Lèche Vitrine

Samantha Etane

m Bringing you la crème de la crème of Montreal’s cultural scene with images & words! n

Inspired by Montreal's vibrant and eclectic cultural art scene, I will take it to the streets to uncover the best of our city's musicians and artists of all trades. As a blogger for La Vitrine, I will report on the most exciting news in music, dance, drama, literature and more! With a background in film and communications, I’m passionate about learning and discovering new artistic trend I'm a lover and crafter of images and words who finds inspiration in all that I see, read and hear. When I'm not working as a Web project coordinator, I blog about pretty stuff in my visual diary, write about film and music and spend hours listening to Curtis Mayfield. And oh, I also love playing with my Polaroid camera and eating ice cream. I'm extremely excited about this new adventure writing for La Vitrine, so stay tuned!

(An) Jamaican Jubilee

To all of you who thought the Jamaican wave was going to slow down after the Olympics, think again, Montrealers! Until Sunday, the Old Port is hosting the 9th edition of the Montreal International Reggae Festival; that is a three-day party with good music, good food and more!

Once again, centered around the theme « United Against Violence », this edition is even more exciting as the Caribbean island is also celebrating its 50th year of independence. This year’s rich and eclectic line-up presents a great overview of Jamaican artists and genre from yesterday and today.

On Friday, the festivities will open will local acts like the one and only DJ Poirier, one of Quebec’s most creative DJs who is also a real connoisseur of the West-Indian musical scene. Signed to London-based Ninja Tune label, DJ Poirier needs no introduction; a veteran of Montreal’s dance and club scenes! Poirier has been experimenting with hip-hop, electro, crunk, rock and dancehall (and much more) for many years. One thing is for sure, when Poirier is on the mix, the crowd goes wild! Other Canadian artists include Jamhaitian and C-Kool Slim. Also, the artist formerly known as Baby Cham will perform all of his biggest hits, including the classic Ghetto Story.

Saturday is solely dedicated to Dancehall and the festival decided to invite la crème de la crème of the genre, many of which performed at this July’s 20th edition of the Reggae Sumfest2012 in Montego Bay. Performers like Popcaan, Konshens, Khago, Christopher Martin and Assassin will fire up the stage with their up-beat tracks and make you dance and sweat for hours.

On Sunday, things will slow down just a bit with performances by newcomer, crooner Romain Virgo, vocalist Tarrus Riley and finally, Jimmy Cliff! The reggae icon will present his first EP in 8 years, the critically acclaimed Rebirth. After a lengthy detour in the pop, radio-friendly world, this album marks the (long-awaited) return of Cliff to its ska and reggae roots. We can expect a raw and colorful set from an artist who’s been performing and touring for over 5 decades. Born in Saint-James, Jamaica, Jimmy Cliff is a true veteran of the Jamaican musical scene, having released more than 25 albums. The 64-year-old singer whose hit singles include the 1962 track Miss Jamaica, Many rivers to cross, Reggae Night rose to fame in the late 1960 after signing to Island Record. His contribution to Jamaican culture is certainly not limited to music as Cliff also starred in the now classic 1972 flick, The Harder They Come, in which he played the main character Ivanhoe « Ivan » Martin. In the subsequent years, Cliff toured, performed in Europe, Asia and North America where his music brought him awards and accolades from the public and the industry alike. And in 2010, he joined the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. For this particular performance, Jimmy Cliff will be backed up by Tarrus Riley’s talented band Black Soil band. The festival organizers couldn’t have found a better ambassador than Jimmy Cliff to close this 9th edition!

Founded in 2002, the Montreal International Reggae Festival has now become one of North America’s largest reggae festivals and it seems that the organizers are not resting on their laurels. The preparations for next year’s edition are well underway, and the 10 year anniversary will be rich and full of amazing surprises!

Musique

(An) Things Are Looking Bright for Jjanice

The 20 something Montrealer who has just released one of his most exciting singles to date, has been performing extensively throughout the city. Most recently he participated in the Kalmunity Vibe Collective 3 nights stunt at Le Savoy as part of the Jazz Festival. We caught up with this self-proclaimed hybrid artist for a short (and sweet) interview.

Samantha : What is Kalmunity Vibe Collective?

