Le Lion d’Or was packed to the brim on a Tuesday evening for the launch of Noubi’s Afro-folk album, Yatou, which means generosity, openness, and above all, hospitality in Wolof, one of the languages spoken in Senegal. With the Chœur d’Afrique et d’Ailleurs opening the show, we were in the perfect setting to enjoy the launch.
The Chœur d’Afrique et d’Ailleurs is a multilingual, multigenerational, and multicultural choir that supported Noubi throughout the two-year production of the album. Co-founded by Noubi and Charline Marion, an energetic and talented choir director, this group has taken us on a musical journey, singing in Wolof, Arabic, and other languages. Noubi on the cajón, Gabriel Evangelista on the piano, all brought together by Catherine Béliveau’s excellent direction and some choreography to round out the experience.
Let’s the launch begin
From backstage, you can hear the cajón. Then Caroline Planté appears on stage with her guitar, followed by Charline Marion at the piano, and finally Hector Alvarado with his bass and Dominique Soulard with his two guitars. All talented musicians hailing from France, Venezuela, Senegal, and Quebec (and a bit of Spain, since Caroline lived there for a few years). Each song is presented in a unique way. No two are alike. The Yatou Choir, much smaller than the first, accompanied them on some songs, while for others, only the musicians were on stage.
The environment, artificial intelligence, and the decolonization of the mind are among the themes explored by Noubi, who enjoys weaving short stories into his songs. A storyteller by trade, he works extensively with young children, particularly in the field of music composition.
In addition to the cajón, Noubi also plays guitar on a few tracks before returning to the cajón, his instrument of choice. Meanwhile, Charline leaves the piano to join the choir, before all the performers return to the stage for the grand finale. It was a real party, featuring a djembe segment performed by slam poet and percussionist JSM l’Officiel—who is also a member of the choir—much to the delight of the audience, who began dancing all over the place.
It was hard to leave after getting such a boost of energy in the middle of the week, but one thing is certain: everyone was smiling as they left.
