Though virtually all of Quebec recognizes the singer’s immense talent, it hasn’t always been easy for her to do the same. I wasn’t always nice to myself. “I wasn’t always gentle, I used to whip myself a lot,” she reveals right away.
For a long time she didn’t know how to perceive the breadth and quality of her voice. Listening to one of his performances, she recalled only the shortcomings that caught her eye.
got it [que j’étais bonne] about five years ago, she recalls. I was in the studio with my son, I listened to myself and said, “I don’t think I sing any worse.”
His will to achieve made him a very hard-working, even relentless person. “When I practice a song, I practice it excessively,” she admits, smiling.
Singer Ginette Reno with Patrice Roy
Photo: Radio Canada / Daniel Thomas
International career: I was scared
When she takes stock of her career, Ginette Reno can’t help but point out missed dates, especially when we talk to her about her international opportunities. “I was very scared, I was sabotaging my career,” she explains.
She admits to having been very envious and jealous of Celine Dion for a long time. I wanted to be a great singer, but she wanted to be the greatest singer in the world, she points out.
However, she claims to have made peace with her ambitions. I mourned. “I cried, I did everything you can imagine,” she says.
The singer also had great moments with Celine Dion, most notably when they sang “A Little High, A Little Far on the Plains of Abraham” together in 2008.
“It was a great moment, there was something sacred. It’s a miracle, it’s a spark, it’s like fireworks. »
– A quote from Ginette Reno
The weight of body image
A major obstacle has shaped Ginette Reno’s career: her weight. I was rejected because I was obese, she says. There were roles that I didn’t get because of that and I was rejected as a singer.
During the interview, the singer repeatedly recalled that her body was a barrier to her achievements, while many told her she needed to lose weight. “You couldn’t take the food from me,” she says. Like an alcoholic who doesn’t have their alcohol taken away, for me it was food.
She herself has turned down certain offers, particularly to the cinema, because of her weight.
An album and autobiography by Ginette Reno
Photo: Radio Canada / Daniel Thomas
I want to open a school
Ginette Reno’s relationship with money hasn’t always been easy, and people she’s worked with have cheated on her. I was badly mistreated. They stole a lot of money from me, she says. I won’t give you names, but there are a few that have cost millions.
Even today, she states that she has to deal with a lawyer to settle certain things.
With the income from her new projects, namely her autobiography and her 42nd album C’est tout moi, Ginette Reno would like to start a school where she can give master classes (master classes) in particular.
“I want us at this school to have the opportunity to hear people talking to us about the beautiful things in life. »
– A quote from Ginette Reno
The great lady would particularly like to emphasize the interpretation possibilities of a song. There are singers who simply sing, without any interpretation, she observes. They don’t understand what they’re saying.
Ginette Reno needs no introduction. It goes without saying. From the first note we know we’re dealing with one of the greatest singers in the world. This world she didn’t want to conquer despite her talent. Patrice Roy met him at his Picollo studio in early May for his media tour, the release of his 42nd album.
The public: it is with [lui] that I got married
After singing “The essential” at Guy Lafleur’s funeral, Ginette Reno said she received a letter from Quebec Premier François Legault. He told me how moved he was. It came for me, besides it was written with his hand, his pen.
Although she has never felt the need to express political positions, the interpreter reiterates that for her, the French language has always been a fundamental issue. She has previously told a Toronto television presenter, “My language is very important to me.”
If today Ginette Reno manages to face with a smile all the difficulties she has faced, it is because the love of the public has always allowed her to appreciate her profession.
I think it’s with [le public] “That I’m really married,” she laughs. I’m celebrating my 64th birthday with him.
“I’ve had a very good career. The audience was loyal, just as loyal as I was. »
– A quote from Ginette Reno
Given all she’s been through, the amazing singer is very composed, has no intention of retiring anytime soon and already has two more album projects on the table. At the moment I’m working on two albums: a mourning album, songs of mourning, and a wedding album, about life.