Monsieur Philippe has been taking his guitar and children’s songs to Toronto’s French-language daycare centers and immersion schools for over 20 years. His show features his own songs, call and response songs, interactive musical games and songs from the traditional French and Quebec repertoires.

Monsieur Philippe has been taking his guitar and children’s songs to Toronto’s French-language daycare centers and immersion schools for over 20 years. His show features his own songs, call and response songs, interactive musical games and songs from the traditional French and Quebec repertoires.

Mamie Gâteau
Welcome to the comedy cabaret! Mamie Gâteau makes jokes while teaching young people how to tell them in turn!

https://www.tfo.org/serie/cest-rigolo-avec-mamie-gateau/002902010

11h45-17h00, Balloon Maestro

Balloon Maestro
Geometry and harmony mix and mingle in my work; balloon arrangements are treated as musical arrangements. And music is not only a metaphor – he also plays music on balloon instruments of his own invention.

https://www.tfo.org/serie/cest-rigolo-avec-mamie-gateau/002902010

GLENDON STAGE

13h00-13h30, Philippe Flahaut

Philippe Flahaut is a songwriter who draws his inspiration from the goldsmiths of French chanson and the blues wizards of Chicago. In short, he’s been said to be “somewhere between South Side and Rive-gauche”.

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Fred Boutin is a musician, author, composer and performer from Lac-Saint-Jean in Quebec. He has lived in Toronto for about ten years and works mainly in French. After a 10-year break, in 2018 he returned to composition and has actively presented his most recent material on various Toronto stages.

His first EP, “La Statue”, was released in the spring of 2019. The style of his songs has been defined by various observers as being folk-rock, groovy, at times funky, with catchy melodies, carried by a hushed voice and accompanied by a rhythmic and energetic guitar. Musical collaboration and the magic that emanates from it is at the heart of Fred’s musical process, from the inspiration to write to the presentation of the material on stage. Violinists, trumpet players, pianists, drummers, bassists, guitarists have taken turns playing the game and accompanying Fred’s guitar and voice on different stages.

In spring 2021, Fred released a single called Funtown. A French pop song born from a steady guitar riff. The sound exploration on keyboards and the pursuit of a melodic theme played on the trumpet played a big role in the writing of this piece which tells the story of a musician who puts his career on hold, who puts his passion for music on ice, the time to put his energy on creating a family.

This piece gives its title to the 2nd album released in March 2024. The Funtown Ep brings together 4 songs previously released on platforms in recent years and recorded with Tim Bovaconti: la rencontre, Funtown, Kilometre zero and Kilometre zero remixée.

This 2nd EP includes the unreleased piece “Légèreté du Temps”, which is released for the first time and was recorded in Toronto in the fall of 2023. Since September 2023, Fred has been an active artist in his immediate community, East York in Toronto, hosting 2 openmics that aim to bring together members of the local community as well as local talent.

Englis version: https://francophonie-en-fete.com/en/speaker/fred-boutin-2

Link: Official website

‌14h30-15h00, Suzelle

Suzelle (Suzie Bisaillon), originally from Montreal and has lived in Toronto for several years. She is a singer-songwriter and musician in her spare time. Loving French and English music, she is the singer of the musical group Alexander Jazz Band. Since her beginnings in singing, she has been part of several musical groups, most recently the group Ambiance.

For this festival, she will be accompanied by guitarist Frédéric Boutin and Joe Wright on bass and will make you relive memories of jazz-style songs.

15h15-16h15, LA JARRY

LA JARRY is a band formed by 2 brothers, Benoît (singer) and David Pourtau (guitarist), accompanied by Arnaud Bottin on bass and Alexandre Thibault on drums.

After making their demos in Peter Gabriel’s studios in England, the band LA JARRY released several records including “Babylone”, mixed by Canadian producer David Bottrill known for having mixed Muse, Smashing Pumpkins records… based in Toronto.

The life of the band LA JARRY takes place on the road. LA JARRY has the reputation of being a “stage band”! They do a lot of concerts and tour in France as well as in Canada, USA, (Francofolies de Montreal, Ardèche Aluna festival, Printemps de Bourges, London, New York, Chicago…). The band LA JARRY sings in French and communicates a lot with the public. For all lovers of French rock!

16h30-17h15, Noémi Madeleine

Noémi is a bilingual multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter, originally from Ottawa. Her classical music roots are present in her lyrical folk, rock and pop music. Her original songs and covers highlight harmonies and vocal prowess as well as a tight rhythm and an array of wind instruments thanks to the Friendless crew that accompanies her during her shows.

She has been part of several musical groups in Toronto and works with several artists and musicians in the city.

Noémi Madeleine’s (artist name of Noémi Parenteau-Comfort) first EP, Ces mots is a collection of 6 songs, like love letters to several people in her life (her nephews, her best friend, her lovers) and to places she frequents in a world that is not always listening.

The album floats in a lyrical folk universe inspired by French song and Canadian folk and taking inspirations from classical music thanks to a varied instrumentation including clarinets, violins, cellos and bassoon in addition to the central folk group with the guitar and piano highlighted.

With a voice that is sometimes soft and vulnerable, sometimes insistent and with her sincere songs, Noémi Madeleine suggests that we can offer our words as a gift and that sometimes, if we are lucky, the other person is willing to receive them.

noemimadeleine.com @noemimadeleinemusique

noemi.musique@gmail.com

17h30-18h00, Loch Ontario

Celtic Trad Kitchen Party

Rooted in Toronto, on the shores of Lake Ontario, Andy Sharp, Billy Boulet, and Chris Murray are making their own brew of Scottish, Irish, Quebec, and Breton trad music. Andy, from Scotland and Ireland, brings the folk colours to the group, as well as the guitar and banjo accompaniments. Billy, originally from Abitibi, the group’s bagpipe player, gives us a taste of his highland pipes, uilleann pipes, smallpipes, whistles, and harmonicas while bringing into the mix call-and-response songs and foot rhythms. Chris, who comes from all over Canada, lets us smell the aromas of Cape Breton fiddle and always gives us his songs in their purest form. Together, they are Loch Ontario.

Rooted in Toronto, on the shores of Lake Ontario, Andy Sharp, Billy Boulet, and Chris Murray are making their own brew of Scottish, Irish, Quebec, and Breton trad music. Andy, hailing from Ireland and Scotland, depending on which side of his family he is speaking about, brings in the folk element to the group, as well as the guitar or banjo accompaniment. Billy, all the way from Abitibi in North Western Quebec, the piper of the group, cracks the Scottish traditions of the Highlands and Lowlands on Bagpipes and Smallpipes, and is not shy to weave Uilleann Pipes, Whistles and Harmonicas into the mix, along with a good dose of foot tapping and songs to respond. Chris, a real traveler fiddler, grew up all over Canada and gives us a taste of the Cape Breton tradition, he always prefers to sing his songs in their purest forms. Together, they are Loch Ontario.

THANKS TO ALL THE ARTISTS