- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
By now all of Canada is aware that Montreal's Arcade Fire won the prestigious Grammy for album of the year for their album "The Suburbs." Following that victory they jetted off to London to accept two Brit awards.The accolades are pouring from all quarters, even the City of Montreal put up a congratulatory banner on their website and Quebec's Parliament passed a special congratulatory motion.
How do you say 'bandwagon' in French?
The reality is that to Quebec's narrow-minded music industry and the French language militants that run the show, Arcade Fire's win is nothing to celebrate, the group and its newly won Grammy is actually a huge embarrassment.
To these narrow-minded anglophobes, Arcade Fire represents the Quebec's music industry worst nightmare, a wildly successful artistic group, singing in English and claiming Quebec as their artistic home.
For the entrenched music industry in Quebec, English music is considered a threat and a force to be countered, not encouraged.
For ADISQ, the powers that run the Quebec music scene, it is official policy to discourage English music in Quebec and so that is why, while Arcade Fire is eligible for Grammy awards in the USA, the Brit awards in England and the Junos in Canada, they are not eligible at home, for the major categories in the Quebec music industry's awards because they don't sing in French.
The 'Felixs', Quebec's music awards, restrict nominations in major categories to French singing artists and so Quebec's hottest artists such as Arcade Fire, Bobby Bazini, Sam Roberts, or Ian Kelly cannot participate. It's no wonder that the Felixs are about as prestigious as bowling club trophies.
And so even francophone artists that sing in English are treated as lepers by the Quebec music industry, which believes that by shunning English singing artists they will somehow influence and control the musical tastes of Quebeckers.
"ADISQ behaves like a cult with its parish feast which denies the reality of Montreal. It's small and dusty , "tweeted radio host Paul Arcand.Strangely, nowhere on ADISQ's French only website is the policy of promoting French language music to the detriment of English language music explained. Perhaps it is wise of them not to enunciate a racist policy that denies Quebec's English singing artists equality.
"Since 1978, ADISQ is working for the survival and blossoming of the production of independent music, strong, original and innovative."(Depuis 1978, l’ADISQ travaille à la survie et à l’épanouissement, au Québec, d’une production musicale indépendante, forte, originale et innovatrice.) LINK
This banner appears on the bottom of the ADISQ website, so its a bit disconcerting to see that English Canada is paying in large part for an organization that discriminates against English-singing artists.In spite of their efforts, Arcade Fire is proof of the failure of this bankrupt mentality that is reminiscent of totalitarian regimes which try to restrict access to the Internet or who attempt to control what citizens read and see on television.
If you think Arcade Fire's win will change this optic, you're sadly mistaken.
"Organizers of Montreal's Fete Nationale celebration say the band would have to sing their songs in French, like any other act playing at the festival for Quebec's annual holidayGiven their lack of success in controlling what Quebeckers listen to, perhaps in conjunction with the OQLF, ADISQ will ramp up the pressure and ban English music altogether. Maybe we will see a new cadre of hybrid music/language inspectors raiding the bedrooms of francophone tweens, ripping Justin Bieber posters off the wall.
The chief organizer said Wednesday that the Grammy-winning band would be welcome to play the June 24 event if it wanted to. "As long as they conform to certain guidelines," When asked whether those guidelines included not singing in English, and performing in French instead," Savard replied: "Voila." LINK
What ADISQ and French language militants refuse to admit, is the hidden reality that the Montreal English music scene, unsubsidized and unrecognized by the Quebec music industry is setting North America on it's ear. Montreal's hip underground music scene based in the Mile End district of Montreal, Canada's most creative neighbourhood, is attracting attention from artists and industry insiders across North America.
"Though Montreal may not have the commercial punch of Nashville, its musical assets extend far beyond Arcade Fire. In a study of Montreal's creative economy I conducted with Stolarick and consultant Lou Musante in the early-2000s, we found musicians from around North America relocating there to take advantage of the city's historic and cultural heritage, openness, and affordable real estate. Montreal is also home to Cirque de Soleil, a cultural force in its own right.
