Album and concert review
My “specialty channel”, ARTV, just finished an excellent concert by Les Charbonniers De L’enfer from Quebec. Five exceptional voices, in perfect harmony, with a repertoire of traditional folksongs. An ‘acapella’ harmony that resembles Gregorian chant in many ways. There is probably an origin in the sacred music heard in the parish churches during earlier centuries (I am not a musicologist, but I can pretend with the best of them). This is the music from before radio. No instrumentation, just five men that have been involved in the task of protecting a particular culture for the whole of their professional lives.
The first album by the group dates back to 1996, but I didn’t “notice” them until some of the members retired from their previous group, La Bottine Souriante. Another fine ensemble, in passing. I’ve been listening to one of their other concert albums while waiting for the bus, this time with Gilles Vigneault as an addition. Good music, with a beat you can dance to as long as it involves stepdancing or a jig and reel combo. And if you’ve ever sung in a choir, you’ll know what I mean when I salute the quality of their harmonies. Nothing like it.
My experience with trad music from the Maritimes is that the fiddle has been the instrument of choice. Here in trad Quebec, the voice is as important as any other acoustic instrument, and the lyrics tell stories that are timeless. The Charbonniers come highly recommended. My thanks to ARTV, where a concert doesn’t serve as wrapping for commercials.