Jjanice : Kalmunity Vibe Collective is a group of multidisciplinary artists (poets, singers, MCs, dancers and musicians) that has been performing together, on a weekly basis, for about 10 years. The approach is a “Live Organic Improv” where music is “created” spontaneously and organically. Each performance is a unique experience.

Samantha : What is you role in the Kalmunity Vibe Collective?

Jjanice : I’ve been an active member of the Kalmunity Vibe Collective for about 8 years as a singer and a poet.

Samantha : How do you feel about the collective mainstream recognition on the local scene?

Jjanice : I’m extremely excited about it and I’m grateful for the opportunity we had to perform at the Jazz Fest. We were able to reach out to a new audience and at the same time it forced us to push ourselves a little bit more. Our dream of being recognized as one of Montreal’s musical institution is slowly but surely taking shape.

It’s also extremely exciting to see that members like Sarah MK, Malika Tirolien, Fabrice Koffy are gaining some success with their solo projects. As far as I’m concerned, all this is new to me, but I’m really enjoying this change.

Samantha : Where did the inspiration for  « Aléas », your new single came from?

Jjanice : As far as the sound, we were  inspired  by a great variety of styles. From electro-pop to new-wave – with artists like Depeche Mode, Les Rita Mitsouko, David Bowie and of course Prince. At first, our goal was to create the perfect mashup of Prince’s  »When Doves Cry » and traditional Haitian festival music, rara (hyperlink: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rara). In the end the song   »created itself » organically and became its very own genre.

The dichotomy of the Haitian country life versus the urban reality of large North-American cities is what inspired the lyrics. I wanted to create my very own version of the classic novel the Prince and the Pauper, a tale of a dream, a beautiful escape.

Samantha : Tell us a about your creative process :

Jjanice : It’s different with every song. For this particular one, we started working on the music while we were in the studio. We were looking  to create a very precise sound; a beat with that catchy je-ne-sais quoi. With the music guiding me, I decided to focus on a theme, a story, an emotion, a memory. Most of the lyrics had already been written as a poem during a previous  trip to Haiti. Then, I then decided to add to what I already had and that’s how this single was born.

Samantha : Describe your musical style in three words :

Jjanice : Hybrid, daring, afro-indiepop. Don’t even ask me about genre, that’s a whole other long story.

Samantha : Who are some of the artists you’d like to collaborate with?

Jjanice : Being the huge music lover that I am, I don’t even know where to start! (Laugh). Dirty Projectors, Ngabo, Iya Dede, BelO, Beethova Obas & James Germain, Saul Williams, Jean Leloup and even Prince, one day!

Samantha : What is your wildest dream?

Jjanice : Being able to travel around the world with my music and my poetry.

I want my art to be heard by folks around the world who appreciate different and new genre of music.

Samantha : Where can we hear/ see you next?

Jjanice : On July 19, I’ll be performing  at  la Maison d’Haiti (St-Michel). My priority right now is my first full lenghth album, Les Voiles, out next Fall.

For more information on Jjanice + visit the artist official Website

Musique

(An) On Conceptual art in Canada

Until April 28th, Concordia University’s Leonard & Bina Ellen Art Gallery is hosting Traffic: Conceptual Art in Canada 1965-1980, a two part exhibit featuring works by some of Canada’s most prolific conceptual artists.

Earlier this year, from January to February, the gallery welcomed the first installment, Traffic: Conceptual Art in Canada 1965-1980 part 1, which focused on works by conceptual artists in Quebec and Ontario (Montreal, Toronto, London, and Guelph)

With this second exhibit, we travel to the West Coast of the country with works by Dan Graham, David Askevold, Christos Dikeakos, Ian Wallace, Gerald Ferguson and Martha Wilson.

In the 1970’s, places like Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD), the University of Calgary and the Alberta College of Art in Calgary were at the forefront of this refreshing artistic movement.

Focusing on the influence of conceptual art in the Canadian creative scene Traffic: Conceptual Art in Canada 1965-1980 is the very first event of its kind. Featuring hundreds of artworks and archival documents, by more than 70 artists who were all active participants in the development of the genre here, in Canada from the mid 60’s to the early 80’s.

