In the afternoon there were many people in the city. On the street people who speak English and don’t live in Trois-Rivières, Bécancour or Shawinigan. Obviously, the Jamaican star is counting on the faithful willing to travel miles to visit him.
There are significantly more security guards and police officers on the way to the construction site than on other evenings. The atmosphere is good, people are here to have fun.
A dense crowd
The floor of the river stage was full. Usually the spectators sit on the slope facing the stage on the floor, sometimes they even lie down. Tonight they were all awake. The last time I saw that many people was at the Offspring show. Again I wonder if there wasn’t more tonight.
At the back of the stage, a large Jamaican flag. In this tropical heat it looks like this. Joining Sean Paul are friends, musicians and dancers who clearly intend to make the river stage the biggest dance floor Trois-Rivières has ever seen.
everyone dances
He releases hits and new songs. Dancehall, reggae, reggaeton and afrobeat prevail. We have a next level twerking act that will make Miley Cyrus look like a newbie. Everywhere, everywhere, everyone is singing and dancing. Sean Paul keeps asking about it. you want me to stay you want me to go (Should I stay? Should I go?) he asks the crowd. The Jamaican artist moves, dances, jumps. He is tireless. The atmosphere is completely insane. “I’ve never seen that, it’s our biggest show,” says Naomie Rousseau, FestiVoix communications coordinator, amazed at what’s happening before our eyes. She looks at me and asks me: So pop in Trois-Rivières is a big yes?
A little out of breath, Sean Paul ends his show in the apotheosis with Temperature under a shower of confetti. We would have taken more. At least a memory. But we’re going along. The show will remain unforgettable.
Laurence Nerbonne provided the first part of Sean Paul’s show.
Photo: FestiVoix / Cyrille Farré
A solid first half
A white blown mattress adorned with a rainbow surfing through the crowd; FestiVoix volunteers dousing the crowd with water to relieve the heat; The atmosphere was festive from the start of the show by Laurence Nerbonne, who gave a solid performance as the opening act for the Jamaican star. Although she felt some pressure to perform in front of one of FestiVoix’s biggest crowds, nothing showed. Accompanied by four dancers and their DJ, the artists set the tone for what was to come. She animated the audience with bravura, her songs with dancehall accents made the audience dance. She premiered a new song that will appear on her new album in the fall. The piece entitled “Rainbow” was immediately accepted by the festival-goers. Everything was perfect to prepare for the arrival of Sean Paul.
And then?
This evening gave way not only to pop, but to a version of hip-hop that comes to us from the south: reggaeton and dancehall. This music was extremely popular at the turn of the millennium and was carried by Sean Paul, Pit Bull, Daddy Yankee and J. Balvin. By opening the door to these artists, we open the door to dances that are part of the hip hop movement. And since Trois-Rivières is also a dance town, excelling at hip-hop dance world championships and on the small screen, that’s a big yes for groups like Naomie to finally answer your question.