The Tam-tams du mont Royal have lost their founder. Percussionist Michel Séguin passed away on Tuesday, leaving an immense legacy for Quebec’s music scene.
His son, also named Michel Séguin, confirms the sad news. “It’s a great loss for the Quebec drum. It was he who brought the first djembes to Montreal in 1973, he recalls. If everyone has djembes in their living room, that’s because of my father. »
A true pioneer of percussion, he worked his entire life to bring legitimacy to this instrument, originally brought from Jamaica. “In 1973 he joined the Musicians Guild. The person in charge laughed and banged his desk, saying that anyone could do whatever they did…”
Undeterred, Michel Séguin began offering djembe workshops in parks. The noise then disturbed the neighbors, who called the police. It moved around the statue of Sir George-Étienne Cartier in the late 1970s and since then the gathering of the “Tam-tams du mont Royal” has attracted tens, hundreds, even thousands of people.
“In one summer, in 1979, it grew so much that it became an institution,” his son said. We find [une mention de] This gathering is described in tourist brochures as an event not to be missed in metropolitan Quebec. »
However, it was not his father’s initial intention to start a cross-cultural congregation. According to Michel Séguin fils, it was his generosity that made him skyrocket. “He gave passers-by a cowbell, a tambourine and a shaker. “If you want to play with us, play this.” That’s how it started. »
Play with the elders
Michel Séguin’s legacy doesn’t stop at tam-tams. He was the drummer for several local stars. He is responsible for the drums on Jean-Pierre Ferland’s Yellow album. He has worked with Renée Claude, Robert Charlebois, Louise Forestier, Claude Dubois and Zachary Richard, among others.
“Jazz ballets were very popular in the early 1980s. “My father wrote two pieces to choreograph on,” adds his son.
Michel Séguin has traveled throughout Africa, Latin America and Hawaii to promote his art. “Back then, to learn those rhythms, you had to stay with the people who played those rhythms. It’s an art, there’s a thousand-year tradition behind it, we don’t just play it like that,” says his son, also an African drummer. During his time in Africa, Michel Séguin obtained the Toubabou Djembe Folla (meaning “foreigner who plays the djembe”) qualification. This nickname led to the creation of the musical group Toubabou, composed of members of the Ville Émard Blues Band, which will perform live between 1974 and 1977 and will release two albums, including the classic Afro-funk fusion Attente (1975). , quite unique in Quebec music.
Over the years, Michel Séguin senior no longer went to the foot of Mount Royal, delegating responsibility for the event to his son and friends. In recent years he has lamented the anarchic side of the assembly.
“Over the years, Michel found that it had lost some of its harmony,” notes Éric Lafontaine, a drummer who was his student for a number of years. “At first he held it with an iron fist. It seems he held it down with his wand and his whistle. He wanted there to be musicality. He was primarily a music lover. He honored the djembe. »
Several of Michel Séguin’s relatives promise to pay their respects at the next Sunday meeting. They also intend to ask the city to erect a statue in his homage, where Montreal’s musical fauna vibrate every Sunday during the summer.