.

• Groovemama says hello to old and new friends from our recent Southwest tour. Our new website is up with information about our Southwest, Florida and Eastern US tours in 2008-2009. Let us know if you're interested in hosting a workshop or house councert for one of our tours.

• Summer Fiddle Camps at Old Songs Community Center, Voorheesville NY - three weeks in July with Groovemama and cellist Renata Bratt, one for ages 6-18, one for adults, one for advanced players and teachers.

• Groovemama coaches the Great Groove Bands for ages 6-18 at Old Songs Festival (June 27-29) and Philly Folk Festival (Aug 15-17). Check out the festival dates and workshop times and the signup routine for this year.

• Chanterelle's new website - soon to move to www.joseevachon.com - Chanterelle and Beaudoin Legacy groups both performing at Franco Heritage Day, July 12, Vergennes Opera House, Vergennes VT.

* * *
Donna A. Hébert
Email: info@fiddlingdemystified.com
PO Box 2632, Amherst MA 01004
* * *

Websites:
www.dhebert.com - Donna, Chanterelle, Groovemama, Great Groove Band
www.beaudoinlegacy.com - Beaudoin Legacy
www.fiddlingdemystified.com - Fiddling Demystified for Strings

St. Albans Franco American Heritage festival will be held this June 20-21 in Downtown Taylor Park and at the Knights of Columbus Hall.

Musical award-winning performances in Taylor Park:
Michele Choiniere (I'm in love with her voice!)
Benoit Bourque (energetic dancer, talented artist from Quebec)
Don Roy (Maine fiddler)
Les Gens D'Plaisix
The Fiddleheads
M. Patrice

Quebecois Crafters, Geneology Exhibits, Food, among other events and activities.
Cultural Dinner/ Dance Celebration at the Knights of Columbus


For more information & Complete Schedule Contact:
Karen Bresnahan SAFF, 524-1500 or Ron Larose, Chamber 524-2444

Partnering Sponsors:
Vertmont Folklife, Handy Toyota, Franklin County Regional Chamber of Commerce, & St. Albans For the Future(SAFF)

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Location: Knights of Columbus
Time: beginning at 6 p.m.

Sponsored by Knights of Columbus
244 south Main Street
St. Albans VT 05478

Special guest speaker:
French Vocalist Patrice Beausejour

Buffet Menu:
Tourtiere / French Stuffing / Roast Turkey / Gravy / Mashed Potatoes / Vegetable / Salad / Dessert.
Catered by: Claire Menard

Cocktails & Hors D’oeuvres: 6 p.m.
Dinner: 7 p.m.

Dance: 8-11 p.m.

Reservations:
Call Maurice Bonnette – (Day): 524-3806 - (Night): 527-2469 or
The Franklin County Regional Chamber of Commerce: 524-2444.
Donation: $20.00 Per Person

Contact: Maurice Bonnette for more information.
Phone: 524-3806

Le 31ième Festival Acadien de Madawaska, Maine, la dernière semaine de juin, c'est à dire, les 26, 27, 28, 29 juin. Featuring a large Guerrette/Latulipe family reunion.

For more information and schedule: Click here.

Bonjour à tous les chanteurs et chanteuses,

Vous trouverez ci-dessus une invitation à vous inscrire à la première édition du *stage de chant* qui sera animé par Charles Quimbert et Robert Bouthillier dans le cadre de la prochaine édition de Chants de Vielles.

Considérant tout le chemin qu'aura à parcourir Charles Quimbert à partir de la Bretagne pour arriver à temps à Chants de Vielles (!!!!), il nous faut obtenir les confirmations d'inscription au plus tard le 15 juin. Le stage ne pourra se tenir si à cette date, nous avons au moins 15 et max 20 inscrits. Premiers arrivés, premiers servis!

Merci de manifester rapidement votre intérêt à participer à ce stage sur réponse de ce courriel à: info at chantsdevielles.com

Au plaisir!

Geneviève Nadeau
Chants de Vielles
Rencontre de chanteurs, musiciens, danseurs et curieux
5e édition
5-6-7 septembre 2008
Chants de Vielles
(NOUVEAU SITE EN LIGNE DÈS LE 15 juin 2008)
info at chantsdevielles.com


***************************

*STAGE DE CHANT : TECHNIQUE VOCALE ET CHANT TRADITIONNEL*

*
*Chants de Vielles se tiendra les 5-6-7 septembre 2008 sur le site de l'Exposition agricole de Calixa-Lavallée. Dans le cadre de sa programmation, l'organisation propose de tenir un premier *Stage de Chant*.

*À qui s'adresse le stage :* Aux chanteurs (débutants ou non)
*Au programme :* On y abordera, à partir du répertoire que les stagiaires pratiques, la voix comme un geste, on y (re)découvrira le timbre, la posture, la respiration.

*Objectif :* être le plus heureux possible lorsque l'on chante, supprimer toute gêne et efforts inutiles, conscientiser le corps comme instrument.

