Sudburians will get a taste of Franco-Ontarian music history March 27 when CANO re-unites at La Nuit sur l'étang.
The band, which last performed together in 1985, will perform with a number of other francophone bands and performers in an evening of entertainment at the Fraser Auditorium at Laurentian University.
“We are very confident that the 37th edition of La Nuit sur l'etang will be without a doubt the Franco-Ontarian cultural event of the year,” said Mathieu Beausoleil, president, Les Concerts La Nuit sur l'étang, speaking at a press conference Dec. 14.
He said the theme of this year's concert was getting back to the roots of the francophone culture.
Because of the theme, organizers wanted to highlight some of the musical history of the community.
“We were struggling with who should headline the evening in 2010 in October, and I suggested we try to reunite CANO,” said Pierre Paul Mongeon, executive director of La Nuit sur l'étang Mongeon.
“I was told I was crazy to try.”
For months now, he has been negotiating with six of the original founding members of the group. CANO stands for Coopérative des artists du Nouvel Ontario, an agricultural and artistic group established in Sudbury in 1970. They were active as a band from 1975 until 1985.
CANO broke with the established way of doing things by performing French songs in English Canada and by singing English songs in Quebec.
The band, as a result, broke down cultural and linguistic barriers with their innovative blend of folk, rock and jazz, according to festival organizers.
Mongeon said he still knew a few of the original members.
“The last time CANO performed together was in a concert in Ottawa in 1985 as a tribute to founding member André Paiement. He died in 1978. Another founding member, violinist Wasyl Kohut, died in 1981, unexpectedly from a brain aneurysm.”
The band made five albums. The group's initial concerts, and its first albums, Tous dans l'même bateau and Au nord de notre vie, were popular with francophones, but with their album, Eclipse, they began to record in English.
Paul De la Riva, now a communications officer for Conseil scolaire catholique du Nouvel-Ontario, said CANO member Mike Kendel lived across the street from him.
“I recall a lot of musician types from CANO over there visiting him. We saw all of them,” he chuckled.
His organization is a major sponsor La Nuit sur l'etang évents.
“For francophone culture to be active and relevant for students, you have to offer them music. You have to make their culture fun for them.”
The other band headlining the concert is Les Trois Accords, from Quebec. They have recently released their third album, Dans mon corps. For more information visit www.lestroisaccords.com.
Tricia Foster, originally from Cochrane, will also perform.
“Tricia Foster tells tales through her urban-folk, rock, and electronic, acoustic style music. She does so with such energy, originality and unique style,” according to a press release from La Nuit sur l'etang. Visit www.triciafoster.com.
Tickets for La Nuit sur l'étang are $30. Phone the office at 673-NUIT (6848) for tickets or visit 10 Eyre St.
There also will be an event, La Brunante, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m., at the Fraser Auditorium, to showcase a variety of local and regional musicians, the top two of which will performing at La Nuit sur l'etang. Tickets are $10 at the office and at all Caisses Populaires de la Region de Sudbury branches.
For more information, visit www.lanuit.ca and www.labrunante.ca.
Draft list of CANO perfomers
- Marcel Aymar (vocals and acoustic guitar) - founding member
- Michel Kendel (keyboards and vocals) - founding member
- Michel Dasti (drums and vocals) - founding member
- John Doerr (bass and trombone) - founding member
- David Burt (electric guitar) - founding member
- Monique Paiement (vocals) - invited guest
- Don Reed (violin) - invited guest
- Rick Francis (guitars) - invited guest