Upon accepting the award for best record, Win Butler, the leader of Arcade Fire--who hails originally from Texas--noted the bond between music and his adopted city. "I just want to say thank you, merci, to Montreal, Quebec, for taking us and giving us a home and a place to be in a band." Talking with reporters after the show he added: "There's such a beautiful arts scene and music and dance (and) a lot of creative forces there." This is clearly a guy who thinks a lot about place: his band's award winning album is titled "The Suburbs." Read the story in THE ATLANTIC
This incredible Montreal music scene is not an anglophone-only invention. The fact that the artistic language is English, hasn't stopped francophone artists and fans from participating.
In fact, Arcade Fire's success lies not only in its Anglo supporters, but in large part to the Quebec francophone fan base which recognized and embraced their talent almost immediately. Long before the world even heard of Arcade Fire, the group was gaining a following in the Quebec music scene, with no help of course, from ADISQ. From artsy coffee houses in the Mile End to suburban shopping centre performances in Longueuil, to the Quebec Summer Music Festival, Arcade Fire's rise can be credited to the group's talent and the support they earned from their Quebec fans, both English and French.
It's a wonderful testament to the musical sophistication of Quebec francophones who embraced an English-singing group before the world discovered them. No bandwagon here and no help from the powers that be, Quebeckers of all linguistic groups proved that it is they and they alone, who decide what music they listen to and moreover, that they have discerning taste.
Of course the French language militants are apoplectic. Louis Prefontaine compared this group to that of a Montreal ethnic restaurant, tasty and good, but not really an authentic Quebecois dish.
No doubt he prefers Poutine.
He rags on the one Francophone member of the group for pursuing a music degree at McGill University and choosing English to perform in. Link
Arcade Fire's success painfully underlines what Mr. Prefontaine wishes to deny, that is, if you want to make it internationally, you've got to perform in English. Just ask Celine Dion (who actually removed the French accent in her name) and Guy Laliberté, Quebec's most successful entertainment exports.
One of the most telling observations was made in a comment by 'Rawkenroll,' under Mr. Prefontaine's rant;
"There are artists who are content to do the CEGEP and the festival tour, generously funded out of our taxes.Touché!
There are other artists who set their sights on the world and promote Quebec across the globe.
Some people praise Loco Locass. Some people shit on Arcade Fire.
These are the people who are overpaid to ring up sales at the SAQ.
Others are playing to audiences in Las Vegas and travelling into space.
You're right Louis, Arcade Fire is nothing like us.
....They are successful and ambitious."
By the way, Saint Jean Baptiste organizers need not worry about Arcade Fire singing in English at the separatist holiday celebration, they'll likely be off on a world tour!
Read:
Editor, I guess you're just trying to show balance by bashing the City of Calgary for not producing any part of the Heritage Classic in French and the snub of Arcade Fire.
ReplyDeleteWhen you stop and think about it, the fact the Swastikas, Felixes, whatever those awards are called are not "wasted" on English bands is perhaps a perfect sign.
One fluently bilingual fellow I work with from Quebec City rolled his eyes when I explained your blogs last summer regarding the music festival in Quebec City over the foolishness of snubbing English singing groups.
Think of the fascist Felix awards as the consolation prize for the Québécois artistic cripples who simply don't have talent. The audiences know who's good. The Grammy organizers know who's good and even the Juno organizers know who's good. Look at the cities they're held in and look at their viewership on TV. How big a TV audience is there for the likes of the Swastikas, er, I mean Felixes? That's Part A of the acid test. Part B of the acid test is the audiences of the Montreal artistic community who react to what's good and what isn't. Voilà!!!
The Felixes are a very small market with very small talent and yet even smaller minds. C'est tout! Case Closed!
My comment re the Heritage Classic, about the 50th comment on the list, discussed how the small minds in the 1990s who ran the now defunct Expos circumvented a Major League Baseball rule by playing O Canada about an hour before the scheduled start of the game so as not to offend any spectators whose virgin ears may have been exposed to THEIR anthem on la Fête Nationaliste. Of course, though, the American anthem was played immediately before the start of the game as is customary before any professional sporting event. I'm sure it was an instrumental version as there is NO translation of the Star Spangled Banner in French, or even Spanish, America's most widely spoken second language.
Let the organizers of the Quebec music scene take their fascist Felix awards and stick them some place, a place I'll leave up to the readers' vivid imaginations! I also have an adjective to go with that "some place" and the first letter of it coincides with the name of the awards.
"Let the organizers of the Quebec music scene take their fascist Felix awards and stick them some place, a place I'll leave up to the readers' vivid imaginations! I also have an adjective to go with that "some place" and the first letter of it coincides with the name of the awards."
