One week before the start of the 10the Edition of The voice, The newspaper collected the secrets of the winners of the first nine seasons. What happened to Valérie Carpentier, Yoan Garneau, Kevin Bazinet, Stéphanie St-Jean, Ludovick Bourgeois, Yama Laurent, Geneviève Jodoin, Josiane Comeau and Sophie Grenier? Our journalists answer this question on the website of Weekend notebook.
• Also read: Ten years of “La Voix”: 40 former candidates who still live from their passion for music
“I know that I want to make music in my life,” says Sophie Grenier, 2023 winner
“One day I was performing with my idols, the next day I was going back to school as if everything was normal,” she says candidly Newspaper Sophie Grenier, who won the last edition of The voice, at just 17 years old.
The dust has settled since the Franco-Ontarian triumph last April. However, not resting on her laurels, the young woman used the love she received from her classmates and the artistic impulse that her career at La Voix gave her to get back to work.
Sophie Grenier, winner of the 2023 edition of “La Voix”. Courtesy of Roy&Turner
“I received so much support from my school. I knew they were making announcements in the morning [à l’interphone], to talk about my journey,” explains Sophie Grenier, who was attending school in Orléans, near Ottawa, at the time. “I then spent the whole summer in the studio and my album is finished,” she says happily.
Entrepreneurial spirit
The year 2024 is expected to be a busy one professionally for Sophie Grenier, who is expected to release her first studio album in April. She therefore decided to take a break from her studies in order to concentrate as much as possible on her art. However, she plans to return to school at some point with the goal of gaining knowledge around her passion.
“I would like to go to university to study business administration. I know that I want to pursue music in my life and studies [en administration] “It could help me in my career and open other doors for me,” claims the young singer with impressive maturity.
A little stress for the future
The months following the crowning of the winner of La Voix will inevitably be accompanied by the production of an album courtesy of Musicor, but in the case of Sophie Grenier, is a plan for the future slowly taking shape?
“There's no real plan at the moment, so it's stressing me out a little,” admits Mario Pelchat's protégé. “With the album I really hope to have the opportunity to do gigs, especially at festivals in the summer.”
In English or French, with pop sounds or ballads, Sophie Grenier lets time and its inspirations lead the way. One thing is certain: it is a young woman, dedicated to her art and with a head on her shoulders, that we will see in the spotlight in 2024.
Alexandre Caputo, Le Journal de Québec
“Before I won, music was a sideline for me,” says 2020 winner Josiane Comeau
If she hadn't won top honors The voice, In 2020, when she was 19, Josiane admitted that she probably didn't plan on taking her music to the next level.
“Honestly, without the team I had access to through my win at La Voix, I don’t think I would have pushed for a career in music,” the Dieppe, New Brunswick artist says in an interview with Le Journal.
Josiane Comeau. Photo: Julien Faugere
“I come from a small town where it is difficult to stand out and I go to big cities unaccompanied [comme celui que j’ai maintenant]“I don’t think I would have,” she explains.
“I sang in the shower”
It has to be said that the career that Josiane is planning parallel to singing is not embarrassing either. She is now halfway through her medical studies at the University of Moncton, and although she still plans to get her diploma, she believes her crowning achievement at La Voix has allowed her to discover herself as an artist.
“Before I won, music was a sideline for me; I did a few shows here and there and sang in the shower,” she recalls. “My victory taught me to know who Josiane is in terms of music. I was able to see what it was like to be in the studio, write songs and shoot music videos,” she says happily.
“We hope” an album for 2024
Between her studies and her trips to France, where she is represented by a subsidiary of Warner Music, Josiane is still trying to find her own musical niche. Far from putting pressure on herself, the singer-songwriter is targeting 2024 as the release year of her first project.
“The whole team is on the same page; I'm still new to the world of music, so we're trying to find my color that best suits me,” explains the woman who presented the single Lose it All in April. “We hope the album will be released sometime next year.”
As she revealed to the Journal in October, the singer is planning a pop and bilingual album.