*PROGRAMMATION DU STAGE
**(sujette à des modifications)**
Vendredi 5 septembre
*13 H - 17H* Classe de maître Chant *(1/2)* *avec Charles Quimbert**
*20 H La Nuit du Chant **

*SAMEDI 6 septembre
*9 H - 12 H* Classe de maître Chant *(2/2)* *avec Charles Quimbert**
14 H* * *Atelier de chant à la marche* avec Robert Bouthillier *
17 H-18 H *Apéro chanté* *

*DIMANCHE 15 septembre*

10 H* Chanter dans le champs* ! * *Randonnée chantée avec Robert Bouthillier *
16 H *En avant toute* : Défilé des chanteurs et musiciens *dirigé par les chanteurs du stage* *

*Animateurs du stage :*
*Charles QUIMBERT** ( BRETAGNE).* Connu comme collecteur, chanteur et pédagogue dans le domaine de chanson traditionnelle. Il chante actuellement avec le trio Brou, Hamon, Quimbert, en duo avec une violoncelliste, Gaelle Branthomme ainsi qu'avec le groupe les « Six Troncs ». Il a participé à de nombreuses animations, festou-noz ou concerts, aussi bien en Bretagne que dans de nombreux pays étrangers dont au Québec où il est venu à plusieurs reprises. Parallèlement il passe son diplôme « DE » en musique traditionnelle et a à cœur, depuis plus de dix ans, de transmettre son répertoire et son amour du Chant. Il est l'un des premiers à se pencher sur la spécificité des techniques vocales employées dans le chant traditionnel.*
*

*Robert Bouthillier** (QUÉBEC)* : En voilà un qui connaît bien Chants de Vielles! Reconnu tant au Québec que dans les vieux pays de Bretagne pour ses collectes québécoises et acadiennes. Grand spécialiste de nos traditions chantées, il a fait le saut « sur scène » il y a une dizaine d'année au sein du groupe *Serre l'écoute. *Sa voix grave, raffinée et puissante entonne les
chansons d'ici, d'Acadie et de Bretagne où il a vécu 18 ans. Des complaintes dramatiques aux chansons à boire, Robert nous plonge dans son monde. La tradition orale dans tous ses états.

*COÛTS :*
* *

*60$* (uniquement les deux périodes de stage avec Charles Quimbert)
*75 $* (*incl. passeport Fin de semaine et donc les activités identifiées d'un astérisque ci-haut)


*DATE LIMITE D'INSCRIPTION : 15 juin 2008*

24 mai : Pierre Chartrand, un des membres fondateurs du nouvel organisme Danse traditionnelle Québec, vous invite à l'Assemblée générale de fondation de l'organisme qui se tiendra le 24 mai prochain, à Sainte-Marie-de-Beauce. Tous les détails ici.

22 juin et 23 juin : Festival Montréal Baroque. Le 22 juin, Anne-Marie Gardette et Pierre Chartrand animeront un atelier-démonstration en danse ancienne et traditionnelle dans le cadre de la Foire baroque . Le 23 juin, Anne-Marie Gardette dansera dans GRANDE SOIRÉE DES CARAÏBES: Versailles Vaudou! L’histoire fascinante d’Haïti, pays où la France et l’Afrique se croisent... en musique et en danse. Oeuvres du Chevalier de St-George, Rousseau, Rameau, Grétry; danses et musiques vaudous. Hangar 16, Quais du Vieux-Port, à 20h.

23 juin : Veillée de danse de la Saint-Jean-Bapstiste, avec Pierre Chartrand au call, Richard Forest au violon, Sabin Jacques à l'accordéon, et Peter Grimard-Senn à la guitare. À Montréal, au Parc Lafontaine (au chalet), à 20h. Un événement de la SPDTQ.

24 juin : Rapetipetam sera de la partie pour la Parade de la Saint-Jean-Baptiste, à Montréal, départ de la parade à 13h. Trajet : départ rues Fullum et Sherbrooke et fin au Parc Maisonneuve.

24 juin (encore) : Pierre Chartrand callera la veillée de danse organisée par la SPDTQ pour la Saint-Jean-Baptiste au Parc Athéna (coin Jean-Talon et Bloomfield, dans le quartier Parc-Extension, à Montréal), de 19h30 à 23h, avec Jean-Pierre Joyal (violon), Luc Lavallée (piano), et Carmen Guérard (accordéon). C'est gratuit! Venez fêter la Saint-Jean avec nous! (photo ci-contre : Athéna elle-même qui vous attend dans son parc...).

29 juin : Rapetipetam sera en petite formation au Théâtre Champêtre du Moulin Fleming : 9675, boulevard LaSalle, à LaSalle, H8R 2W8. Téléphone : 514 367-6387, à 14h. Spectacle et animation, avec Pierre Chartrand (gigue, percussions), Nancy Gloutnez (gigue), Marie-Soleil Pilette (gigue), Richard Forest (violon), Peter Grimard-Senn (guitare).
(photo ci-dessous : Rapetipetam avec, de gauche à droite, Nancy Gloutnez, Pierre Chartrand, Marie-Soleil Pilette, Dominic Desrochers, Richard Forest, Sabin Jacques et Peter Grimard-Senn).