ReplyDeleteWow! Qu'est-ce que Tim a ajouté dans votre donut ce matin?Vous êtes en feu,presqu'autant que l'arcade.
Les Québécois consomment et apprécient principalement leur propre culture contrairement aux canadians qui ne font que parasiter exclusivement la culture américaine.
En passant "votre" hymne national est un produit Québécois:La musique est l'œuvre de Calixa Lavallée et les paroles françaises sont de Adolphe-Basile Routhier.Vous n'avez pas honte?
> T’as raison Louis, Arcade Fire ne représentent rien de nous.
ReplyDeleteIls ont du succès et de l’ambition…
Touché indeed.
Why shouldn't Québec and l'ADISQ work to promote francophone music? Who else is going to do it if not them...
ReplyDeletewill angophone Quebeckers do it? *laugh*
will the RoC do it? *laugh x2*
will someone in the US do it? *laugh x3*
Once again, the zealots here brand Québec as smallminded because it works to promote it's own culture, rather than that of the other 97% of North America.
All that under the cloak of promoting "diversity"...
Heh.. Actually.. you can't know if anglophone quebecers would, since most of us don't exist anymore due to political ambitions and aren't in power to do so anyway. But I'd assure you, the Canadian in us would promote any group that is going that far out and being proud of WHERE THEY ARE FROM. And finally that's a Slippery Slope. It doesn't promote 97% of America, but it sure does a good job making English Quebecers feel less than French ones.
DeleteDawson College Student
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Delete@anon 10:10 AM
ReplyDeleteMaybe it should be other Francophones that should do it versus Quebec and Canadian Taxpayers. AISDQ should get a huge funding cut.
Enfin! A piece about Arcade Fire and Montreal music. Gracias.
ReplyDeleteOne anecdotal example from me. So I went to Bon Jovi concert last weekend. What can I say, I am a fan since 1984. The Bell Centre was packed to the rafters. Strangely, everyone around me spoke French. After the concert I found out that they have been performing in Montreal since 1986 at the Montreal Forum. Also, Montreal is the Canadian city where they perform most.
I wonder if there is any francophone artist not named Celine having more success than Bon Jovi in Montreal.
Editor: "In spite of their efforts, Arcade Fire is proof of the failure of this bankrupt mentality that is reminiscent of totalitarian regimes which try to restrict access to the Internet or who attempt to control what citizens read and see on television."
ReplyDeleteSpot on, Editor. Bankrupt mentality is a perfect way to describe the mentality of many people (and most politicians) in this province.
"It is often forgotten that democracy, defined chiefly by elections and the exercise of power in the name of majority, can be as repressive of individual freedom and minority rights as dictatorship – sometimes more so"
John Gray, PhD, lecturer at Oxford, Harvard, Yale, London School of Economics and Politics
From "Gray’s Anatomy – John Gray’s Selected Writings"
Indigène, peut-être je suis en feu, mais tu êtes un FOU! You can put your small-minded opinions "some place" and plug them with a Felix so they don't escape.
ReplyDeleteManges ton May West lentement et avec soin avec un grand bouteille de Pepsi!
"En passant "votre" hymne national est un produit Québécois:La musique est l'œuvre de Calixa Lavallée et les paroles françaises sont de Adolphe-Basile Routhier.Vous n'avez pas honte? "
ReplyDeleteI'm ashamed that we adopted "O Canada" in another vain attempt to placate and accommodate Francophones in Canada. We should have stuck with "The Maple Leaf Forever" or "God Save the Queen" as our national anthems.
Anonymous@ February 22, 2011 10:10 AM said:
ReplyDelete‘Once again, the zealots here brand Québec as smallminded because it works to promote it's own culture, rather than that of the other 97% of North America.’
So you’re saying English speaking Quebecers are not part of Quebec’s culture, and it’s okay to officially disrespect and marginalized the community. Who’s the zealot?
The members of Arcade Fire pay Quebec’s extortionist taxes, but would not be allowed to sing in English on Johnny B day. What a devastating blow. The band must be crushed to be snubbed by such a grand and prestigious event. How will they survive?
