Is Nabihah Iqbal where you may not expect her ? Not at all. Let’s avoid any colonialist bias from the outset and agree that British-born Nabihah Iqbal is a citizen of the world. Of Pakistani origin, she grew up and lives in London. She released Dreamer on Ninja Tune in 2023, we then observed that her musical influences were rock, ethereal wave, a little shoegaze, post-punk, ambient, but also slightly West African, South Asian and more from non occidental sources. Roughly speaking, the result is quite rock, and is presented on stage as a quartet or duo with electronic and pre-recorded additions. The slimming formula will be chosen at Rialto Hall, next Saturday in the context of POP Montreal. Reached this week in Philadelphia at the heart of her tour, Nabihah Iqbal talks about the foundations of her art, as well as her interesting studies in ethnomusicology. Alain Brunet interviewed her.
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In 2022, Jeanne Laforest is not far from her student days at McGill University’s Schulich School of Music. She released an album of songs characterized by their rich orchestrations. The songs on Puisque les heures nous manquent are infused with romantic classical music, early music, contemporary music and jazz, as well as electro, jungle rhythms and autotuned vocals. The songwriter, composer, arranger, keyboardist and singer went on to reach the semi-finals of the Festival international de la chanson de Granby. Freed from competitions and university studies, she is now at the helm of a variable-geometry chamber orchestra that performs her music and songs. The first incarnation was Buissonor, soon to become Forestuor. Jeanne Laforest’s real Montreal debut will take place at Centre PHI, this Saturday, September 21, 8pm. PAN M 360 interviewed this resourceful young artist, who explains the Buissonor and Forestuor concepts to Alain Brunet.
Beverly Glenn-Copeland, Juana Molina, Patrick Watson, The Dears, Barr Brothers or The Fleshtones are the “well known” artists among the 150 sets that will be presented at the 23rd Pop Montreal festival, from September 25th to 29th – Wednesday to Sunday. And that’s saying a lot! In fact, what is so cool again with POP MTL is not about comford food but about discovering the live sets of so many underground artists, from the local scene to the international scene. Presented in a lot of venues including unusual ones, those artists may remain confidential but there are always some who will reach a much bigger status for the best reasons. Most definitely, POP Montreal is staying the course and submitting the results of its researches over 12 months. “This is Hipster Christmas time ! ” laughes Dan Seligman founder and still main artistic seeker of this great Montreal happening. So let’s get his picks before customising our schedules! Alain Brunet met him for PAN M 350, they spoke English and French. Montreal way, of course.
The Université Laval Jazz Competition was created in 2014 by the excellent pianist and associate professor Rafael Zaldivar. The competition had originally been set up to “enhance the expertise in performing and creating in the jazz tradition within the Faculty of Music at Université Laval”. Today, the competition attracts performer-creators from across Quebec’s academic community, providing a unique forum for exchange between university and college students. The competition’s evaluation criteria are based on interaction, composition, improvisation, transcription, transposition and sight-reading. A hand-picked jury will evaluate the candidates, who will perform on October 3 and 4, starting at 6 p.m., at Université Laval’s Théâtre de la Cité Universitaire (TCU). The winner of the first Université Laval Excellence Award will receive $7,000, plus the opportunity to perform in concert at the Festival Québec Jazz in June 2025. He or she will also have the chance to shoot a professional-quality video at Université Laval’s LARC studio, accompanied by the festival’s production team. The second-place winner (best artistic talent) will receive $5,000 and a guaranteed presence at the Festival Québec. 3. Third place (Gabriel Hamel Emerging Talent Award) will receive $3,000 and a concert at the Festival Québec Jazz. All good reasons to interview Rafael Zaldivar on PAN M 360. Alain Brunet conducted this interview.