1er juillet : Le Journey of the Canadian Fiddle, avec Pierre Chartrand et Richard Forest (16:30 - 17:30 ) au Toronto Star Stage. On y présentera différents duos (violon-gigue) des traditions suivantes : Cape Breton, Vallée de l'Outaouais, Métis, et Québec. Suivra un spectacle de Rapetipetam (17:30-18:00) sur la même scène.

6 juillet : Rapetipetam sera au Festival des Grandes veillées de LaBaie (Chicoutimi - Ville de Saguenay).

Friday May 9th 8:00pm: Andrea Beaton and Kimberley Fraser - Cape Breton Celtic Fiddler
$12 advance
$16 day of show

One of Cape Breton's most promising young fiddlers, Andrea comes by her music honestly. Listen to the power of her bow, the drive and swing of her timing, the crispness of her attack. She's making a name for herself in dance halls, concerts, ceilidhs, and festivals. Like the compelling tradition she represents, her reputation is spreading beyond the island.

The youngest of generations of Beaton musicians, she seems destined for great things. Her father, Kinnon, is one of today's most influential Cape Breton fiddlers and her mother, Betty Beaton, is one of the great piano accompanists of her generation. Both of her paternal grandparents were accomplished and popular pianists of their day. Her uncle, Buddy MacMaster, is also one of the most revered fiddlers on Cape Breton. And so it goes, back across the generations.

Cape Breton is an extraordinarily musical place and Andrea is taking her place with music that is at once her own and deeply rooted in the tradition of the Mabou Coal Mines. Her first CD, "License to Drive 'Er," led to a nomination as Roots Traditional Solo Artist of the Year at the East Coast Music Awards. Her spring 2004 release, "Cuts," features many of the island's finest musicians on its 14 tracks. Her latest release, "The Tap Session," was recorded live at a pub during a tour of Scotland wiith Troy MacGillivray on piano, and a track featuring Fin Moore on smallpipes. There's something indefinable about music's power to make people move. It's nearly impossible to talk about it. But you know it when you hear it. And Andrea Beaton has it.

Opener: Michael O'Leary - Michael is a traditional singer of Irish, Scottish and English songs and ballads; a native Midwesterner who has soaked up the sea air of Cape Ann for the past 18 years. He has performed on many festival stages, radio programs and has sung with the groups The Beggar Boys, Corner House and Urban Myth. He is also a chanty singer on the Gloucester based schooner the Thomas E. Lannon.

Concerts at the Bull Run Concert Series start at 8pm unless otherwise noted.
Dinner available from 6pm.
(978) 425-4311 for reservations and general info.
Tickets available by phone or at all Strawberries locations.

For media, photos and bios can be supplied upon request.
See our complete schedule online.

Get ready to embark on an unforgettable journey as Vermont celebrates Champlain in 2009.
2009 will mark the 400th anniversary of when French explorer Samuel de Champlain traveled by canoe up the Richelieu River and came upon a lake spanning 120 miles in length and 12 miles in width. The lake, called “Bitawbagok” by its early Abenaki inhabitants, was renamed by Samuel de Champlain when he visited the region in July 1609. Vermont will commemorate this historic event in 2009 with festivals, pageants, exhibits, performances and much more.

Bonjour à tous,

Ça semble tranquille à la SPDTQ ces jours-ci? C'est pour mieux vous préparer
les surprises et festival de l'été! Vous pouvez dès maintenant avoir un
apperçu du festival la Grande Rencontre au parc Lafontaine en visitant le
site internet: granderencontre. com.

*Fête Nationale*: cette année, nous serons à 3 endroits pour fêter la fête
des québécois! Le 23 juin, ça se passe au parc Lafontaine, à partir de
16h00; le 24 juin au parc Athéna à partir de 16h00 *et* en après-midi du 24
juin avec une participation de la SPDTQ dans la *parade officielle de la
fête Nationale*. Pour cette occasion, nous voulons monter un groupe d'au
moins 20 musiciens et musiciennes qui suivra le char de la SPDTQ en musique!
Nous prévoyons organiser des pratiques de musique les vendredi soir dans
notre local "par la porte d'en arrière". Un répertoire de quelques pièces
assez standart sera proposé bientôt. Préparez vos violons, accordéons,
percussions et flûte...la fanfare Trad s'en vient! Vous pouvez dès
maintenant me contacter pour en faire partie (Carmen).

Ce *vendredi trad* sera en musique et en gigue: atelier de musique de 19h00
à 20h30 et pratique de gigue ensuite. Eh! *les gigueurs et gigueuses* soyez
présents!

