Gilles Vigneault

ARTICLE CONTENTS:  |  Links to Other Sites
Gilles Vigneault, singer-songwriter, poet, publisher (b at Natashquan, Qué 27 Oct 1928). Like Félix LECLERC, Gilles Vigneault was instrumental in the revitalization of the Québec chanson and the international dissemination of Québecois culture. After studying at Laval University (L LITT 1953) he founded Éditions de l'arc , a publishing house that, since its inception in 1959, has published more than 35 collections of his poems, stories and songs. In 1960, he performed for the first time at the boîte à chansons L'Arlequin in Québec City. Ever since, Vigneault has been a figurehead and ardent defender of the French language in Québec.

Vigneault always touches his audiences with the sheer force of poetry, sincerity and youth emanating from his work. His rousing song MON PAYS (1964) sealed his popularity at home and abroad, and for many Québécois it has become an anthem.

Vigneault has appeared in all major Canadian concert halls, including PLACE DES ARTS, the NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE in Ottawa, and at Toronto's MASSEY HALL. He has toured extensively in Europe, performing in France, Switzerland, Poland, Belgium and Luxembourg. In the early 1970s Vigneault founded his own record label, Le Nordet (Éditions du vent qui vire) and has produced over 20 recordings since it's inception. His most recent releases include Voyagements: En direct du théâtre Petit Champlain (2001), Au Bout du coeur (2003), and Si on voulait danser sur ma musique (2005).

Among the many awards and distinctions he has received are the 1996 PRIX DE MUSIQUE CALIXA-LAVALLÉE, the MOLSON PRIZE (1982), the Prix Denise-Pelletier (1983) and the Grand Prix du disque of the Académie Charles-Cros in Paris (1984). Gilles Vigneault was made a Chevalier of the Ordre national du Québec (1985) and of France's Légion d'honneur (1986) as well as an Officier des arts et des lettres de France (1990). Vigneault was awarded the Governor General's Performing Arts Award in 1993.

<i>Mon Pays</i>
Mon Pays
1974 album cover for Mon Pays by Gilles Vigneault.

Author HÉLÈNE PLOUFFE Rev: RACHELLE TAYLOR and ALEXIS LUKO


Links to Other Sites
Gilles Vigneault
A brief profile of poet and chansonnier Gilles Vigneault. From Library and Archives Canada.

Gilles Vigneault : "Mon Pays"
Listen to Gilles Vigneault perform the song 'Mon pays'. From YouTube.

0
0
Absolutely free, with over 40,000 articles in French and English, The Canadian Encyclopedia is the ultimate online resource for all things Canadian, from history, sports, arts, science, technology, and much, much more. Get started at www.TheCanadianEncyclopedia.com
Feature Articles
Shawnadithit: Last of the Beothuk

Shawnadithit grew anxious waiting for her uncle, Longnon, to return to camp at the junction of Badger Brook and the Exploits River, deep in the wilds of Newfoundland...

INSIDE TCE

Gallery
Browse the rich visual resources of The Canadian Encyclopedia through thematic galleries of Canadian Art, History, Nature, People, and Science and Technology.
Interactive Resources
Illustrations, lively text, animations, sounds and games help make learning about Canadian history, art, geography, architecture and other topics entertaining as well as informative.
Canucklehead
The ultimate test of your knowledge of Canada, trivial and otherwise. You can choose from more than 60 dynamic quizzes with visual or text clues. Your scores depend on the speed with which you answer and the number of clues you need. Results are sent to you by email and high scores are posted on the site.
Timeline
This unique resource includes more than 6000 events from Canadian and world history. It can be searched by era, subject, keyword or date. To find out what happened on your birthday, select the month and day of your birth.
100 Greatest Events
This selection of the 100 "greatest" events in Canadian history was made by editor in chief James H. Marsh to draw attention to events that have left an indelible memory in the minds of later generations.