Quebec’s Fete Nationale celebrates the Quebecois only, and arrogantly ignores the English speaking community. Johhny B day is just another opportunity for the Quebecois majority to assert their Franco-supremacist agenda and remind ‘the others’ that they are not valued, respected or welcome.
Quebecois nationalists are turning Quebec into an embarrassing racist backwater. Quebec’s Fete Nationale is nothing more than a Day of State Sanctioned Blue Neck Racism paid for by Canadians.
"Manges ton May West lentement..."
ReplyDeleteTssTss!Pas des May West...Des Jos-Louis.
"Les Québécois consomment et apprécient principalement leur propre culture contrairement aux canadians qui ne font que parasiter exclusivement la culture américaine."
ReplyDeleteYour ignorance is unbelievable. English Canada has its own distinctive culture. We have had great landscape artists such as Emily Carr, Tom Thomson and The Group of Seven. There is Robert Bateman, who is an outstanding wildlife artist. We have some of the best female singers in the world, top notch comedians and many rock bands that have made it big internationally.
The fact that we speak the same language as Americans doesn't mean that we have the same culture. It's like saying there is no difference between American and British culture.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteAnon 11:45: “Quebecois nationalists are turning Quebec into an embarrassing racist backwater”
ReplyDeleteThey are turning it into a backwater, but the place still stays afloat because Canada funds it. That’s what eating me up inside, is the fact that the consequences of the politics of this province are not felt as much has they should be. 8 billion $ a year in transfer payments, federal corporations (Air Canada) prohibited by the federal government from moving out of Quebec, the refusal to acknowledge and curb the excesses of Quebec laws (Bernier’s comments about bill 101 were criticized by Ignatieff and Layton, and Harper distanced himself from it), sheltering Quebec from international criticism (Mordechai Richler mentioned that it was Anglophone officials from Ottawa that pressed on him the hardest when he was publishing articles on Quebec in the New York Times).
Quebec is getting away with it and Ottawa is complicit. If Ottawa grew a pair and at least stopped funding the state of Quebec, Quebec would soon turn into a failed state, or it would reform itself, which would be good either way. But thanks to Ottawa, the morally bankrupt jurisdiction remains financially viable and carries on undeterred.
adski,
ReplyDeleteI understand your frustration, I feel it too. Many more people probably feel the same way. As irritated as we are, we must remind ourselves that time is on our side. The unnatural imbalance between Quebec and Canada will eventually correct itself. The seppies cannot fight the economic and demographic realities that will inevitably erode Quebec’s position of power and arrogance. Canadians won’t foot the bill for Quebec’s socialist and xenophobic policies forever. The Quebecois take our money and then mock us. I can’t see that going on forever, Canadians are passive, but not stupid.
@ Anon 11:45 AM
ReplyDelete> Quebec’s Fete Nationale celebrates the Quebecois only, and arrogantly ignores the English speaking community. Johhny B day is just another opportunity for the Quebecois majority to assert their Franco-supremacist agenda and remind ‘the others’ that they are not valued, respected or welcome.
First of all, nobody has been denied anything. Arcade Fire can't play on St-Jean because they are on tour. The point was only raised as a dig against Québécois. I guess if there isn't nay conflict, you better manifacture one.
Second, la Saint-Jean is the defact national holiday for french canadiens, and has been for many years. Nobody's whining that Saint-Patrick's day is anti-french or that Cinco de Mayo is offensive to Pakistanis. If you don't feel the need to celebrate it, then save your partying for canada Day. Is that too hard?
Third, although the groupe should be commended for it's great commercial and critical success, AFAIK only one of the members is actually from Montreal. They could be based in Ottawa, Los Angleles or Nashville and it probably wouldn't change a thing.
@EyeWitness
ReplyDeleteBoth adski and you are irritated?Use some vaseline and you'll get well...And don't forget to remove the Félix first.
Be smart Arcade Fire, just leave the province like most of us. Move out, we will welcome you in Ontario.You can sing in English any time.
ReplyDeleteYou stupid ignorant frenchie bigots.
Bravo - tip of hat to Arcade Fire!
ReplyDeleteYou are awesome and make us proud. I am still loving Funeral too, so many breakout awesome songs that are still suck in my head after a good five years.
Wag of the finger to 'your kind not welcome here' ADISQ, and imbécilique Connard Zealots that are not worth mentioning (or linking to in my opinion Editor :).