Atelier de violon avec *Lisa Ornstein*, le 21 juin, deux niveaux:
intermédiaire et avancé, répertoire de Louis Boudreault, la famille Verret
et la famille Corrigan, organisé par la SPDTQ, au 911 Jean-Talon Est. Info
et inscription auprès de Carmen ou Louise. Coût à venir selon le nombre
d'inscription.

Aussi, en juin, il y aura l'*assemblée générale des membres* de la SPDTQ et
une première rencontre des *bénévoles* de la Grande Rencontre *et* les 27,
28 et 29 juin: *Festival* *commémoratif* *hommage au patenteux Sinaï Boulay
et au violoneux William Tremblay* à Grosse-Roche en Gaspésie avec des
artistes issus de la Gaspésie: Sabin Jacques, Rachel Aucoin, André Bouchard,
Kattialine Painchaud, Jocelyn Bérubé, Yvon Mimeault, Genticorum et Gilles
Pitre au call, *organisé par la SPDTQ*! ouf! Il est possible de s'inscrire
comme bénévole pour cette activité aussi.

Bon printemps,

L'équipe de la SPDTQ
SPDTQ 911, rue Jean-Talon Est local 010 Montréal QC H2R 1V5 (514)273-0880

Hello, everyone!

Genticorum just launched their new album, La Bibournoise, and they will be performing the new tunes this May 14th, at the Lion D'Or. Don't miss it - it will be a nice evening with great music! Believe me... this is one of my favorite bands... ;)

Bengal.

Bonjour!

Québécois traditional fiddler, Claude Méthé, will tour New England:

5/17 Waterfront Park, Burlington, VT
7/19-26 Pinewoods Music Camp, Plymouth, MA
8/31 New World Festival, Randolph, VT

Benoit Pelletier Shoja

Chers Amis,

Please find below a list of Boston events you may wish to attend in May, and don't hesitate to contact me by replying to this email if you have questions, especially if you wish to attend the *Special Sneak Preview of Up the Yangtze* at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

UPCOMING MAY EVENTS

SPECIAL Free EVENT, May 19th at 7pm

Sneak Preview of UP THE YANGTZE at the MFA, with director Yung Chang in attendance. Presented at 7 pm, with Q&A session with the director following the screening. Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Remis Auditorium.

In the biggest engineering endeavor since the Great Wall and the Grand Canal, the Three Gorges Dam project will be the largest hydroelectric power station in the world when complete. At the river's edge, Yu Shui says goodbye to her family and turns to face the future. From their small patch of land, her parents watch the young woman walk away, her belongings clutched in a plastic shopping bag. The gargantuan and hotly contested symbol of the Chinese economic miracle provides the epic and unsettling backdrop for Up the Yangtze, a dramatic and disquieting feature documentary on life inside the twenty-first-century Chinese dream. Drawing inspiration from contemporary Asian cinema and post-war neo-realism, Chang crafts a
compassionate account of peasant life and a powerful documentary narrative of contemporary China.

Presented by the MFA in collaboration with the Québec Government Office and SODEC.
This is a limited seating, by invitation only, free event.
If you wish to attend please contact Catheline van den Branden ASAP: catheline.vandenbranden@mri.gouv.qc.ca

*******

*LECTURE, May 7th at 6:30 pm*

McGill Professor Karl Moore presents:
Post-Modern Leadership: How to Win in Today's Workplace

Presented by the McGill Alumni Association and the Consulate General of Canada.
Followed by a reception.

Karl Moore, recently identified as one of the world's great business thinkers, is among Canada's most quoted management experts and is a sought-after consultant by major corporations like Nokia, Shell, IBM and British Airways. In his current research on global leaders he has interviewed hundreds of CEOs and young business wannabes. Find out what he
has learned about how to lead effectively in today's organizations.

Cost: $20 USD (includes light refreshments), Cash bar.
Reserve your seat today! RSVP: Katie Price at event.registration@mcgill.ca or call(514) 398-7684 or
1-800-567-5175 x 7684


*******

LECTURE, May 8th at 6pm

David Hackett Fischer presents:
Champlain's Dream

Presented in the Abbey Room of the Boston Public Library.
David Hackett Fischer, from the Department of History at Brandeis University will speak in conjunction with the Library's exhibit:
Champlain's America: New England and New France, now running through May 31st.

Fore more information please visit: http://www.bpl.org


*****

LECTURE, May 14th at 6pm

Doctor Claire Quintal presents:
The Story of New England's Franco-Americans, at the French Library.

Presented in the Ballroom. Reception will follow.

In celebration of the city of Quebec's 400th anniversary (1608-2008), the FAB is pleased to welcome Dr. Claire Quintal , for a talk on New England's Franco-American story.

Dr. Quintal looks at why Canadians, both Quebecers and Acadians, immigrated to New England in such large numbers from the mid-nineteenth century onward and analyzes their integration in close to 200 cities throughout the region. She recounts how Franco-Americans struggled to remain true to the ideology of survivance and formed tightly knit communities, often called Little Canadas. Together, their language, traditions, religion, writings, and songs formed a subculture unique to New England. These cultural elements of the Franco-American identity help explain why they emigrated, how they made their homes in mill cities and towns, and the legacy they left behind.