But what exactly is Conceptual art? Coined in the late 1960’s the term refers to  »an art form in which the artist’s intent is to convey a concept rather than to create an art object »*. In other words, with Conceptual art, the art practice supersedes the object, the creation. A collaborative effort by some of the countries most influential artistic institutions  (Art Gallery of Alberta, the Justina M. Barnicke Gallery, the Vancouver Art Gallery, Halifax INK and Concordia University). There’s no doubt that this second installment will be as successful as part 1 which received positive reviews from critics and the public alike.

The exhibition is organized and circulated by the Art Gallery of Alberta, the Justina M. Barnicke Gallery (University of Toronto), and the Vancouver Art Gallery, in partnership with the Leonard & Bina Ellen Art Gallery (Concordia University), and Halifax INK.

Finally to close the Montreal leg of the project, a round table discussion will be held at the gallery featuring Traffic 2 curators. The curators of the exhibit: Grant Arnold (Vancouver), Catherine Crowston (The Prairies and the Arctic), Barbara Fischer (Toronto), Michèle Thériault with Vincent Bonin (Montreal), and Jayne Wark with Peter Dykhuis (Halifax) will all be present Saturday April 21 at the The Ellen Gallery.

After a stop at the prestigious Vancouver Art Gallery later this year, this traveling exhibition will complete its tour with a final stint in Karlsruhe (Germany) at the Badischer Kunstverein.

For more info, visit Traffic: Conceptual Art in Canada 1965-1980 or the Leonard & Bina Ellen Art Gallery website for more info on the April 21 round table.

* Merriam-Webster.com | 2012

Musée Exposition
Deborah-Willis-Posing-Beauty

(An) A celebration of style & culture

This past month, in our city, as well as in the rest of North America, we celebrated the culture and people of the African Diaspora as part of Black History Month.

From an eclectic array of museum exhibitions to live performances, lectures and fashion events, a plethora of activities had been designed to bring forth all the exciting activities Montrealers had crafted for this special occasion. This year, however, we saw a strong focus on a burgeoning and prolific fashion and visual art scene.

At the 2nd edition of the Miss Africa Gala Montréal pageant, it was all about beauty and brains with some of the most beautiful Afro-Canadian young women. The first installment of Black Expo Design, held at the Loft Hotel was a total success. Featuring works by designers like Helmer, Ralph Leroy and upcoming local talents like the new accessories brand Coloré, the event for a one of a kind fashion and design rendez-vous.

The chair of New York University’s prestigious Department of Photography and Imaging within Tisch School, Professor Deborah Willis stopped by Concordia University to talk beauty, black beauty!

Her groundbreaking book  »Posing Beauty » was at the center of the lecture professor Willis gave in front of a packed room. The 234 pages book offers a stunning review of the representation of black beauty by African-American themselves and other photographers since the 1890’s. During the lecture, Willis explained the genesis of the project and of most her work, which was born while she was a university student. Seeing that there were no African-American photographers and photographs mentioned in her textbooks, she followed one of her professors’ recommendations and decided to write a term paper on the subject. More than twenty books later, and Willis is still one of the leading authorities in African-American photography and the history of photography as a whole.

Home of the other highlights included “Legends of African Football” a photograpgy exhibit held at La Maison de L’Afrique, which focused on some of Africa’s biggest soccer stars of the past 5 decades; an intimate concert series entitled Afrophilya. Taking place at ‘’Le Piano Rouge’’ in Old Montreal, the series featured international performers like soul singer Jose James as well as local acts like Montreal’s ultra-talented songstress Akua.

However, the end of the month of February didn’t mark the end of the festivities. Until April 30, The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts presents Sacred Africa II, a stunning exhibit featuring traditional arts and artifacts from West and Central Africa from three different collections the Redpath Museum, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and Cirque du Soleil’s founder Guy Laliberté.

Also, from April 27 to May 6, the 28th edition of the Vues d’Afrique Film Festival will once again bring the crème de la crème of African and Caribbean cinema. Every year, for about two weeks, a selection of more than a 100 films is presented throughout the city, bringing together film lovers and connoisseurs, young and old.

As every year, the celebrations and activities have captivated many but this year a certain je-ne-sais-quoi made Black History Month even more special, maybe because of the leap year magic!

Design Mode