One of the legends of Québécois traditional music will perform in Victoria and Coquitlam on successive nights. Yves Lambert and his Grand Orchestre will play his first date at 7 p.m. on Friday (March 7) at Alix Goolden Performance Hall (907 Pandora Avenue). Then at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday (March 8), Lambert and his Grand Orchestre will close the daylong series of performances at Festival du Bois in Mackin Park.
Lambert, a mesmerizing accordionist and singer, co-founded La Bottine Souriante in 1976. The band won its first Juno Award in the roots and traditional album category in 1989 for Je voudrais changer d’chapeux (I would like to change my hat). With Lambert still a member, it snared a second Juno in the same category in 1992 for Jusqu’aux p’tites heures (Until the early hours).
According to the Festival du Bois website, Lambert and his Grand Orchestre of seven musicians will perform La Bottine Souriante songs in Mackin Park. He’s doing this to celebrate his 50th year in the music industry.
Lambert will be joined on-stage in Victoria and Coquitlam by Paul Audy (guitar, vocals), Robin Boulianne (violin, mandolin, podorythmie, voice), Mathieu Royer (double bass), and Geneviève St-Pierre (keyboard). In addition, he’ll have a wind section consisting of Mélanie Bourrassa (bass clarinet and clarinet), Mary Chalk (bassoon), and Gabriel Schwartz (saxophone, transverse flute, piccolo and percussion).
“I’m a lover of harmony and musicality, whatever the style of music, and right now I have musicians who are truly virtuosos,” Lambert says on La Société francophone de Victoria website. “Although I have a rocker’s temperament, even when I’m doing folk music, you can feel the sensitivity. It’s fluid, it’s beautiful, it’s daring, it has all the qualities.”
Last last year, Radio-Canada broadcast this feature in French about Yves Lambert.
Lambert is one of many musicians at Festival du Bois
Société de francophone Maillardville organizes Festival du Bois, which celebrates French-Canadian culture and music. It opens on Friday (March 7) will a free contra dance in the Grand Chapiteau (Big Tent) in Mackin Park. The Sybaritic String Band will perform that evening with caller Katie Pinter.
Festival du Bois tickets cost $34 per day for adults and $23 for students and seniors on Saturday and Sunday (March 8). This weekend will feature musical performances all afternoon. Kids 12 and under are allowed in free.
Other performers on the main stage on Saturday include B.C. fiddler, step dancer, and singer Jocelyn Pettit; Franco-Ontarian rapper LeFLOFRANCO; New Brunswick folk-rockers La Patente; the energetic Québécois traditional music quartet La Déferlance; and the Maillardville trio Alouest, which cites La Bottine Souriante as one of its influences.
On Sunday, Pettit, La Patente, La Déferlance, and LeFLOFRANCO return for second performances on the main stage. The Sunday lineup also includes the Vancouver band Kutapira, which plays an array of musical styles.
Meanwhile, tickets are $46 for the event hosted by La Société francophone de Victoria. Audience members must enter through the Victoria Conservatory of Music (900 Johnson Street).
According to the 2021 census, 57,420 people spoke French as their first language in B.C. in 2021. Furthermore, 326,865 bilingual B.C. residents spoke French in 2021.
Festival du Bois takes place in Mackin Park (1046 Brunette Avenue) in Coquitlam from Friday (March 7) to Sunday (March 9). For tickets and more information, visit the website. Follow Pancouver on X @PancouverMedia and Bluesky @pancouver.bsky.social. Pancouver is also on Instagram @PancouverMedia. You can follow Charlie Smith on Bluesky @charliesmithvcr.bsky.social.