Living a century before JS Bach, Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) was a key composer at the end of the Renaissance – or at the dawn of the Baroque period – whose major contribution was to clarify the expression of human feelings through song and instrumental music. A great specialist of the Renaissance, whose every nook and cranny he has visited, the eminent Jordi Savall returns to Quebec to present a program built around Monteverdi, entitled Les larmes et le feu des muses (Tears and the fire of the muses), a reminder of the extremes of the emotional spectrum and a way of filling out this palette. These include works by Monteverdi, English composers John Dowland (1563-1626) and Anthony Holborne (1545-1602), and German composer Samuel Scheidt (1587-1654). The lyric quintet La Capella Reial de Catalunya and the 5-viola ensemble Hesperyon XXI will perform. The concerts will take place on October 6 at Palais Montcalm and the following day at Maison symphonique de Montréal. In advance, PAN M 360 caught up with the Catalan maestro to find out more about this program and other artistic projects close to his heart.
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A seasoned performer of multidisciplinary artistic projects, lyric singer Stéphanie Pothier invites audiences to the immersive concert De la mer aux nuages [From the sea to the clouds], to be presented at the Maison de la culture de Pointe-aux-Trembles and the Maison de la culture Notre-Dame-de-Grâce on September 21 and 24 respectively, before touring to Carleton-sur-Mer on November 9. Integrating songs from the classical repertoire with works by Berlioz, Debussy and Ravel, with an original composition for voice, piano and electronics by Julien-Robert, the program takes the listener on a sonic and visual voyage from the depths of the St. Lawrence River to the heights of the skies and clouds. With our collaborator Alexandre Villemaire, she presents the genesis of this project.
The Confluents audiovisual exhibition, presented in conjunction with the concert, runs until October 6 at the Maison de la culture Notre-Dame-de-Grâce from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more info, click here
photo: Pierre-Étienne Bergeron
The 59th season of the Société de musique contemporaine du Québec (SMCQ) highlights three great “boreal composers”: the late Kaija Saariaho (Finland), Nicole Lizée (Quebec) and the late Jocelyn Morlock (Canada), in three eclectic programs. In addition to a selection of eight pieces by these visionary creators, the 2024-25 season will feature works by Hans Martin, Keiko Devaux, Margareta Jeric, Philippe Macnab-Séguin, Samy Moussa, Tanya Tagaq and Rita Ueda. Among the pieces are five new SMCQ commissions.
The SMCQ’s 59th season will also see the 12th presentation of the Montreal/New Music (MNM) international festival, from February 14 to March 2, 2025. The eclectic and explosive program, which explores the diverse facets of the relationship between music and images, will be unveiled in autumn 2024.
The intensification of the aurora borealis this year prompted a general theme, evoking the “multicolored spectrum of creative music”.
SMCQ Artistic Director, composer Simon Bertrand, explains his plans for the new season… and will unveil the MNM Festival program later this autumn.
When a local culture reaches out to the universal through creation, it’s mission accomplished. This is absolutely the case for Stéphane Lafleur, filmmaker, author, composer and singer of the group Avec pas d’Casque, who begins a new creative cycle with the release of his 7th album, Cardinal, on the Bravo Musique label. The album’s entire content was played two nights in a row in Rouyn-Noranda as part of the FME, shortly before the official release of this 9-song opus, scheduled for Friday, September 13 and followed by what promises to be a long and successful tour. For the first time at PAN M 360, Stéphane Lafleur talks to Alain Brunet, on the eve of this brand-new chapter.
His destiny could have taken him to France, but in the end he decided to settle in Montreal. Manoel Vieira, a university professor, top-level pianist and occasional producer, will be launching the first edition of the Journées brésiliennes. He spoke to our journalist Michel Labrecque about his performance on Saturday September 7 at 11 a.m., as well as his inspiring career.
A dream come true. Viktória had long dreamed of these Brazilian days, but kept the idea in the back of her mind. Until the day an opportunity she couldn’t pass up presented itself. And so began an adventure that lasted almost a year, but which will come to fruition this Saturday and Sunday, September 7 and 8, in the heart of the Plateau Mont-Royal. On the menu: Brazilian dance, music and gastronomy, all free of charge! What more could you ask for this Fall?
Massachusetts native Chris Ross has established himself as a versatile and in-demand bassist since relocating to Montréal for his studies. Now he is stepping into the spotlight with his first solo EP, Overdrive, set for release on September 18th. Chris opens up about his creative process, the inspiration behind his new music, and his transition from a sideman to a solo artist.
