Party celebrates release of two new Metis CDs

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A CD release party was held at the Broadway Theatre in Saskatoon on Aug. 29 to celebrate the eagerly anticipated launches of two very different, but equally outstanding music collections.

One of the releases was the Gabriel Dumont Institute's Drops of Brandy and Other Traditional Metis Tunes, a vast 4-CD compilation of Metis fiddle music. The other was Andrea Menard's The Velvet Devil, a predominantly jazz recording featuring the music from Menard's one-woman play of the same name. Though the styles of music differ dramatically, Menard and Leah Dorion of the Gabriel Dumont Institute decided to organize a joint CD launch after meeting and learning of each other's respective projects. To further showcase both traditional and contemporary Metis music, Winnipeg band Burnt, led by Aboriginal front man David Belanger, was added to the launch party line-up.

A similar release party for the CDs had taken place on Aug 28 at Regina's Globe Theatre. Several pieces from both CD's were performed live at both events, and judging from the multiple standing ovations the performers received in Saskatoon, both CD's should be as successful as they are entertaining.

"John Arcand is one of the main people behind our project," Dorion said of the Gabriel Dumont Institute release, without question the most ambitious traditional Metis fiddling anthology ever recorded. "He approached us and expressed some concerns that traditional Metis fiddling was being lost. We worked with John for the past year putting together this project, and we want to thank him for his commitment to the preservation of a really wonderful style of music."

Drops of Brandy was recorded by the some of the true masters of the style, including well-known local players Hap Boyer from North Battleford and Arcand himself. Both Boyer and Arcand were on hand at the CD release, performing alongside Manitoba fiddle masters Mel Bedard and Emile Lavallee. The evening's entertainment began with each playing two showcase pieces. The illustrious group then wound up its set with a joint rendition of a Metis fiddle standard, The Red River Jig, which quite literally had many attendees dancing in the aisles.

Burnt took the stage next, although only three of the group's members made the trip (the band generally performs with 6 to 9 people). Lead singer and guitarist David Belanger described the group's approach as one of eliminating cultural barriers through music, and demonstrated their sound with three selections from the band's upcoming CD.

Belanger's resonant vocals made the Burnt set captivating, but it was Menard that most of the audience came to see, and the multitalented singer and actress did not disappoint. Looking every bit a sultry, jazz era songstress in black evening gown with matching feather boa, Menard captivated the crowd from the moment she took the stage and began belting out the soulful, sweeping compositions that made the Velvet Devil stage production such a hit.

Menard's play tells the story of Velvet Laurent, a young, 1940s era Metis woman raised in rural Saskatchewan, who fled her family and heritage seeking big city stardom, then returned to make peace with her past and herself.

"I'm not playing Velvet Laurent tonight, I'm performing as myself," Menard joked, "and I've got to tell you, I'm a little nervous about it."

Little trace of any nervousness was noticeable in Menard's confident performance and friendly banter. In song after song, she wowed the audience with a voice far too large for such a small body, and at her set's conclusion, the massive ovation was almost too large to be contained within such a small theatre.

By the end of the event, one thing was abundantly clear. Drops of Brandy and The Velvet Devil don't just represent great Metis music-they represent music too great to be categorized.

Both CD's are currently available for ordering online-Drops of Brandy at www.gdins.org/ecom, and The Velvet Devil at www.andreamenard.com.