“It will be very poppy, very light, with lyrics that I have written, sometimes bilingual, sometimes only in English or only in French.”
Alexandre Caputo, Le Journal de Québec
“It opened the door for me to the general public,” says Geneviève Jodoin, 2019 winner
When she became the oldest contestant to win The voice, In 2019, Geneviève Jodoin was thinking big. She released the album six months after her triumph I've known it all along A big tour with a full band had been organized, then… the pandemic happened.
“It squeaked, squeaked, squeaked,” says the singer.
Geneviève Jodoin won “La Voix” 2019. Photo Stevens LeBlanc/Le Journal de Québec
The following years were an emotional rollercoaster.
Not only did Geneviève Jodoin see her musical plans thwarted by COVID-19, she was also fired from her record label Musicor and separated from the father of her three children, Frédérick Boudreault, who was both a creative and business partner in Adventures of Auberge La Fascine in L'Isle-aux-Coudres.
Despite everything, she refuses to see the glass as half empty. Until last September, in addition to directing La Fascine, she still managed to give concerts in a reduced format.
She is happy and proud of her journey. “Nothing happens for free. I did my best and that's exactly what had to happen. There’s no question of brooding,” she says.
popularity
In any case, the public never let them down. “You can tell that you have touched people when they still come to me four years later to tell me how much my vote touched them, that they voted for me and so on.” They saw me and knew it would be me. “It opened the door for me to the general public,” notes the woman, already known to fans from the show “Belle et Bum”, of which she was a choir member for seven years. She also experienced the other side of the coin. “People came to the hostel to see me and they were really angry when I wasn’t there. They had imagined me performing every night. I received hate messages.”
“Optimism”
Today she is optimistic about the future. “I'm faced with a blank slate,” admits Geneviève Jodoin, who has just accompanied Harry Manx on tour and will return with him to Australia in March. She also sang with Kevin Parent, the Lost Fingers and the Franklin Electric, which gave her the opportunity to meet Jon Matte, an artist she admires and who could collaborate on a new album she wants to put into action. “I had the opportunity to sing two inches from his face this fall when they came to Domaine Forget. I haven't gotten over it yet. I was able to tell him that what they were doing made me feel good and that I would like to do the same. I asked him if he would be willing to work with me and he said, “Well, anytime.”
Cédric Bélanger, Le Journal de Québec
“Participating in the show puts you on the map, but afterward we can’t live like we did before,” says 2018 winner Yama Laurent
Yama Laurent had just arrived in Quebec from Haiti when she won The voice in 2018. She is grateful for this incredible experience that changed her life, but compares her journey to fireworks.
“Participating in the show makes you more famous, but after that you can't live like you used to. It's a hat on your head that you can never take off. “People see you differently because you are a star for them,” reveals the medical student specializing in emergency medicine.
Jason Lang, guitarist and producer, with Yama Laurent. Pierre-Paul Poulin / Le Journal de Montréal / Agence QMI
Being chosen as the big winner of La Voix came with a lot of pressure and expectations for her. “I loved my journey, I met people I never thought I would ever meet. However, I wish I had done a better homework on how to find work in show business after the show. I had no contacts, I didn't know anyone for the future. “It all made me nervous, I almost fell several times,” admits the now 33-year-old interpreter.
To the members of the public who often ask her questions when they pass her on the street (“For example, we don't see you singing, what happened?”), she replies that she is now taking singing lessons at the Jésus School There are students of all ages. Marie Music School.
The singer, who released a first self-titled album in 2019, recently took part in the major symphony concert Beethoven's 9th Symphony from Haiti to Jerusalem at the invitation of Maestro Alexandre Da Costa.
She is currently working on her second work with Jason Lang as director and producer. “We take our time to make sure it represents me well; Me, the strong person, less known, friendly, yes, but not always, who doesn't give up, who is loving, resilient, in love with the elderly and children, who arrived in Canada alone, who has worked almost everywhere and who has the desire has to live at 100 km/h and at the same time take care of his family in Haiti,” says the one who will take part in some shows at the Casino de Paris in March and February 2024.
