Vingt praise

Twenty highlights of the 20th
FrancoFolies de Montréal

IN FULL BLOOM: Rose

By RUPERT BOTTENBERG

With this summer’s edition of les FrancoFolies de Montréal, kicking off today, July 24, the annual cavalcade of French-language music from Europe, Africa, the Caribbean and of course Quebec caps two decades in action. In honour of the 20 candles on their cake, the Mirror offers an equal number of hot tips among the well over 200 shows at the fest this year.

Amadou et Mariam: Bamako, Mali’s celebrated musical blind couple—the ones who sang the 2006 World Cup theme and did their last album with Manu Chao—bring back their patented, polymorphic “Afro-blues.” With Daby Touré at Metropolis, Fri., Aug. 1, 9 p.m., $39.50

Bonjour Brumaire: Bright, shiny indie rock with sweet keys, memorable melodies and a loud ’n’ clear transatlantic sensibility to match BB’s French, Swiss and Quebec-anglo line-up. Zone Molson Dry, Fri., Aug. 1, 10 p.m., free

Catherine Ringer: Les Rita Mitsouko revisited and more by singer Ringer, who lost her partner in crime, guitarist Fred Chinchin, to cancer in ’07. Les Rita were arguably the wicked-coolest of 1980s French new wave acts, and going there again with her will rule. Metropolis, Sun., July 27, 9 p.m., $48.50

PLUGGED IN: Électro Lise

Électro Lise: Foxy Quebecoise model/actress Annie Dufresne returns to music with some thumping, unalloyed synth-pop/hi-NRG bubblegum fun. Check out her jam “Cousin Thing,” with Pad Class. Le Monde urbain Vidéotron, tonight, Thurs., July 24, 10 p.m., free

Hello Postier: All your basses are belong to them! The low end gets some lovin’ when Plaster’s François Plante, former Dear Martin Pelland and Breastfeeder Sunny Duval triangulate a 12-string thing. Place Loto-Québec, Sun., July 27, 9 p.m., free

Malajube: The francophone breakout indie rockers, whose magnificent Trompe-l’oeil was a Pitchfork darling, aren’t to be missed when they join jouale-coholics Gatineau, texture-rockers Karkwa and Alexandre Désilets for the big closing blowout, which’ll be filmed for broadcast on TV5, Aug. 17. Corner Clark and de Montigny, Sun., Aug. 3, 6 p.m., free

Musa Dieng Kala: A Senegalese settler in Quebec and erstwhile collaborator with Youssou NDour, Kala’s responsible for the recent album Exil, an extended meditation on faith, memory and displacement which incorporated Arab, Indian and Québécois elements. Le Monde multicultural Hydro-Québec, Fri., Aug. 1, 7 p.m., free

QUIRKY COOL: Naïla

Naïla: This vocally versatile Quebecoise’s quirky, nocturnal, kitchen-sink coolness seems cobbled together in a thrift shop—dark reverb guitar, wonky electronics, trip hop thump as thick as pea soup and chamber-pop tinkle as soft as silk. Check the somnambulist disco of the title track off her debut, Compteuses d’étoiles, or the arch, frosty synthpop of her single “Bora Bora.” Place Loto-Québec, Fri., Aug. 1, 9 p.m., free

Nicolas Tittley: Former Voir music editor and, more recently, MusiquePlus host Tittley’s got sharp taste in tunes, which he’ll be sharing when he spins at his session of the midnight Shag parties. Savoy du Metropolis, Fri., July 25, midnight, free

Le Nombre: The rough, rude, rock ’n’ roll riot of Montreal’s le Nombre is gonna do a number on you, punk! With Déportivo at Cabaret juste pour rire, Sat., July 26, 10 p.m., $14.50

Ouanani: With an all-knowing, hermaphroditic moose as its mascot, this eco-conscious crazy quilt of a band jumbles together minutia from Mali, Morocco, the American tropics and chez nous, bien sur, for a techno-folk trip loaded with polyglot wordplay and oddball humour (beaver-pelt condoms?). Le Monde multicultural Hydro-Québec, Wed., July 30, 7 p.m., free

NEW BREED: Pierre Lapointe

Pierre Lapointe: The cornerstone shows of the fest this year. Lapointe, whose polished and particular brand of upscale pop has established him as one of Quebec’s finest, unveils a three-night stand for Mutantès, his highly hyped new show. Directed by Claude Poissant, a noted figure in Quebec theatre, Mutantès is a hybrid spectacle that promises to outdo Lapointe’s audacious, outdoor orchestral shebang at last year’s Francos. At Place des Arts, Thurs.–Sat., July 31–Aug. 2, 8 p.m. (6 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on Aug. 2), $39.50–$64.50

Radio Radio: Sly, if a bit slaphappy, electro-rappers straight outta New Brunswick. The facts, en chiac. Zone Molson Dry, Wed., July 30, 10 p.m., free

Rose: This newcomer’s hummable, strummable folk-pop is American in flavour, but her light touch, vocally and lyrically, is distinctly French. Club Soda, Sat., Aug. 2, $32.50

Samian: The very personification of the historical alliance alluded to on his track “La Paix des Braves,” Franco-Algonquin rapper Samian doesn’t hold his two tongues when it comes to addressing First Nations concerns and his own mixed-blood mentality. Le Monde urbain Vidéotron, Sat., Aug. 2, 9 p.m., free

SOPREF: As the Francos turn 20, SOPREF—Société pour la promotion de la relève musicale de l’espace francophone—celebrates 10 years of its own. The organization, responsible for LOCAL Distribution and the savvy Québec Émergent comps, fete a decade of giving music from around these parts a fighting chance, and folks from their team take to the decks for a Shag party of their own. Savoy du Metropolis, Sun., July 27, midnight, free

CRUNK PUNKS: Svinkels

Svinkels: In the same ballpark as TTC and bill-mates Omnikrom, chunky French crunk from three surly, burly Parisians unafraid to goof on shit. Zone Molson Dry, Tues., July 29, 8 p.m., free, and with Omnikrom, James Deano at Metropolis, Wed., July 30, 9 p.m., $17.50

Tiken Jah Fakoly: No stranger to exile and controversy, Côte d’Ivoire’s Fakoly carries his family’s griot tradition forward with his politically potent West African reggae. Metropolis, Tues., July 29, 9 p.m., $36.50

Victoria Abril: Spanish actress Abril, familiar to fans of Pedro Almodóvar, gives French pop classics by Piaf, Gainsbourg, Ferré and more a soft and sunny flamenco makeover on her recent album, Olala! Place des Arts, Tues., July 29, 8 p.m., $29.50–$44.50

Yelle: The definitive French gamine-on-the-scene for these recent dayglo days redux. Zone Molson Dry, Wed., July 30, 8 p.m., free, and with numéro# at Cabaret juste pour rire, Thurs., July 31, 10 p.m., $14.50

For more information, go to
www.francofolies.com