Programs & Activities
Music & Dance

Le Vent du Nord
Quebec, Canada
Quebecois Music and Dance

Québecois music--the country dances and call-and-response laughter-filled songs of French Canada--has a hard to define appeal. Is it the tapinage, clogging while sitting, playing and singing, which raises percussive dance to indispensable instrument status? It could be the bouncy accordion lines quipping with the fiddle, or the perpetual grins of musicians playing what they love. Le Vent du Nord ("Northern Wind") is a Quebecois band comprised of four masters of this region's traditional music. Original members Nicolas Boulerice (vocals, piano and hurdy-gurdy) and Olivier Demers (fiddle, vocals, guitar) have joined with Benoit Bourque (dance, accordion, bones, spoons, guitar, mandolin, and vocals) and Simon Beaudry (guitar, vocals).

Bourque insists that what makes Quebecois music special is its combination of infectious energy and its community roots. "Quebecois music to many ears is a mix between Irish and Cajun. Like Irish music the technical part of the music is very important: you have to play triplets, and you often play very fast. But there's also a pleasure aspect that's very strong in Quebecois music--to just share with people. It's more of a kitchen approach where you share with your neighbors, friends and family."

Formerly with the group Matapat, Benoit has earned a reputation not only as an inspired dancer, but also as a choreographer and teacher. Nicolas, whose grandfathers and father were singers, not only plays but also builds the hurdy-gurdy (vielle à roue--"wheel fiddle"). Bernard and Oliver both played with La Bottine Souriante and have toured extensively with a number of groups

In 2004 Le Vent du Nord won Canada's prestigious JUNO Award in the category "Roots and Traditional Album of the Year/Group" for their CD "Maudite moisson!"

Links
http://www.leventdunord.com/
http://www.onqueueartists.com/leventdunord.html
http://citypaper.net/articles/2003-06-19/music2.shtml