Lecture in French and English: Members: Free / Non-members: $5. Seats are limited.
RSVP recommended. Please call: 617.912.0400

*****

FILMS, May 28-31st

THE MFA PRESENTS:
ALANIS OBOMSAWIN'S FILMS
"FIRST NATIONS ON FILM" SERIES
Please visit http://www.mfa.org for tickets


May 28th at 8 pm
Our Nationhood

Aboriginal filmmaker and artist Alanis Obomsawin chronicles the determination and tenacity of the Listuguj Micmac people to use and manage the natural resources of their traditional lands. Our Nationhood provides a contemporary perspective on the natives' ongoing struggle and ultimate success, culminating in the community receiving an award for Best Managed
River from the same government that denied their traditional rights.

MFA members, seniors, and students $8; general admission $9.

May 29th at 3:45 pm
Incident at Restigouche

A historical perspective on the raids of the Restigouche Reserve in June 11 and 20, 1981. Focusing on issue of salmon-fishing rights of the Micmac people and the Quebec Government's decision to restrict salmon fishing, the powerful film puts justice on trial. Spudwrench—Kahnawake Man (1997, 58 min.). Meet Randy Horne, high-steel worker from the Mohawk community of
Kahnawake, near Montreal. As a defender of his people's culture and traditions, he was known as "Spudwrench" during the 1990 Oka crisis. Both a portrait of Horne and the generations of daring Mohawk construction workers that have preceded him, the film offers a unique look behind the barricades at one man's impassioned defense of sacred territory.

MFA members, seniors, and students $6; general admission $7

May 30th at 3pm
Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance

On a hot July day in 1990, a historic confrontation propelled issues in Kanehsatake and the village of Oka, Quebec, into the international spotlight and the Canadian collective conscience. Director Obomsawin endured seventy-eight nerve-wracking days and nights filming the armed stand-off between the Mohawks, the Québec police, and the Canadian army. The result is
a portrait of the people behind the barricades, providing insight into the Mohawks' unyielding determination to protect their land.

MFA members, seniors, and students $6; general admission $7.

May 31st at 10:30 am
Waban-Aki: People from Where the Sun Rises

Yvonne M'Sadoques rocks forward in her chair. She's lived in the Abenaki community of Odanak for more than a century, and has no shortage of stories to tell. Obomsawin's illustrious career comes full circle; having dedicated nearly four decades to chronicling the lives of Canada's First Nations, she returns to the village where she was raised to craft a lyric account of her
own people.

MFA members, seniors, and students $6; general admission $7

May 31st at 12:30 pm
Gene Boy Came Home

The harrowing and deeply moving story of Eugene "Gene Boy" (pronounced Genie Boy) Benedict, his two years of service in Vietnam, and his long journey home to Odanak. At a critical point in our history, celebrated filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin turns her camera on the ugliness of war through the eyes of one survivor. Her new documentary will resonate with all those who have been touched by war, and with anyone who has had to travel the painful path of healing that eventually leads home. Panel discussion with director follows screening. Mohawk construction workers that have preceded him, the film offers a unique look behind the barricades at one man's impassioned defense of sacred territory.

MFA members, seniors, and students $6; general admission $7

*******

If you've enjoyed this selection but wish to see more, please suscribe to our official newsletter, with all Québec-pertinent news and events at: www.quebec-boston.org

******


Best wishes,


Catheline H. van den Branden


Attachée aux affaires publiques, culturelles
Public & Cultural Affairs Attaché
Québec Government Office
One Boston Place, Ste 1920
201 Washington Street
Boston, MA 02108
tel: (617) 482-1193
fax: (617) 482-1195
email: catheline.vandenbranden@mri.gouv.qc.ca

Bonjour!

Check this event this Saturday... Kelli Trottier, from Kingston, ON, plays both
Celtic and French-Canadian folk music. She was a fiddler in Bowfire. She performs at the Barre Opera House, Barre, VT, on Sat., May 3, 2008.

Benoit Pelletier Shoja

Bonjour!

Quebecois traditional musician and dancer, Benoit Bourque, will perform at the Great New Bedford Summerfest (7/4-6), in the historic district of New Bedford, MA. Last Summerfest, he performed with Franco-American fiddler, Don Roy and his wife. Check out Bourque's next performances in USA:

5/18 Book Fair (Philadelphia, PA)
6/20 St. Albans, VT
7/4-6 Summerfest (New Bedford, MA)

Benoit Pelletier Shoja

Hello, all!

One of my favorite female voices in Quebecois Music nowadays will be performing in New England. Michèle Choinière' solo debut, Coeur Fragile, was well received and has attracted a lot of attention to the richness and creativity of her compositions.
Check her future performances:

6/20 Taylor Park, St.Albans, VT with Benoit Bourque
6/21 Franco-American Center, Manchester, NH
7/12 Vergennes, VT

Bengal.

