During the unveiling of this year’s golden trille appointments, Manitoba saw Beauséjour, Fire & Smoke, Flora Luna, Kelly Bado, Micah !, Sala and Willows, seven of his artists find themselves in the running in various categories. A phenomenon not really isolated for the province which has long been a cradle of French -speaking music, as Flora Luna and Fire & Smoke, met during interviews, agree.
“It’s really a whole honor for me [d’être dans les nominations]. I think that reassures me that I am a little on the right track and then I think that people can appreciate my music, ”reacted Geneviève Freynet, alias Flora Luna, who is named in three categories, especially for his first EP The other edge of the wall.
“I think it says a lot about the talent we have at home, then also the encouragement that we have of our community in general to continue making music in French,” adds the Franco-Manitoban.
“The Manitoba, for years and years, has a really strong presence, whether in price galas for French-speaking music, whether in French-speaking music festivals, there is still a scene in French which is very, very lively”, underlines Claire Morrison, member of the Fire & Smoke group with Daniel Péloquin-Hopfner, which is nominated in four categories to Trille Or, Revelation et Crush And who returned in 2024 with the bilingual EP Constanceafter several years of absence.
At their side are five other artists, Beauséjour, Kelly Bado, Micah !, Sala and Willows, which we find in various categories.
A good structure
According to Flora Luna, this great presence is due to the fact that Manitoba has good structures that help artists, words that are also found in the Fire & Smoke duo.
Among the initiatives, the three artists cite the 100 nons, a non-profit organization that has worked for the development of the French-speaking music industry in Manitoba for 50 years, of which Daniel Péloquin-Hopfner is the chairman of the board of directors.
“It is a super important organization for us as a Franco-Manitoban artists,” insists Flora Luna, who also names Chant’oust, an event for several years the opportunity to artists to represent the West at the Granby International Song Festival. This allowed Geneviève Freynet and Fire & Smoke to come to Quebec respectively in 2022 and 2012.
“Manitoba Music, for several years, they had a French -speaking music program which unfortunately no longer exists, but they still remain champions of French -speaking music. We also have Manitoba music and film, which finances projects in French and English, “added Claire Morrison, who explains that the bilingual side of the music scene in Manitoba has always been encouraged.
“Dan and I are also the two products of a generation where we started to have many schools of French -speaking immersion. I think that from a point of view of creating values in relation to the existence of several languages, in relation to bilingualism, we grew up in a generation which put great importance on the ability to speak more than a language. »»
A little fright
“I admit that there have been waves for a few years because, let’s take 5-6 years ago, we were a little worried that there was a lack of succession in French-speaking music[au Manitoba]”Says Daniel Péloquin-Hopfner, by suggesting the covid as a cause.
“I admit that lately, there is a new resurgence, a new wave of succession artists who presents himself in styles of music that we have not necessarily seen as much,” he continues, appointing soul, hip-hop, or even jazz.
Flora Luna thinks that because of the pandemic, there was less contact with young people in schools: “It had a big role to play perhaps in this silence that we had perhaps perceived in the last years. »»
Geneviève Freynet has also been coordinating training for the writing of song words for 5 years as part of never too early, a project of the Granby International Song Festival. “I really see a succession, then it is enthusiasm from young people to want to write in French, to make music in French. »»
Still working at the national
The music community therefore manages to renew itself, despite the lack of initiatives in Canada.
“We don’t really have any other events that would be comparable to the golden trille. I think that is why, among other things, that the APCM, they said to each other,” we would have to create a place, an event in which we can celebrate these accomplishments, “says Claire Morrison. Because it is sure that we are going to have French -speaking categories […] But it still remains a category for all French -speaking music combined. »»
She compares this situation to world music: “What does that mean music from the world?” What does that mean French-speaking music? », Taking as an example the Juno, where the category French -speaking album of the year brings together various musical genres and artists.
“It’s really important to have these opportunities [comme Chant’Ouest] For Quebec to open to the west and vice versa. It is sure that by growing up here in the West, we listen to so much media and so much Quebec music, which is great, I love it. We know very well that Quebec exists and everything, but, when we get out of here, we realize that Quebecers do not necessarily know that we exist, “develops Flora Luna.
“The Trille Gold is so good because it makes French -speaking talent shine outside Quebec. Hoping that Quebecers can also see what’s going on in our communities at the same time. These occasions are really important. »»
The Biennual Trille Or event returns from May 27 to 29, 2025 at the National Center for Arts (CNA) in Ottawa. Find out more about the artists competing on this link. Find the official reading list of the event here.
Related news :