Updated yesterday at 12:00 p.m.
With your impersonations of the greatest singers, you have proven that you have exceptional singing skills. Have you ever thought about pursuing a career as a singer with your own voice?
Hélène Grégoire
[Rires] It’s funny that some people have forgotten that I used to be a singer! But at the same time, since I opened for Celine Dion’s shows [au Centre Bell en 2008 et 2009]took over a career as an impersonator.
PHOTO ANDRÉ PICHETTE, LA PRESSE ARCHIVE
Véronic DiCaire opened Céline Dion’s show at the Bell Center in 2009
During your youth in Embrun [en Ontario]Were you more interested in French-speaking pop culture or English/American pop culture?
François Bertrand
French pop. Complete. The French-speaking culture has always impressed me. It wasn’t until I was a teenager that I perfected my English. Otherwise not at all. In sixth grade, our teacher asked us to speak to the class about a singer, musical group, or public figure. All my friends took Tiffany, Debbie Gibson or Samantha Fox. I have decided to give a talk about Guillaume Lemay-Thivierge! Because I really liked “The Cat” and was super impressed. I had seen L’effrontée with Charlotte Gainsbourg, Bach and Bottine with Mahée Paiement and La guerre des tuques… It fascinated me to see that a child could do this job.
What was your first imitation?
Monica C.
It was Marie Carmen, during a sound check before a show with friends. I covered Between the Shadow and the Light, which was the song of the moment at the time. It was all about making the people around me laugh and have fun.
Have you ever thought about pursuing a career other than art?
Maria da Ponte
Yes. It was at school. When we had to choose a career, I chose nursing. It’s a job that has always fascinated me because my mother was a doctor’s secretary. And I often went to work with her after school. And my greatest fun was leafing through medical encyclopedias to find diseases. The medical field really fascinated me, but I was lucky. I had hypervigilant teachers, and when they saw that I had chosen the science path, they said, “Stop! » They told me I should go into art… They told me I should get my high school diploma, but then I should pursue a career in music. They told me to pursue my dream. It helped me alot. I talk about it today and I still get goosebumps.
PHOTO ROBERT SKINNER, LA PRESSE ARCHIVE
Véronic DiCaire at the ADISQ Gala 2002
Is there a singer you can’t imitate?
Lucie Poulin
I move away from singers who rap or sing too fast, like Nicki Minaj. It’s not something that appeals to me. When I started working on impersonations for my show in France, I wanted to do Diams, but it didn’t work out at all. So I chose Mireille Mathieu, who sings Young Lady.
If you do a show with impersonations of personalities, do you have to get their consent?
G. Rondeau
NO. There are broadcast rights and so on, but I don’t have to get their consent. Luckily for everyone, what I do is a show that pays homage… with a few teasing winks. I ask myself the same question for every singer I imitate: Would I be able to imitate it in front of her? If so, I’ll keep the number. This also happened to Lara Fabian, Isabelle Boulay, Lynda Lemay and Shania Twain! For Shania Twain it was [Las] Vegas. I was supposed to start my performance on the right side of the stage, but she sat in that area. And I was too shy to imitate it in front of her! So I changed sides. I went all the way to the left. And the gaffer was like, “What the hell is she doing?” » [Rires]
When you meet and interact with a singer like Celine Dion, does that influence the way you later imitate her?
Maryse Lariviere
Absolutely. It’s a pleasure to have something special, to see the gestures, to see the facial expressions… The same goes for Isabelle Boulay. My eyes are wide open. I observe a lot. It’s stronger than me! I worked with Diane Lavallée this fall while filming Belles-Sœurs. Evening with Rémon [Boulerice, son imprésario et conjoint]When I told anecdotes about Diane Lavallée, I used her voice. Rémon said to me: “Let’s see! You sound like Thérèse in La petite vie! “But it’s stronger than me!” These are vocal areas that are so special. I have no choice !
PHOTO PROVIDED BY GESCA
Véronic DiCaire on stage in 2019
Which impersonator impressed you the most?
François Desrochers
Michaël Gregorio is a bit like my male counterpart in France. We are both very musical. We have a band. We are different than, for example, Laurent Gerra, who is more political. In Quebec, Jean-Guy Moreau was fantastic. I actually worked with his niece on Drôles de Véronic. She came to me once and said, “We know there are copycats in our family.” And my uncle would have really liked what you were doing. » It touched me so much because Mr. Moreau is one of the first imitators in Quebec.
Véronic DiCaire continues her show tour in Quebec. TVA airs Masked Singers on Sundays at 6:30 p.m. Our Sisters-in-Law hits theaters on July 11, 2024.