Friday, May 2, 7:30 pm

From the shores of Nova Scotia, the seven musicians and step dancers comprising Grand Dérangement fuse Cajun and Irish rhythms with traditional Acadian music, rock and jazz to create their own unique sound. Named after the French phrase for the Acadian expulsion, Grand Dérangement also refers to the absolute frenzy this band can drive an audience to with its energetic and infectious music.

Chandler Box Office: 802-728-6464

Bonjour,

The Quebecois maritime traditional music group, Serre l'Écoute, will perform at the Kislak Center on Lake Como, PA for a music camp of the Folk Music Society of New York on 23-26 May 2008. They performed at the Mystic Sea Music Festival (Mystic, CT) last year. They are the only music group in the province of Quebec that specializes in maritime music. With visas in hand, they could perform at other gigs enroute to & from Lake Como, PA.

Benoit Pelletier Shoja

Bonjour!

Quebec traditional music group, Genticorum tours New England this summer.

5/23-25 Folk College @ Juniata College, Huntingdon, PA
7/15 Middlebury Festival on the Green, Middlebury, VT
8/01-03 Champlain Valley Folk Festival @ Ferrisburgh, VT
8/08-10 Festival La Grande Rencontre @ Montreal, QC
8/15-17 Ottawa Folk Festival @ Ottawa, ON
8/22-24 American Folk Festival @ Bangor, ME

Benoit Pelletier Shoja


P.S.: And they just launched a brand new, great as always, album! Check it out... Bengal.

Chers abonnés,

Voici la publicité pour le Concert-Bal du Mai de Mémoire et Racines le 16 mai prochain au Centre Bosco de St-Charles-Borromée. Vous êtes invités à participer en grand nombre à cet événement unique.


Gilles Pitre
Directeur

SOIRÉE HOMMAGE AUX CHANTEURS ET MUSICIENS DE SAINT-CÔME
Le vendredi 16 mai à 20 h au Centre Bosco

Mémoire et Racines est heureux d'annoncer la présentation d'un spectacle unique de musique et chansons traditionnelles. Dans le cadre son événement annuel du Bal du Mai, Mémoire et Racines a invité des chanteurs et musiciens de Saint-Côme pour présenter un spectacle traditionnel unique au Centre Bosco de Saint-Charles-Borromée à compter de 20 h le 16 mai prochain.

Plus de 30 musiciens et chanteurs sur scène
Pour cette soirée sans pareil, pas moins de 30 chanteurs et musiciens se succèderont sur la scène du Centre Bosco. Vous pourrez y entendre entre autres, La Giroflée, le groupe Légende (reconstitué pour l'occasion), Gaston Lepage, Serge Thériault et Martin Bordeleau d'Hommage aux Aînés, Jacques Larochelle, Roland Aumont, Valmont Coutu, Rogatien Venne, Simon et Éric Beaudry (Vent du Nord et Bottine Souriante), Audray Bordeleau et de nombreux autres. Le tout culminant en fin de soirée par un immense party de chansons à répondre avec tous les artistes sur scène.

Saint-Côme - Capitale québécoise de la chanson traditionnelle
C'est à cette occasion que Lanaudière : Mémoire et Racines attribuera le titre de Capitale québécoise de la chanson traditionnelle à la municipalité de Saint-Côme. Une délégation du conseil municipal de Saint-Côme ainsi que des aînés du village viendront sur place afin de recevoir cet honneur au nom de leurs concitoyens.

Comme plusieurs le savent déjà, cette petite municipalité de la Matawinie regorge d'un nombre impressionnant de chanteurs et chanteuses traditionnels. Cette concentration et la transmission orale de génération en génération qui en résulte est unique au Québec. Sans nécessairement faire une carrière professionnelle plusieurs de ces porteurs de tradition ont influencé et transmis leur répertoire à de nombreux artistes de St-Côme ou d'ailleurs, que l'on pense aux Frères Simon et Éric Beaudry, Yves Lambert, Hommage aux Aînés, Danielle Martineau ou La Bottine Souriante pour n'en nommer que quelques-uns.

Soirée au bénéfice du Festival Mémoire et Racines 2008
Cette soirée est une initiative de Lanaudière : Mémoire et Racines qui tient à chaque année le Concert–Bal du Mai. Il s'agit d'une soirée au bénéfice de la 14e édition du Festival Mémoire et Racines et tous les profits iront à cette cause. Le Festival 2008 se tiendra du 23 au 27 juillet prochain.

Une soirée unique, avec des chanteurs traditionnels hors-pairs !

