Was it emotion? At his 18th and final presentation of the ADISQ Gala, Louis-José Houde, in his own words, gave in to his false dandy delusions less than usual on Sunday evening in the Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier at the Place des Arts. We were treated to a more formal LJH, like his elegant double-breasted jacket.
Published yesterday at 11:23 p.m.
With more introspection, restraint and confidence, he made people laugh as much as they think. Remarkably, at the end of the gala, in a melancholy mood, he quoted Jim Corcoran (“A language that is sung is a living language”) to warn of the threat to Franco-Saxon culture from the Anglo-Saxon steamroller. Quebecois. “A language can die,” he recalled in the not at all cheerful tone of the accusation.
During his highly anticipated opening monologue, he also paid tribute to Karl Tremblay of the Cowboys Fringants, who was battling cancer, and the late Guy Latraverse. “The father of showbiz champagne is no more, but the party goes on,” said the presenter, recalling his now-famous formula as well as parts of the history of the ADISQ Gala and Latraverse’s career.
He definitely had a few jokes up his sleeve. He gently poked fun at the growing number of artists in the music industry. “There are too many discoveries, not enough retirements,” he claimed, suggesting eliminating ten artists a year depending on relevance. “Who don’t we need?” For example…” He obviously didn’t name any names because his gender wasn’t that of Ricky Gervais. “There is no shortage of workers in the music industry,” he added later that evening at the piano bar, recalling some anecdotes from his 18 years in the entertainment industry.
PHOTO CHARLES WILLIAM PELLETIER, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
Ginette Reno and FouKi during the opening number
“One last gala? For what ? Because I’ve exhausted the pool of jokes on FouKi. I’ll leave that to Ginette,” said Louis-José, explaining his departure after the astonishing opening number of this 45th ADISQ Gala. Ginette Reno accompanied with her voice FouKi (which she renamed Funky last year) and her dancers in silver lamé for the end of the ’80s choreography, a song in Franglais that undoubtedly made some sensitive ears curl up.
Louis-José Houde loves music. He knows music. His melomania has been evident since his debut at the helm of the ADISQ gala, although he admitted on Sunday that it was not his love of music but his love of the French language that had led him to take over from Guy A. Lepage to accept in 2006.
We’ve seen hosts at other awards shows appear to have parachuted there. Because they have humor, reciprocation and reaction. Of course Louis-José has all of this. After Ginette Reno explained that she had “found a friend” at Jean Coutu (where her album and biography are sold exclusively), he spontaneously pointed out that she had caused bigger laughs in the room for the second time in a row he.
I, for one, burst out laughing when this father of a 10-month-old baby claimed he was hosting the cinema gala “just to have another night of adults.” It’s funny because it’s not true…
PHOTO CHARLES WILLIAM PELLETIER, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
Louis-José Houde once again presented the ADISQ gala excellently.
For 18 years, Louis-José Houde has managed to find the perfect balance between homage, teasing and well-cooked artists. It was said again and again: He took moderating the ADISQ Gala very seriously and put a lot of effort into it. He placed great value on his professionalism and his privilege of being a hugely successful artist.
He had previously practiced his numbers in public for weeks, precisely because they were intended for the public and not just for artists or the industry. He held not a professional meeting between insiders, but a televised gala for all Quebecers. His intentions were always clear.
Louis-José Houde arrived at the ADISQ gala as a luxurious replacement after Véronique Cloutier slammed the door over an artistic dispute a few weeks before the event. It wasn’t a long, calm river. At the height of COVID-19, ratings plummeted. But the host has never suffered bad criticism since time immemorial. Last year he took on the challenge, despite a herniated disc, a cocktail of painkillers and the script editing of François Avard.
As he told my colleague Dominic Tardif this weekend, the pressure to drive without mistakes was increasing. Is it this slight hesitation that I noticed in his otherwise impeccable animation on Sunday evening? Imagine the pressure of whoever takes power? We wouldn’t want to be in his shoes… “I don’t see anyone but Dominique Michel,” joked Robert Charlebois at the start of the gala.
When Radio-Canada – which was particularly focused on self-promotion on Sunday – announced a year ago that the public broadcaster would be cutting its ties with the Gala Québec Cinéma, the television’s general manager, Dany Meloul, said in an interview: “On the On the other hand, galas are less popular with audiences around the world. The idea of watching an awards show on television no longer works. »
With the departure of Louis-José Houde, the question of the future of television galas inevitably becomes even more acute. In my opinion, they continue to be essential showcases of our national culture. Thanks to the musical performances at the ADISQ Gala, I am convinced that many people discovered on Sunday the finalists in the “Revelation of the Year” category (Bibi Club, Calamine, Francis Degrandpré, Kanen and Jeanick Fournier) or even the classic among the classics of Quebec hip-hop, La Vi Ti Neg by Muzion, irresistibly performed on the stage of the Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier.
All the performances were good, from the duo Alexandra Stréliski and Daniel Bélanger to Patrick Norman and Martine St-Clair, including Clay and Friends and Pierre Kwenders, Maten with Black Bear, Loud and Raccoon and even Dirtybeards.
A large part of the success of the ADISQ Gala can be attributed to its musical performances. Added to this is the fact that the number of awards presented is limited to just ten, in cutting-edge categories that are likely to interest the general public, not just the industry or those who closely follow Quebec music news.
The fact is that a large part of the gala’s success for 18 years has been due to Louis-José Houde himself. We always looked forward to his opening monologue. It set the tone for the rest of the evening. We have to do without that now.
“I’m afraid of the next gala without Louis-José,” summarized Marie-Annick Lépine from the Cowboys Fringants for all of us, who celebrated her 45th birthday on Sunday, just like the ADISQ gala. She greeted her lover Karl and the two daughters who stayed at home. It was the emotional moment of this gala, which went smoothly and without major shocks.
I too am afraid of the next gala without Louis-José. We hope that we can celebrate our show business for a long time, as Guy Latraverse would have wished. With or without champagne.
Calling everyone
Who would you see succeeding Louis-José Houde at the helm of the ADISQ Gala?