Additional Information
Last April, Productions Nuits d’Afrique held the 16th edition of its annual Sylis d’or de la musique du monde Made in Montréal competition. It’s a competition that’s become a fixture on the city’s music scene. Of the many bands that didn’t make it through to the final, we at PAN M 360 have picked out four that we’d like to make better known to the general public. The context being what it is in competitions, the semi-finalists are all too easily and quickly forgotten.
Méduse is one of these groups that caught the attention of music lovers lucky enough to be at Club Balattou on 20 April 2023 in Montreal. A mix of music ranging from Latino to Balkan folk, with an exciting sprinkling of operatic vocal flights, Méduse’s product convinces everyone with the exceptional quality of its collective musicality and the technical finesse displayed by the individuals who form its essence. The group itself seems reluctant to give itself a precise definition: alternative world? International folk? Exotic song? Trad opera? A bit of everything, probably.
We were very impressed by the Méduse performance: Gabrielle Cloutier (vocals), Joshua Greenberg (guitar, banjo), Nicolas Lafortune (percussion), Nominoë Crawford (violin), Olivier Salazar (keyboard) and Blanche Méthé (tuba). So, we wanted to give them the visibility they deserve, in keeping with the high quality of the ensemble’s live performances.
Meet one of our favorites from the Sylis d’or 2023 semi-finals: Méduse.
PAN M 360: We’d like to give you the opportunity to be better known by a wider public, so let’s start at the beginning: how did the band come about?
Méduse: (Gabrielle) Josh started the project. We knew each other and he offered to let me sing and come up with melodies, or even write them, so that we could do something linked to the world of trad and acoustic jazz. We found lots of other members of the scene, which is a big gang but everyone knows everyone else. Most of us came through Saint-Lo (the Saint-Laurent CEGEP). It was during the pandemic, so we had a bit of time to put the thing together. But it happened very quickly. Within a few months, we were accepted for a residency project at Mont-Louis in Gaspésie (August 2022). We had to design a show and put it on that same evening! Just like that. That was the birth of Méduse.
PAN M 360: Méduse is a happy blend, a special mix of traditional, classical, jazz and lots of other things. How do you strike the right balance?
Méduse: Nominoë brings a lot of ideas and compositions from the violin. Then we add a bunch of parts inspired by our personal musical identities. My background is classical singing (I did a Master’s at McGill in early music and baroque), Josh has links with Turkish-Greek music, and European traditional music in general, Olivier comes from jazz, Blanche too, but with a classical foot, Nico is into Latin percussion… In short, it’s all that.
PAN M 360: It’s all that, but at the same time you have to tie all these influences together in a coherent and convincing way. Which is what I think you did at the Sylis d’or. Let’s talk about the Sylis. It’s a great showcase for you?
Méduse: Oh yes, absolutely! It’s a great asset to be able to have a bill there, even if it’s only for 2 or 3 concerts.
PAN M 360: There are so many good bands and artists in Montreal. The Sylis don’t give them all the chance to express themselves as often as they deserve. They just don’t have enough room. What else is there to support bands like yours? And conversely, what is missing?
Méduse: The CAM (Conseil des Arts de Montréal) on tour is very good. But again, there are a lot of applicants and places are limited, which is normal. What’s missing the most are intermediate venues to play. There are the small bars and there are the good, big venues. Nothing in between. There used to be the Divan Orange, but it’s closed. There’s nothing like it now. It’s a big void.
PAN M 360: You’re not the only ones to have told me that. I hope that someone (and even more than one) will take over. That said, it’s a tough niche and the income is meagre…. Are you satisfied with your performance?
Méduse: Yes, under the circumstances. I had two ear infections! But I don’t think it showed.
PAN M 360: I can confirm that
Méduse: Thank you! That’s the school of classical singing. No matter what you’re going through, it should never interfere with the music.
PAN M 360: How would you like to develop Méduse?
Méduse: We like the theatrical side of the music. My background in opera helps a bit, lol. I’d like us to develop the dramatic aspect of the songs even more. I’d say the ideal situation for Méduse would be to collaborate with dance, theatre and circus artists. In the 2nd album in preparation, there will be more singing and talking. I want to tell stories.
PAN M 360: Méduse… Why the name?
Méduse: It just came about. We had to come up with a name when we had to put on a show very quickly. We tried all sorts of things, but at one point, I can’t remember why, we were talking about jellyfish (which translates as méduse in French). They come in all sorts of shapes and colours. We thought it would fit. That’s about it.
