A successful SuperFrancoFête in Quebec City!
Thrilled with the success of its event showcasing francophones from across the world, SISMYK is ready for next year!
QUEBEC, Sept. 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The first edition of the SuperFrancoFête, a celebration of francophone music and song held on Wednesday, August 31 at l'Agora de Québec, was a resounding success! A striking feature of the show was how it included performers spanning many generations, with artists aged from 23 to 80. In total, some 30 singers performed around 40 pieces from a dozen countries! Due to the huge demand and, above all, the event's unprecedented popularity, a recording of the SuperFrancoFête will be broadcast in Quebec and Canada on TV5 Québec-Canada and TVA, as well as throughout the world on TV5 Monde. Fans of francophone music throughout the world will be able to watch this thrilling celebration of the French language.
Different francophone accents from all over the world echoed in Quebec City, against the breathtaking backdrop of Old Quebec City on the majestic St. Lawrence River. We couldn't have asked for a better location in Quebec than the Agora du Vieux-Port for the first edition of this long-awaited event. More than 5,000 French-language-and-music-loving spectators enjoyed the venue featuring a clear sky with stars and a crescent moon, a luxurious cruise ship on the river, the illuminated Château Frontenac in the background, and a magnificent view of the city's ramparts and Upper Town! All the elements came together seamlessly to make the first edition of the SuperFrancoFête a resounding success in a postcard setting. Produced by SISMYK, the music division of ComediHa! , the evening was also broadcast live on the Cogeco network and on two giant screens on the Place des canotiers. This allowed for as many music lovers as possible to get free access to the show!
The event was hosted by three hosts, Garou (Quebec), Nolwenn Leroy (France) and Angélique Kidjo (Benin), and it brought together more than 100 artists on stage, including 30 artists representing more than a dozen countries of the Francophonie! The common theme throughout: all these countries show that the Francophonie produces music that touches our communities and brings them together. Artists included: Zachary Richard (Louisiana), Patrick Bruel (France), Robert Charlebois (Quebec), Magic System (Ivory Coast), Corneille (Rwanda), Isabelle Boulay (Quebec), Mentissa (Belgium), Michel Fugain (France), Jill Barber (British Columbia), Tiken Jah Fakoly (Ivory Coast), Damien Robitaille (Ontario), Salebarbes (New Brunswick), Rori (Belgium), Bonenfant (Quebec), Louis-Jean Cormier (Quebec), Woodney Pierre (Haiti), Kim Thuy (Vietnam), Maka Kotto (Cameroon) and Fred Pellerin (Quebec). Some 20 musicians and backup singers, as well as Quebec dance crew DM Nation, which recently won gold at the World Hip-hop Dance Championship, brought their skills to the stage for this celebratory show directed by none other than Scott Price. Isabelle Viviers was in charge of content production and Jean-François Blais oversaw production and staging. As a result of this large-scale production, discussions are underway with many other broadcasters around the world to acquire the program, which may take various formats.
Rich, moving orchestrations and surprising harmonies had people experiencing the music rather than just hearing it. The festive repertoire was a blend of new original songs, catchy tunes and timeless classics, and we were introduced to new faces, such as Mentissa, Rori, Woodney Pierre and Jill Barber, and enjoyed musical legends like Michel Fugain, Garou, Isabelle Boulay and Corneille, to name but a few. It was a journey through the francophone hits and classics. A high point was Robert Charlebois, headliner of the 1974 edition of the SuperFrancoFête, who performed his legendary song Ordinaire and his iconic Je reviendrai à Montréal, modified for the occasion with a nod to Quebec City and sung in a duo with his friend Patrick Bruel. This great musical celebration also featured eloquent speeches by socially engaged artists such as Kim Thuy, Maka Kotto and Fred Pellerin, who delivered messages of hope, social values, solidarity, sharing and friendship. In a touching moment, French-Breton singer and host Nolwenn Leroy highlighted René Lévesque's 100th birthday.