PAN M 360 : Thanks for being here Chris, and congratulations on the latest single. Out of the three you’ve released so far, this one feels the most like a fully-fledged song. Would you say that’s a fair assessment?
Chris Ross: Thank you! Yeah, I think that’s fair to say. “Overdrive” is the title track of the EP, and I believe it gives a good sense of the project as a whole.
PAN M 360 : The EP has a lot of songs, despite what the single rollout may have indicated.
Chris Ross: Exactly. I wanted the release to be varied. There are some unconventional tracks on there, but when they are all played together, they make sense as a cohesive unit. Even though it’s a short, seven-song EP, I’m happy with how it all flows. At first, I thought the diversity in the tracks might be too much, but now that I hear them together, it feels right.
PAN M 360 : And when is the EP coming out?
Chris Ross : September 18th.
PAN M 360 : How are you feeling about the release?
Chris Ross: I’m excited! It’s challenging to be an independent artist, and I’ve made some mistakes along the way, but I’m grateful for the opportunity to make music and engage with my community. This project feels like a springboard for more creative work. I’m happy with the music and eager to create more.
PAN M 360 : Is this your first solo effort then? I know you’ve been involved in a lot of different projects as a sideman.
Chris Ross: Yes, it’s my first solo project. These songs are actually a second wave of material I wrote; there’s another set that’s still in the vault. But with these tracks, I felt they belonged together and represented where I’ve been creatively for the past two years.
PAN M 360 : Has this been a long time coming, or is this a recent transition for you, moving more into songwriting and production?
Chris Ross : For a long time I thought I’d be a jazz upright bass player, whatever that means in today’s world. But writing music has always been a part of me, even since I was a kid writing little songs. After years of honing my craft and learning from so many talented musicians, I finally felt ready to release something of my own. Even though nothing is ever perfect, this is a good representation of where I am now.
PAN M 360 : It sounds like this project allowed you to explore the studio space quite a bit. Can you talk more about that?
Chris Ross : Definitely. One thing that ties all the tracks together is the use of analog sounds. For instance, we did a lot with unconventional recording techniques, like using headphones as microphones and recording over phone calls to create a kind of compressed effect. We experimented a lot with things like that, and I’m really happy with how it turned out.
PAN M 360 : It sounds great, and what I love is how very personal and intimate it all feels. Is this music really a vehicle for self-reflection then?
Chris Ross : Yeah definitely, especially with songs like the ones about my mom. A lot of the project reflects different kinds of love—love for partners, friends, a parent, nature. I wanted to capture those feelings in the music.
PAN M 360 : And love for the listener for sure. Some of the songs feel like a hug you know?
Chris Ross : Absolutely. I wanted the music to feel warm and welcoming, something people could connect with.
PAN M 360 : Would you say that this album is a step towards more experimental work in the future, or is this the sound you plan to continue with?
Chris Ross : I have many ideas, and I think I could go in several directions. I love all kinds of music, from free jazz to more experimental sounds. But for now, I wanted to create something that people would enjoy listening to—something that felt like an expression of love.
PAN M 360 : Do you think your future projects will still fall under the name Chris Ross, or could you see yourself using a different name for different styles?
Chris Ross : I think Chris Ross is flexible enough to cover a range of styles. I might release some piano sketches under this name or explore other avenues, but I think it can all fit under one umbrella.
PAN M 360 : So what’s next for you? Do you see this solo project as your main focus now?
Chris Ross: I have so many ideas, and this project has given me energy to keep creating, whether under my own name or with others. I love playing other people’s music and collaborating; it always sparks new ideas for my own work. I’m already working on new music, and I don’t think I’ll ever stop creating.
PAN M 360 : That sounds like a fulfilling journey ahead. We wish you all the best, Chris.
Chris Ross : Thanks Varun.
PAN M 360 : Over and out.
Bassist and composer Corey Thomas sits down with Vitta Morales to discuss his musical mission, his professional experiences, and his vision for future musical endeavors including his most significant project to date, Backwater Township. Corey Thomas is Mi’gmaq from the First Nations community of Gesgapegiag. Great jazz and great involvement !
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