“The Plain of Songs”: Our music was celebrated on a grand scale

Quebec music had an unusual Friday indeed. On the same day Celine Dion wowed the world by singing atop the Eiffel Tower at the Olympics, dozens of artists from all generations celebrated singing from home on the Plains of Abraham.

It was a successful race for the organizers Plain of SongsA musical evening was a prime objective of the legendary event I saw wolf, fox, wolf.

Half a century after Félix Leclerc, Gilles Vigneault and Robert Charlebois gathered 100,000 people on this same plain, tens of thousands of spectators rocked to some beautiful songs from the rich Quebec repertoire.

However, the evening started late. We first learned that Marjo, who is recovering from Covid-19, had to withdraw, and during the usual speeches, the crowd booed Minister Jean-Francois Roberge and Prime Minister François Legault, myself, and the other was there. Video.

And directly Natashkwan

Fortunately, the mood changed as Robert Charlebois, Paul Piché, Claude Dubois and other cast members made way for Gilles Vigneault’s touching video. My countrymen with interest.

Gilles Vigneault lives from Natashquan.

Photo by Didier Debusschere

Later, the unkillable Charlebois set the pace between two joints From Gabe Bouchard to Ariane Roy, Thierry Larose and Lou-Adrien Cassidy, before the youngest, including Marie-Pierre Arthur, Pierre Lapointe and Patrice Michaud, take the stage with panache.

Proudly, Patrice Michaud suggested that we make a promise. “Do we tell ourselves that for another 50 years we will be proud to sing in French on the plains?”

Samavali said yes. Although international stars have taken it over, Quebecers still rock this grand stage, with Les Cowboys Fringants and Alexandra Strelisky being the latest eloquent proof of this.

Road traveled

The show allowed us to gauge the progress our music has made over the past 50 years.

On Friday, in the plains, cell phones lit up for rapper Soldia. Charami, Pierre Guenders and Mugione kept the crowd dancing with their urban rhythms, while Diane Dufresne joined local throat singers. Oxygen Bitten.

Diane Dufresne shared the stage with local artists.

Photo by Didier Debusschere

Tribute to Jean-Pierre Ferland that day The Cat from the Artists CafeLed by Hubert Lenoir, it was in this great departure figure: off the beaten path, with these dancers wandering like automatons and not far from psychedelic.

A moving pice

Apparently, another tribute to Carl Tremblay. We used the karaoke area to sing together America cries. This will definitely happen in 50 years.

The most beautiful communion of the evening, however, occurred a few minutes later, after a euphoria by Paul Piché. Not much in the night skysang Staircase Faced with illuminated and moving plains.

“Thank you very much. We put our shoulder to the big wheel that is the song of Quebec,” he noted, receiving loud applause from the crowd.

Flambeau

The finale was a kind of passing of the torch.

Flanked by local pride Arian Roy and Lou-Adrien Cassidy, Robert Charlebois first introduced his irresistible. Lindbergh Circus performers performed an aerial ballet on the floor.

Later, another representative of the new generation, Hubert Lenoir, had the honor of bringing the show to a happy end by singing his greatest hit. No one is a daughter. “Quebec, one country,” he chanted twice, a reminder that at our big music gatherings, politics are never far away.

Hubert Lenoir

Photo by Didier Debusschere

• The made-for-television show is slated to air on Télé-Québec in September.