The Years Abroad.

There’s a long tradition of artists leaving home to explore the wider world. Some bring back a lifetime’s worth of experiences that enrich their work for years to come. Then there are others who need to stay in exile for a while. Being away from home seems to set them free from whatever’s been holding things back and gives them the courage to jump to a new level. It’s a bit like a butterfly coming out of a cocoon.

This Saturday night we’ll be putting the new CD by Gonzales into High Rotation. It’s called Soft Power. He lived in Paris for years and that great city has long been a magnet for artists seeking out creative inspiration. Feist, Buck 65 and Sarah Slean have also spent time there, and the American sister group CocoRosie have set up shop in the Eiffel tower city too. We’ll play their Rainbow Warriors on Friday night.




This year marks the 400th anniversary of the founding of Quebec City. While, I’m not much for the news, the controversy surrounding Michaëlle Jean’s visit to France has certainly reminded us about the link that still exists between Canada and France. A tour there is often the first big step for Quebec artists as they start to make their mark beyond our borders. That’s how it worked for Jorane, who’s gone on to break down lots of musical barriers. On Friday and Saturday night we’ll be playing her music. For me, she is one of the most interesting artists around. Jorane takes her classical training and fearlessly explores the feast of sound possibilities that are available to a musician in our time. Look down this page a bit to find a video of her performing with Bobby McFerrin at the Montreal Jazz Festival.

Friday night, we also have a concert set from Ghislain Poirier. He played Paris last month as part of a European tour. His dance floor DJ style is another example of a multi-stylistic fusion.

Maybe we live too close to the supposedly mono-lingual US, but we often seem to be afraid of a multi-lingual future. I spent my exile years in New York City and I can tell you that the ads in the subway are often in Spanish (that was actually the first time that I realized the word cucaracha meant cockroach – listen to Jorane’s song Cucaracha on Friday night around 11:45).



From my experience Canada’s multi-cultural foundation is really valued in the broader world. We’re seen as a place where people aren’t just free to express themselves, but that conformity to some approved style isn’t possible – because we don’t have one. So what does it mean to be Canadian – other than being nice and polite? Perhaps it means really finding your own voice.