Scott Price and his ingenious musicians delivered meticulous arrangements that incorporated folk, classical, bluegrass and even Acadian influences with artists Salebarbes, Nolwenn Leroy, Zachary Richard and Damien Robitaille. During the nod to the 1974 edition, Robert Charlebois, the band Bonenfant and Louis-Jean Cormier came on stage to perform a nostalgic number. The warm, exuberant music of Tiken Jah Fakoly, Angélique Kidjo and Magic System enlivened the party with rhythms inspired by their African roots and the music and traditions of their native land. The three hosts also had some fun by joining other artists for lively, crowd-pleasing numbers in unexpected pairings: L'arbre est dans ses feuilles (Zachary Richard and Angélique Kidjo) and La Bohème (Garou and Nolwenn Leroy).
The show concluded with all the artists on stage to sing the iconic, and still relevant, hymn of hope by Raymond Lévesque Quand les hommes vivront d'amour, with the spectators joining in to create a choir of over 5,000 voices. The singer, visibly delighted, performed a second finale, Place de grands hommes, with Patrick Bruel and all the other artists, and promised to meet again next year!
The SuperFrancoFête promises to become an iconic annual event that will provide unforgettable and incredible moments of musical entertainment. This musical television event would not have been possible without the support of valuable collaborators and partners. SISMYK would like to thank its major partner QUÉBECOR, the Government of Quebec (Secrétariat de la Capitale-Nationale, ministère de la Culture et des Communications, ministère de la Langue française, Secrétariat des Relations canadiennes et de la Francophonie canadienne), Quebec City, Destination Québec-Cité, the Centre de la francophonie des Amériques, the René-Lévesque Foundation, Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, Hilton Québec, Delta Hotel, Air Canada, Solotech, REC4Box, TVA, TV5, Cogeco and l'Agora de Québec.
The SuperFrancoFête has allowed the area's francophones, francophiles and music lovers to come together to celebrate the francophone culture as a whole, from the vast African continent to snowy Quebec, Acadia, Louisiana and Europe, the guardian of the language. This first edition has helped promote the development of francophone culture by presenting artists from a growing, richly diverse community. SISMYK is incredibly proud of the event and plans to hold it again next year. The reviews have also been unanimous!
"Francophone music fans delighted with the SuperFrancoFête" – La Presse
"This great musical celebration of the Francophonie was as entertaining as promised. The SuperFrancoFête is sure to have met the expectations of the thousands of music lovers who converged on the Agora in the Port of Quebec City on Wednesday evening to watch the show, which will reach French-speaking viewers around the world." – Le Soleil
"SuperFrancoFête: an exciting tour of the Francophonie in 40 songs" – Journal de Montréal
"In a postcard setting that included an illuminated Château Frontenac overlooking the stage from the distance, timeless classics and new discoveries were performed during this exciting, rhythmic and refined show…Mission accomplished, promise fulfilled!" – Journal de Québec
"Quebec City hosted a great celebration where nostalgia and musical discoveries created moments of pure pleasure for the eyes and ears (...) It is difficult to summarize all the highlights of the night (...) The artistic direction hit the nail on the head with unexpected duos (...) It felt like a national holiday at the Agora in the Old Port." – Radio-Canada
SISMYK, ComediHa!'s music division, is a production company specializing in the creation, production, promotion, and multiplatform broadcasting of various types of content: festivals, innovative and unique shows of different musical genres, tours, television productions, TV series, documentaries, variety shows and many others. Since 2008, SISMYK has produced major national and international events, along with international stars, such as Madonna, The M.D.N.A Tour, Diana Krall at the Grand-Théâtre, as well as Paris-Québec under the stars, including numerous National Holidays (2016 to 2021), Patrick Bruel with the OSQ, and, of course, Céline Dion on the Plains televised all around the world. SISMYK's mission is to promote Quebec culture and the magnificent regions of Quebec. The team of nearly 100 full-time employees has more than 20 years of experience and enjoys an enviable reputation in the cultural community, both locally and internationally.
Narimane Doumandji, narimane.doumandji@comediha.com, (514) 554-3056
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