Sarah-Émilie Nault, Le Journal de Montréal
“You have to know how to benefit from it, but nothing can be taken for granted,” says 2017 winner Ludovick Bourgeois
“The voice was an unforgettable experience. I created links [dont celui avec Éric Lapointe] Lifetime and beautiful musical connections. “It was a great stage experience, an opportunity to learn to deal with professional stress and a great school of rigor,” says Ludovick Bourgeois, 31, from the start. Seven years after winning the televised competition, the singer says it would have been easy for him to take his sudden success for granted.
“When you win you have to deal with all the attention you get. And the power of television back then was incredible. So yes, it's a nice platform, but it's just the beginning. You have to know how to benefit from it, but nothing can be taken for granted,” he says.
Singer Ludovick Bourgeois. TOMA ICZKOVITS
The son of late BB singer Patrick Bourgeois says that while his work has changed since La Voix, his life has remained the same. He has the same friends and the same lover who became the mother of his two children. “There are just more people at my shows,” he says with a laugh.
“I'm the first to be surprised, I'm fascinated when people come to me. I find it flattering, but I don’t tell myself I’m hot (laughs),” he continues.
BB Tribute Tour
The 31-year-old artist has released three albums in his career: an eponymous album in 2017, two in 2020 and Rêveur in 2022. And there have been just as many tours, including the latest one, which just ended after more than 70 dates End went all over Quebec.
On January 13th, Ludovick Bourgeois will go on tour again with his homage to the BB. Directed by Joël Legendre, the show has around a hundred dates and more than 25,000 tickets sold in one month even before the tour begins.
“There will be six of us on stage, it will be a huge visual spectacle. We will present images from personal archives from 30 years ago that have never been presented before,” says the artist happily.
Sarah-Émilie Nault, Le Journal de Montréal
“I feel like I have contributed to removing the taboo around mental health,” says 2016 winner Stéphanie St-Jean.
“It took me a while to come down from my cloud. I felt like I was floating in a magical atmosphere. “It was an extraordinary experience,” says Stéphanie St-Jean about her participation and her crowning achievement The voice.
The 33-year-old singer, from Buckingham in the Outaouais, says she is particularly proud of having addressed the topic of mental health on the show: she was not afraid to speak publicly about her borderline personality disorder (BPD).
Stéphanie St-Jean Photo provided by TVA
“I had such touching testimonies, it changed many things in my life. “I have the impression that I have contributed to removing the taboo around the topic of mental health,” says the interpreter, who is now an ambassador for the platform santementaleoutaouais.ca.
Thanks to La Voix, who released an album of the same name in 2017, Paul Piché can now be counted among her close friends. Two years ago she was invited to participate in the anniversary album 40 Printemps and in the show En direct de l'univers dedicated to the singer of L'Escalier.
After a difficult pandemic in which she was very discreet and after staging the play “She lives in 2022”, Stéphanie St-Jean affirms that “the possibilities are incredible” and that music continues to be part of her life. The proof: She will present a new EP early next year and is planning a tour for fall 2024.
Convinced that he feels less comfortable composing in French, the artist will focus on the interpretation of popular songs written or sung by women from Quebec and Canada for his tour entitled “Inspirantes”. This show will mix styles and languages and pay homage to Ariane Moffatt, Alanis Morissette, Shania Twain and Charlotte Cardin.
“I wasn't told that it would take me three hours to go grocery shopping to La Voix (laughs). This kind of thing still happens to me today, people stop me to talk to me. It makes me happy because I love chatting with people,” assures the lively singer.
Sarah-Émilie Nault, Le Journal de Montréal
“I suffer from generalized anxiety. It helped me to talk openly about it with La Voix,” says Kevin Bazinet, 2015 winner.
For Kevin Bazinet, participation in The voice will have been a beneficial experience on several levels. He met people who helped him grow professionally and personally and gain greater self-confidence. “I suffer from general anxiety, something I've never talked about before. Talk about it openly The voice Showed me that people don't judge me for it. It helped me a lot, just like all the people who came to see me to tell me that I was not alone,” explains the artist, who has been able to make a living from his music since his victory.
