Thousands of Quebecers gathered in Maisonneuve Park on Saturday night to attend the National Day concert. From Jay Jay to Marjo, there was something for all ages.
The rain stopped in time for Montrealers to enjoy the evening. Hosted by Pierre-Yves Lord, the show, themed “Enter the dance of happiness”, brought together FouKi, Garou, Isabelle Boulay, Lydia Képinski, Marjo, P’tit Belliveau, Mélissa Bédard, Scott-Pien Picard and Justin Boulet on stage , Souldia and their 14-year-old colt Jay Jay.
Highlights include a speech by presenter and author Janette Bertrand on the history of fleurdelisé, the fast-paced interpretations of Marjo and the classics of Garou.
The celebrations opened with a medley by Robert Charlebois, Gilles Vigneault and Diane Dufresne, among others. FouKi and P’tit Belliveau entered side by side and performed their collaboration St-Han Quinzon. “It’s Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day” and “I’m Dancing Reggaeton / On Rigodon,” the duo sang.
“Even if we sometimes argue, we should above all not forget that it holds together, one nation! said Pierre-Yves Lord, setting the tone for the rest of the evening, which took place against a backdrop of Quebec unity and pride.
Then Garou Alone interpreted from his first album. “We are really happy to see Garou and Marjo. “We’re old, so we like old people more,” said Marie-Claude Sirois, laughing, a few minutes before the show began. She sits next to her friend and hopes that the Quebecer will sing Sous le vent.
Her wish is granted amid applause from the crowd, and one can imagine Ms Sirois would have been just as happy to hear Belle at the end of the evening, which saw fireworks set off in the crowd despite warnings of the effects of wildfires. These were created at the expense of the organizers, who had not planned any fireworks for the evening.
“I didn’t come so much because of the artists, but because it’s Quebec Day,” said Maude Lapointe-Rioux. We’re proud to be Quebecers, it’s important to celebrate with each other. »
Arriving in Quebec three and nine months ago, Théo Michel and Andy Carpentier see the evening as a “new beginning”. “We want to invest a little,” say the French.
Multiple honors
Justin Boulet performed with Marjo Les Yeux du coeur, which his father Gerry Boulet sang alongside the rocker in the late ’80s. Emotional moment as the duo showed genuine complicity, dancing a slow dance to the sounds of the saxophone. A little later follows another cover of a classic by his father, Always alive.
Justin Boulet also paid a lively tribute to Offenbach, playing several titles from the Quebec group alongside Garou, Isabelle Boulay and Mélissa Bédard.
The evening, aired in prime time, was also an opportunity to pay tribute to singer-songwriter and former Senator Jean Lapointe, who died last November, but also to his lyricist friend Marcel Lefebvre, who died just over a week later.
As a tribute to the actor, an excerpt from the show CRAZY, which was broadcast on the big screen, served as a tribute to Michel Côté singing Aznavour’s “Hier encore”.
The evening ended with a message of unity. “Let’s not split the ties,” Pierre-Yves Lord started before all the artists – with the exception of Souldia and Jay Jay – started singing “Let’s love every other”.