With all due respect, let’s talk about Saint-Tite, an event close to the singer’s heart. “I’ve been there a lot,” she says, “always special occasions, always big shows.” I even supported Kenny Rogers there!”
She remembers 2007 like it was yesterday. “Hearing his show from the sidelines and seeing him singing three meters from me: it was a great moment. I never dreamed of something like this as a child. It has been a great privilege in my life.”
These memories, bigger than dreams, make Saint-Tite the biggest country event in Quebec in his eyes. “Of course today we see other very large demonstrations like LASSO in Montreal. But an event of this magnitude, which has been running for so long and offers such a diverse program, has no equivalent. With all the people it attracts not just to the shows but everywhere on the street, it’s really unique.”
His way
She will present her solo show À ma mode to country audiences at the Country Club Desjardins. In passing, there is something daring about the proposal: the show menu consists of his selection of popular songs recorded on three albums. In the first case she comes across the repertoire of Celine Dion, in the second Ginette Reno and in the third an anthology of hits from different origins.
The courage to approach the ultimate country event with a musical background that doesn’t exist. Well, not quite. “It grew out of a request I sent to fans via Messenger during the pandemic to suggest popular songs they’d like to hear from me my own way.”
The last three words say it all. The Guylaine Tanguay style is inevitably rural. Style runs through her veins whether she likes it or not. “Of course I could sing popularly without a country touch, but that wouldn’t really be my style. When people asked me about Celine Dion if I agreed to cover her songs, it was precisely because I wanted to put my own spin on it.”
She, like Ginette Reno, has too much respect for the icon to dare imitate her. But how do you do country with such symbols of pop music? “The country is very much in the mood at the beginning,” explains the specialist. It’s a question of timbre, accents, pitches. Then there are the arrangements: if you throw in steel guitar or banjo, it starts to sound country. A lot depends on the dressing.
By confronting monuments such as Céline, Ginette Reno or even Aznavour (La bohème), Joe Dassin (Salut les amours), Michel Sardou (The Sickness of Love), Gérard Lenorman (The Ballad of the Happy People) and other fan favorites, She understood the essential importance of dosage. “Let’s just say I dressed her up. But the other essential ingredient that makes a country song is the attitude of truth in its interpretation.”
Thank you Professor.
golden period
Guylaine Tanguay, who has involuntarily claimed the title of Queen of Quebec, is aware that she is in an extraordinary time for the musical style that is inscribed in the mystery of her genes. “In Quebec, country music has reached incredible proportions. It is no longer limited to very targeted or marginal events, as it has been for a long time.
“There are good ones and less good ones, it has to be said, but that’s the price of success.” On the other hand, I’m convinced that it’s not just a fad, but that it will endure. In fact, in recent years, by breaking down prejudices, people have discovered what a country is and the incredible diversity that can be found there.
“The best thing, the artist continues, is that it affects all generations. I’m currently seeing young people in their 20s who are into country folk, with artists with punchy voices and lots of character. What we hear at LASSO in Montreal is not Patrick Norman. There are a lot of big American names there. I want this audience to not limit themselves and also discover how good land is made here in Quebec. And in all styles.
She mentions Matt Lang, Quebec’s representative of this new wave of a free and party-loving country. “It’s a new vibe that’s different from my style but very cool. Matt joins a lot of people and that’s a good thing. He’s also a nice, humble guy who I’ve met often on tour. I love her so much.”
renee
Seeing her at Saint-Tite and then being invited by Patrick Norman, one cannot help but think of the person who embodied Quebec’s feminine country and is sorely missed by everyone in the industry. We have a feeling that Guylaine Tanguay has made a move to remember Renée Martel since his election campaign. “I distinctly remember a show where we were both on stage in Saint-Tite. On the microphone, she said that she finds it very nice to see other women following in her footsteps, but in her own way. It moved me enormously. It was exactly what I wanted to receive as encouragement from such an amazing woman.
“Afterwards, strangely enough, I felt lighter because I felt like I had the right to be who I was on stage. I always knew I would never be on the same level as her, but I understood that she was willing to stain my hand to get me on her side.
“The same goes for Patrick Norman or Paul Daraîche, who always left space on stage for people like me and I’m so grateful to them. In addition to boundless admiration, I also have great respect for these people. If I happen to come into contact with them, it’s not complicated: I’m eight years old in my head and in my heart.
Patrick
She is obviously pleased when she finds Patrick Norman on the main stage of the amphitheater at the confluence of the river and Saint-Maurice. “Patrick, for me it is a love story in music. Firstly, when I was young it wasn’t complicated, I heard it all the time.
“He’s been a part of my life for so long. I’ve always loved his voice because when he sings you feel like he’s speaking in your ear. It’s really unique. It’s still a great honor to be on stage with him and this time with his wife Nathalie. They are a couple in love: I think they are so beautiful.”
“It will be a great privilege to be in his company and that of Paul Daraîche, who is also performing. These are my boys. Paul is my Elvis. Young, I melted when I saw him come on stage with his little rocker side. Now I sing with him and I can tell you that I feel extra stress every time. Singing with such legends is a dream. Not to mention it will also be there for a good cause.