Le Vent Du Nord

With its rhythmic fiddle style, unique tunes, step dancing and songs passed through generations, the French musical heritage of Quebec is filled with energy, excitement and emotion. These songs and dances have now been passed down for more than 400 years. When Canada became an English-speaking British colony in 1763, these traditions were kept isolated in French-speaking communities throughout Quebec. While the songs and stories remained in their original historic language, they were influenced by the music of their neighboring communities consisting of Irish and Scottish immigrants, creating a unique French-Canadian style of music.

Le Vent du Nord is a collection of master artists who play traditional French-Canadian music called Quebecois. Nicolas Boulerice grew up singing family songs of his community passed to him by his father. A talented pianist, he also learned to build and play the hurdy-gurdy, an instrument known in French as vielle à roue (the “wheel fiddle”). Olivier Demers is an accomplished fiddle player who started playing jazz and chamber music before finding his way back to the music of his home. Brothers Réjean and André Brunet grew up in a musical household in the town of Lacolle. With Réjean on accordion and André on fiddle, the brothers formed a duo, Les Frères Brunet (The Brunet Brothers) and toured the world, earning acclaim for the mastery of their instruments at a young age.

Since forming the band in 2002, Le Vent du Nord has toured across Canada and the world, and remain beloved in their homeland of Quebec. Their music combines new compositions as well as traditional tunes and call and response songs that the band members learned as children from their families. Le Vent du Nord brings the vibrant spirit and energy of Quebec to each of their shows.

Quebec is one of thirteen provinces and territories of Canada, located in the eastern portion of the country. It is the only province in the country whose official language is exclusively French. Quebec shares a border with the U.S. states of New York, New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont. When the first European explorers and colonizers arrived in this region, the Algonquian, Iroquois and Inuit First Nations controlled what is now Quebec. In 1522, French explorers claimed the land as “New France.” Initial French attempts at settling the region met with failure. However, French fishing fleets continued to sail to the Atlantic coast of what is now Quebec, making alliances with First Nations that would become important once France began to occupy the land. These initial voyages gave way to wave upon wave of French migration to New France. By the time of the American Revolution, the area had become known as Quebec and 99% of the people living there spoke French. Although initially tied to France, the people of this new land forged their own identity through their combined cultures, regional folklore, music and the changing of language to a unique French-Canadian dialect, distinct from what is now spoken in France.

After viewing the Le Vent du Nord video, before showing it to your class:

• What did you find most interesting about the video, the group, their musical traditions, and home region?
• What do you think the students will find most interesting about this group and their traditions?
• What concepts/skills/topics in your curriculum might the visit and related activities connect to or shed insight on?
• How is the life and community of these performers similar to parts of your students’ communities?
• How is the life and community of these performers distinctly different from your students’ communities?