Elizabeth Szekeres has been working her way through all of the albums she picked up at this year’s Folk Alliance International conference and introducing us to some of her favourite discoveries – some new; some old.  This album was released in 2017, but if you haven’t yet discovered it, here’s Elizabeth to tell you why you should. 

Well! This is certainly fun!

Take eleven fun songs from the ancient repertoire of call and response songs and haul them into the 21^st Century with beats, driving bass and sultry contralto singing, and you have a completely new take on Québecois traditional music. The title of this album, Les Millésimes, is indeed all about fine vintages, but don’t get me wrong; there is nothing at all old about this sound.

Mélisande, accompanied by her hubby and musical partner in crime, Alex de Grosbois-Garand, have put together a fabulous band for this CD. Fiddles from David Boulanger (De Temps Antan, La Bottine Souriante) and Robin Boulianne (Le Set), together with drums and synths from Lionel Kizaba and Alexis Martin and a huge variety of other instruments, round out this hugely contemporary sound.

I had the chance to see this band’s showcase in Montréal this past February. With a breakdancer spiralling on his head, the live performance was amazing. The drums are relentless, and there’s a hypnotic quality to the arrangements.

Mélisande [Electrotrad] recently finished up a huge tour of Australia and is looking forward to some well-deserved rest before starting the new festival season. Make sure you catch them somewhere, or just download the CD, invite your friends and have a dance party in your own living room.

https://www.melisandemusic.com

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