MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE, a major annual ritual
And now MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE confirms its status as a major annual
ritual. What else can be said, when no fewer than six Québécois artists
choose this event as the venue for their major Montreal homecoming shows! Diane
Tell, with her first Quebec-produced album in ages, France D'Amour with her jazz
album, the grand return of Marie Denise Pelletier, Catherine Major in a celebration
of her 3rd album, Brigitte Boisjoli and her Félix for Discovery of the Year,
Antoine Gratton launching La défense du titre; there will be plenty
of new shows and new songs to warm up our ears in the February chill!
And that's not all! Coeur de pirate will sail in to present songs from Blonde,
The Barr Brothers will charm Club Soda and Bïa will also return to L'Astral
accompanied by Sheila Hannigan and Jessica Vigneault, while Paulo Ramos will fire
up the Nuit brésilienne, also in L'Astral.
With Wallonia and Brussels in the spotlight, we'll be featuring all the fabulous
musical diversity of these regions, front and centre! Let's begin with Belgium's
most famous musician and our honorary copresident, harmonica master Toots Thielemans,
who will kick off the festivities with his opening concert. In the closing concert,
we pay tribute to the country's most celebrated singer, the immortal Jacques Brel.
Staged by Luc De Larochellière—our other honorary co-president—the
show features Pierre Lapointe, Marc Hervieux, Marie Élaine Thibert, Paul
Piché, Diane Tell, Pierre Flynn, Bruno Pelletier and Bïa taking on the
challenge of recreating all the Brel classics in the magnificent new Maison symphonique,
in their purest form: a piano (with pianist Benoît Sarrasin), and a voice.
A spine-tingling evening awaits!
Belgium also brings us its edgiest sounds, with the electro-chic of the incomparable
Stromae (with opening act Karim Ouellet), the atmospheric rock of My Little Cheap
Dictaphone (don't miss openers Hôtel Morphée!), the energizing rock
of Été 67, and the off-colour blues of the Experimental Tropic Blues
Band.
And that's not counting visits from such remarkable characters as Arthur H, Theophilus
London or the members of the (new) Rat Pack, the grace of Tango Pasión, a
new vision of winter courtesy of the Nouveau Théâtre Expérimental,
the acrobatic poetry of C!RCA, a crucial creation from Pigeons International (Grâce
à Dieu, ton corps), Jorane with I Musici, and a plethora of new
shows that will once again make MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE a can't-miss,
must-see highlight of Montreal's wonderful wintertime!