Finally, culminating in his 50-year career, singer-songwriter Yves Duteil presented his “Paths of Freedom” Thursday night at Montreal’s Outremont Theater, a place of very special meaning to him.
It was at this very spot on Avenue Bernard that the “most Quebecoan of all French singers”, as he likes to describe himself, gave his first transatlantic concert half a century ago.
He presented on Thursday evening in front of an attentive and respectful room the songs of his last work “Respect”, released in 2018, including the title track “Le passeur de lumière” – which he wrote for Jean, the father of his wife Noëlle -, as well as “Armes d’amour” and “Mohammed, Aïcha”.
PHOTO AGENCY QMI, MARIO BEAUREGARD
Arriving on stage just after 8pm, the singer took the time to greet the applause from his audience, standing center stage, eyes on him and with a big smile, before taking his seat at the piano . He first played “L’ectoire”, then “A l’abri du Meilleur”.
He then continued with the piece “Le mur de la Prison d’en Face” while being joined by a first musician, Philippe Nadal on cello. The other two, François Marion on double bass and Dominic Cloutier on drums, followed to give life to “Argentina”, a song written for a friend and former neighbor who left his home country to follow love and settle into it settle down in a South American country.
PHOTO AGENCY QMI, MARIO BEAUREGARD
For this piece, the singer-poet swapped his piano bench for his stool set up in front of the stage, where he landed, guitar in hand. A passage he borrowed almost a dozen times over the course of the evening.
Between songs, the singer took time to tune his stringed instrument, resulting in many moments of silence “gentle as a caress,” he noted at the end of his show, which was twice postponed due to the pandemic.
PHOTO AGENCY QMI, MARIO BEAUREGARD
The atmosphere was intimate, confidential and free from artificiality. Yves Duteil, himself dressed soberly in a blue shirt and black trousers, was very close to his audience, given the narrowness of the room, but also by being talkative and cordial towards them. He took the time to put virtually all of his songs into context, noting in particular that his grandson’s birth inspired the song “If I Were Your Path,” in which he articulates a shared feeling of wanting him, but also to lead him on the right path.
PHOTO AGENCY QMI, MARIO BEAUREGARD
The singer obviously played the essentials of his musical repertoire, such as the piece “Prendre un enfant”, which was warmly applauded by the audience from the first notes, “La langue de chez nous”, which was performed at the end of the concert, and ” Melancholy”, on which the audience hummed the last notes.
Yves Duteil will present his “Paths of Freedom” this Friday in Lévis at L’Anglicane. He continues his Quebec tour until April 8th.