I can directly sympathize with AF, but on a much smaller scale. Awarded as one of twelve CDN database MVPs by Microsoft in 2010, I am made to feel as if I do not even deserve employment after seven interviews to work for an institution that embraces discrimination by a sovereigntist Judge:
La déclaration par M. Shebbeare que la Caisse [de depot] soit son employeur n’est pas un élément suffisant en soi pour déterminer l’identité de l’employeur.'
Judge cannot accept that Poste<>Contract, e-mails detailing salary after six months (I stayed for 8 in 2008) probation, a line of subordination existed (was not allowed access to do my job), and a Senior Vice President asked me to be a permanent from the beginning - what level of hypocrisy will this nationalist go to to hide the Internal Audit Failure and blame me for doing my job as a DBA?
http://www.canlii.org/fr/qc/qccrt/doc/2010/2010qccrt419/2010qccrt419.html (as my Lawyer said, Commissaire Verdone shows her true colors with this revisionist history)
Arcade Fire are very lucky to be able to tour all over and forget the Clannista's projection upon minorities here, even as few as they are, but so loud you are either deafened, OR, for example, delete comments when you counter their Losership attitude - just like Denis Coderre, an unfriended FB buddy now, did to me the other week when I blasted his comments regarding Max's Apostasy vis à vis B101.
Like them or not, add the boys from Simple Plan to the list.
ReplyDeleteHere's an article from Patrick Lagacé on this topic. You could almost hear the zealots go apoplectic..
http://tinyurl.com/4tb6z8o
"Be smart Arcade Fire, just leave the province like most of us. Move out..."
ReplyDeletePleaaaaassse!Adski and friends,lesson is advise.
Jump in the arcade fire's van!
"Nobody's whining that Saint-Patrick's day is anti-french"
ReplyDeleteWrong! A few years ago the Reseau de Resistance du Quebecois complained that the Montreal Saint-Patrick's Day parade was too English and some of its members showed up to protest. They got what they deserved when they were roughed up by some bystanders.
Now RRQ leader Patrick Bourgeois is talking about causing trouble when Prince William and his new wife visit Quebec this summer. Hopefully the Mounties will beat the crap out of the RRQ, which they should have done to these shit-disturbers when Prince Charles visited recently.
Hey why don't you post an article about why Marie-Mai was snubbed for the Grammy Awards. Why don't the Grammy feature french songs. WHY OH GOD WHYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!
ReplyDeleteCALL THE UN!!!!!
DISCRIMINATION!!! RACISM!!!! BIGOTRY!!!!
Did I mimic the tone of that article just right? ;-)
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteMan the auto correct is killing my post, I repose with corrections, sorry about that.
ReplyDeleteLOL what a stupid comment, from 7.50p, the usual crap from our usual seppie morons. Mary Mai does not register on the radar of int sales, but Celine did and got nominated. Now as for Quebec sales, arcade fire burns everything Qc has produced this year. And yet nothing from the Felix. Now see seppie really suck at comparing things correctly. They are too busy telling themselves lies to fit their screwed up perspective, see by doing so you can believe the Feds steals from them and we get less than we put in. Ah seppie logic.
I am a separatist. I like arcade fire. I would like to see them singing at the St-Jean Baptiste. Even if we will be a country, we have an English minority that we will have to protect and respect.
ReplyDeleteOnce again, some racist anglos are trying to make an issue without a point.
"Once again, some racist anglos are trying to make an issue without a point."
ReplyDeleteHuh? Have you even read Prefontaine's blog?
Poll: Young francophones tuning into English music
ReplyDeletehttp://www.montrealgazette.com/health/Poll+Young+francophones+tuning+into+English+music/4318728/story.html
De la musique, c'est de la musique, pas besoin de tout comprendre pour l'apprécier. Combien d'amateurs d'opéra ne comprennent ni l'italien ni l'allemand ni le français et apprécient ? Même chose avec la musique africaine, combien écoutent sans comprendre un traître mot ? Arcade fire chante du rock en anglais. Point barre. Du rock c'est du rock qu'il soit dans n'importe quelle langue. À moins d'y intégrer quelque chose de bien spécifique. Mais du rock en français ou du rock en anglais, ça reste du rock. J'aime bien Arcade Fire mais je ne crois pas qu'on en parlera encore dans 15-20 ans. Désolé...
ReplyDelete