The central theme of the album Voisinages lies in its title. Voisinages refers to interculturality, the exchange of cultures that make up traditional Western music as experienced in French-speaking America, Quebec, Acadia, Cajun, not to mention others. Even today, VdN draws on folk sources from France, Ireland, Scotland, and Brittany, bringing this intercultural heritage up to date. Here, the hope for national sovereignty is not rooted in resentment but rather in good neighborliness, openness, sharing, and positive coexistence. The lyrics put forward tell more heartfelt stories of human existence through time, for better or for worse.
The 13th album from the undisputed flagship of trad keb reaches great maturity here, without compromising any of its achievements and strengths. Le Vent du Nord remains both a bearer of tradition in its songwriting quest and an agent of change whose goal is to breathe life and longevity into this approach, which is essential to all nations and cultures. We thus find ourselves transported to different periods in the history of the French-speaking world, from the port of La Rochelle to Saint-Charles-sur-le-Richelieu, Saint-Côme, and Montreal.
What’s more, this album features the first studio contribution from André “Dédé” Gagné, who takes over from Simon Beaudry, now flying solo. A free agent without compensation (hehe), Dédé has made a name for himself as a singer, powerful guitar player, and multi-instrumentalist, much like his new colleagues Olo Demers, Nicolas Boulerice, André, and Réjean Brunet.
In short, we have before us a highly cohesive quintet, whose modern groove borders on tradition, which has just delivered its best performances without proposing any major stylistic, instrumental, or orchestral reforms.
