To the great songs of the Francophonie the great means: at the second presentation of the SuperFrancoFête on Thursday at the Agora of Quebec, everything was done to offer a dazzling and ambitious celebration of music in French.
Ambitious ? For two and a half hours, more than twenty stars from Quebec, Canada, Haiti, Europe and Africa sang more than forty hits from yesterday (Aïcha, Mistral Gagner, Darlin’) and more recent hits. (A man standing, Comme des enfants). ) on a stage surrounded by fifteen screens, populated by 14 musicians under the direction of Scott Price, four backing singers, a twenty-voice choir and ten dancers from the DM Nation troupe.
Just that.
In addition, the addition of an additional stage with a piano near the stands and a walkway that ran across the floor addressed the main flaw of the 2022 show, the excessive distance between the audience and performers.
As for the musical menu of this show, designed for worldwide television broadcast (on TVA in Quebec), director Jean-François Blais, a specialist in this type of concept show, had a few rabbits in his hat.
Photo agency QMI, Marcel Tremblay
Among his good ideas that made the audience shake, we want to highlight the unlikely but effective meeting of Diane Dufresne and Radio Radio for a stripping Oxygène.
Soprano Marie-Josée Lord was stunning and received a well-deserved ovation after performing another immortal, Le monde est stone, while Roch Voisine delighted many nostalgic fans when he sang Hélène with Cœur de Pirate.
The Belgians are coming
Photo agency QMI, Marcel Tremblay
The Quebec audience was also able to reconnect with Mentissa, favorite of the 2022 show and co-host this year along with Roch Voisine, Cœur de Pirate and the popular Gims.
Equipped with a voice capable of conveying all emotions, the young Belgian singer amazed again, especially during her gentle cover version of Voyage voyage.
Photo agency QMI, Marcel Tremblay
His compatriot Pierre de Maere, who is still little known here, was chic and energetic on stage, and left a good impression with his success Un jour je mariai un ange.
It wasn’t over for Belgium yet. Axelle Red was there to remind us of her 1990s hit Sensualité, while Stromae’s Carmen was expertly mixed with Bizet’s Carmen by Marie-Josée Lord and Sarahmée.
Photo agency QMI, Marcel Tremblay
In a number reminiscent of Charles Trenet, Frenchman Bilal Hassani certainly won some followers by singing Madeleine.
This evening we also paid tribute to the memory of the late Jane Birkin, ending with the moving hymn to the beauty of the world and the celebratory C’est la vie, sung by Khaled himself.
Inappropriate English
The only false note of this SuperFrancoFête was heard before the show began, when the audience leaders, who came to give the usual instructions, peppered their chatter with words in…English.
The “Oh my God”, “We’re going to have fun”, “The gang” and “Clap your hands” before a French chant is painful to the ears.
Some effort would be required for the coming years, especially for the 50th anniversary of the original SuperFrancoFête, scheduled for 2024.