Date : Vendredi 16 mai 2008 à 20 h
Salle : Centre St-Jean-Bosco, 249, Chemin du Golf, St-Charles-Borromée (Joliette)
Billets : 18 $ / régulier, 15 $ / membres de Mémoire et Racines, 60 ans et +, étudiants. Moitié prix pour les 13 à 18 ans et gratuit pour les 12 ans et moins.
Où acheter les billets :
À la Librairie René-Martin, 598, St-Viateur, Joliette,
Au bureau de LMR, 200, rue de Salaberry, Joliette
Au bureau d'information touristique de St-Côme (405-883-2730)
Infos : (450) 752-6798 ou 1 888 810-6798

Don Roy new album!
Check it out...

Bengal.

For those who enjoy the TV series ER, tonight they will feature James Carrington's song "ACHE"! Don't miss it at NBC 10 PM (9 PM Central).

Hello, everyone,

Keep your eyes opened for Pete du Pon is on tour with Amy MacDonald.

Pete du Pon’s talent for songwriting has reached the ears of soulful songstress, Amy Macdonald. Pete, a songwriter of true conviction, whose current EP, Lost, is top ten in the Amazon singles chart, will open for Amy at six gigs around Britain during May.

“I’m thrilled to be touring with Amy and supporting her at some of her UK gigs,” says the 27-year-old from Guildford. “Like her, I was, and still am, massively influenced by the music I heard when growing up.

“I spent hours listening to singer songwriters like James Taylor, Cat Stevens and Tracy Chapman, as well as bands like Counting Crows, Radiohead and Del Amitri. I can’t wait for this tour to start!”

Pete’s wistfully lyrical songs drive a stake through the heart of other artists’ less meaningful numbers, touching listeners with a depth of understanding lacking in many of today’s lighter pop tunes. A moody collection of acoustic folk numbers such as Lost, Tell Her and A Long Way Home amongst others reveal raw emotion rarely heard nowadays.

Stuart Zender, Jamiroquai’s former bassist currently on the road as bass maestro to Mark Ronson, has co-written songs with Pete, including Someone Like You which features in a new American film about basketball, called Ball Don’t Lie, starring rapper Ludacris and Rosanne Arquette.

“Pete’s voice is timeless,” says Stuart. “Many artists today are technically brilliant but haven’t lived life enough to achieve his depth of feeling. He sings with real conviction and a lot of artists fail to achieve this.”

A poignant session at Abbey Road studios confirmed this. Sitting where Lennon and McCartney produced one sublime record after another, Pete gave WorldSpace digital satellite radio network a run for their money with an impeccable performance of half a dozen numbers, including numbers from his debut EP, Lost, as well as a cover version of Greenday’s hit Basket Case which has received rave reviews in the States. The recordings have been beamed worldwide to thousands of listeners - an impressive debut for any troubadour today.

“At first I was ok. I really didn’t have time to think about the history of the place as I had a specific time slot in which to play my songs, be interviewed and more or less leave the building,” he remembers.

“Then I was told the broadcast would go out to more than 130 countries which made me gulp slightly. I realised what an awesome experience it was – sitting where Lennon and McCartney had recorded. I’d been pretty calm up until then!”

Pete has also worked with Rollo of Faithless and his writers, and has co-written songs with Jamiroquai guitarist, Si Katz. His other fans include Brian McFadden and various writers such as Julian Gallagher (U2, James Morrison) and Blair Mackichan (Lilly Allen, Will Young) while Paolo Nutini had more than a word or two of encouragement for him at one of his recent gigs at London’s The Water Rats.

Pete takes it all in his stride. He remembers the early days playing the standard Oasis covers in French bars for drunken English tourists during a year out for his Bristol university degree.

“I got paid 30 euros and as much beer as I could drink,” he recalls ruefully. “The theory was that if an English guy was playing, other English guys would turn up and drink all the beer. I did Radiohead covers before being drawn into playing crowd pleasers like Oasis’s Wonderwall. It was safer than being honest and playing your own stuff, but it got a bit tedious after a while.”

The Von Trapp family

Born in Canada to an English mother and a Dutch father his family settled in Guildford when Pete was only one year old.

“I have three sisters, one of which is a twin, and we were all musical. My sisters played piano and sang, Dad would play guitar and piano and sing, and at people’s houses we were often semi-pressurised to perform - we were known as the Von Trapp family.

“There was always music in every room in the house. I played the piano at six, and at nine picked up the saxophone as I was a big fan of Ray Charles but could only manage the theme tune from Agatha Christie’s Poirot.”

He started the guitar at 13 with his dad before an inspiring teacher “who stank of tobacco and would often drift off in lessons” took over, teaching him more traditional flamenco. “One day I bravely asked for something contemporary. The first song I learned was House of Rising Sun. Stairway to Heaven followed a month later and the list grew before I began to teach myself.”

Pete wrote his own first songs at 15, performing them in the quietness of his bedroom. Not until his first gig in France aged 21, playing to a mixture of pensive locals and British tourists, did they get an airing.

“I was offered a job as barman, turned it down and said I’d like to be their resident guitarist and was worryingly offered the slot without an audition! Before the first gig the bar owner assured us we’d have all the equipment we needed, which actually turned out to be one amp and half a mic stand, for the two of us share!”