He remembers the moment he won La Voix like it was yesterday. “It is a moment we will not forget. No matter what it brings in terms of money and notoriety, it was a big challenge for me to prove to myself that I could do it,” says the 32-year-old singer, who released the album Talk to Me in 2015 and went on tour shows afterwards.
Kevin Bazinet. Pierre-Paul Poulin / Le Journal de Montréal / Agence QMI
“I got to the end and then I thought about it. It's not necessarily an environment for me because it's difficult to always be on the go. With my fear it is unsafe. I am happy in my new life. I'm happy with my little family, at home, with this quality of life. That makes me happy,” explains the father of little Madeline, 2.5 years old.
Bobby Bazini's brother used his fame to start his singing school, Bazinet Studio. Her students are predominantly young people of all singing levels. He also writes and records for other artists.
On January 15th, Kevin Bazinet will release an EP with six new songs “for the pleasure” (and that of his admirers) on his personal platforms.
Sarah-Émilie Nault, Le Journal de Montréal
“I was lucky enough to have this experience,” says 2014 winner Yoan Garneau
Yoan Garneau was 18 when he won The voice. He describes himself as an introvert who experiences things internally and says he had a hard time believing it when he heard his name at the very end of the course. “I found it very symbolic because it was the public who chose me. For me it was there, the accent,” explains the artist, who released his first album of the same name a year after his victory.
“It's not always easy to be on a show like this, but it's easy to watch it from here and now and find negative things. I choose to see this as beautiful and am grateful for this experience that launched my career. I was lucky enough to experience that,” adds the country singer from Ferme-Neuve.
Yoan Garneau. Photo: Bruno Petrozza
He left Productions J in 2018 and his album “For a Long Time” won the Félix for Country Album of the Year that same year.
Yoan, now 28, released his third work “Something in my Blood” last October. He is preparing to tour Quebec in January 2024.
For him, it is the contact with people that finds happiness in his job.
His latest work represents a turning point in his career as it combines blues, rock and new country. “I want to continue writing on this dynamic and use this inspiration to propose a new sound, to go to different places in my music and in my life,” he admits.
“I always have to go back to what drives me. As artists, this remains our responsibility. The public owes us nothing and elects us. “It's a constant challenge,” says the man who rejects labels and the idea of fitting into a certain mold.
Sarah-Émilie Nault, Le Journal de Montréal
“For those who want to hear me sing, I tell myself it will come back,” said 2013 winner Valérie Carpentier
The big winner of the first season of The voice – she was only 19 years old – released her first album, The summer of stormsin 2013. Baptized On the edge, The first excerpt was written by his trainer Ariane Moffatt for the show's finale.
She released the album Pour Rosie in 2016 and lent her voice to several compilation albums, including Les BB 25 ans and C'est mon histoire, Renée Martel in 2015 and Stone, Homage to Plamondon in 2018.
Singer Valérie Carpentier in 2021. PHOTO Journal de Québec
The one who played the role of Fleur-de-Lys in the musical Notre-Dame de Paris in 2017 also received several nominations at the ADISQ gala, including Revelation of the Year 2014, Album of the Year for Summer of Storms and Pour Rosie and Female Performer of the Year 2017.
After almost five years of musical silence, she released the piece Monokini & Tsunami (about a toxic and abusive relationship she experienced) in August 2021. “I've worked a lot on myself. Since last year I have also been dealing with a new team that is responsible for managing my career. I discovered a new passion for songwriting. Today I'm happy to come back with a new extract because I didn't believe it anymore!” she told the Journal in August 2021.
The 30-year-old artist, who took part in the reality TV show Big Brother in 2022, opened up about her alcohol problems on Instagram in September of the same year.
“For those who want to hear me sing, I tell myself it will come back,” she said in one of the videos released during that time. Valérie Carpentier did not respond to our interview requests for this anniversary file.
Sarah-Émilie Nault, Le Journal de Montréal