“Using a combination of a broom handle and masking tape to hold the mic in place we played on as if we’d be doing it for years and we loved it although it probably sounded awful.”

From performing three nights a week with a friend in various bars in the centre of Grenoble, France, gigs followed elsewhere in the country, including Meribel where the different crowds would demand more covers – “up tempo stuff that the drinkers could sway to”. After seven months of feeling like a glorified karaoke machine, the then 22-year-old Pete returned to Britain to finish his degree and take on a variety of jobs to finance time spent writing his own songs.

After a short spell of work experience at Universal Records in the synchronisation team, filing other songwriter’s names, his demo cd was picked up by publisher John Woolf who got him to re - record the rough bedroom versions of Pete’s demos in various studios, as well as writing, recording new songs and hanging out with writers such as Jacob Schulze in Sweden, Arthur Baker and Rollo from Faithless.

“Through Rollo’s own record label under Universal I worked with him and his writers on some material. At first, writing with other people was a bit of a culture shock. Even now I’m still learning to talk about what I’m feeling to other writers, but bit by bit it’s getting easier!”

As Pete continues to make waves he has been touted as the next big thing in 2008 by numerous national papers. His soft voice already conquered me, but judge for yourself... throughout May, Pete opens for Amy Macdonald at the following venues:

Friday 16 May: Leeds University Stylus
Monday 19 May: Norwich UEA
Tuesday 20 May: London Shepherds Bush Empire
Thursday 22 May: Manchester Academy
Friday 23 May: Glasgow Academy
Saturday 24 May: Glasgow Academy

Don't miss it, I'm sure you will enjoy yourself!

Bengal.

Information à faire circuler pour une bonne cause....
... Celle de la musique traditionnelle québécoise sur la scène provinciale, nationale et internationale!

Un évènement à ne pas manquer!!!!!!!!

Violon Trad Quebec

Avec l'équipe:
André Brunet, président
Éric Beaudry, vice-président

Merci Beaucoup!!!


André Brunet

(450) 588-0918
camp@ViolonTradQuebec.com

Dear friends,

We reached our target! In just 7 days over 1 million of us have signed the petition calling for human rights and dialogue in Tibet--the fastest growing internet petition in history. As the crisis continues, it's time to deliver our petition and make sure Chinese President Hu Jintao hears our voices.

An International Day of Action has been declared for Monday, March 31st. On Monday, thousands of people in cities across the world will march to Chinese embassies and consulates, and stack hundreds of boxes containing our petition outside them. 1 million signatures makes a mountain of boxes--it will send a powerful global message.

We have just 4 days left until the petition delivery. Could we get to 2 million signatures in 4 days? We can do it--if every one of us recruits at least one more friend to sign the petition by forwarding the email below.

Avaaz team

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Dear friends,

After decades of repression, the Tibetan people are crying out to the world for change. The Olympic spotlight is now on China, and Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama is calling to end all riots and violence through restraint and dialogue.

China's hardliners are lashing out publicly at the Dalai Lama--but many Chinese leaders believe dialogue is the best hope for stability in Tibet. The government is right now considering a crucial choice between repression and dialogue that could determine Tibet's--and China's--future.

We can affect this historic choice--President Hu Jintao values China's reputation, and he needs to hear from us that the 'Made in China' brand and the upcoming Olympics in Beijing will succeed only if he chooses dialogue over the hardliners' repression. An avalanche of global people power is moving to get his attention. In just one week, over 1 million people have signed our petition, which will be delivered in rallies at Chinese embassies worldwide on Monday--click below to join the global outcry, and then forward this email to friends and family right away:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/tibet_end_the_violence/71.php/?cl=67048648

China's economy is dependent on "Made in China" exports that we all buy, and the government is keen to make the Olympics in Beijing this summer a celebration of a new and respected China. China is also a sprawling, diverse country with much brutality in its past, so it has good reasons to be concerned about stability--some of Tibet's rioters killed innocent people. But President Hu must recognize that the greatest danger to Chinese stability and development today comes from hardliners who advocate escalating repression, not from those Tibetans seeking dialogue and reform.

The Tibetan people have suffered quietly for decades. It is finally their moment to speak--we must help them be heard.

With hope and respect,

Ricken, Pascal, Graziela, Iain, Paul, Galit, Milena, Ben and the whole Avaaz team

Here are some links with more information on the Tibetan protests and the Chinese response:

Reuters reports unrest continues:
http://www.reuters.com/article/vcCandidateFeed1/idUSPEK369654

China allows first journalists back into Lhasa, monks speak out:
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/china/local%20news/tibet/2008/03/27/149167/Tibet-monks.htm

Europe and the US step up calls for dialogue:
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/03/27/europe/27europe.php

Prominent Chinese Intellectuals call for fair approach to Tibet:
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/03/24/asia/chinasub.php
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