Big Earl Sellar wrote this review.
Of the many beautiful regional musics that exist in my native Canada, one of my absolute favourites is traditional Quebecois music. (Incidentally, my number one choice is a variation of this genre, the Metis reels.) In the recent climate of re-discovery of Quebec heritage, there has been a mass resurgence of traditional groups, as well as those that live firmly in the tradition and bring other ones to it. Matapat belongs to the latter group, exploring the many influences that make up this tradition, and how well it mixes with others.
[Editor’s note: the group was originally named for founders Bourke, Bernard & LePage, and their debut album was named, somewhat confusingly, Matapat. Naomi deBruyn reviewed it for GMR.]
Quebecois music is a mix of traditional French music with the reel/jig form from the Celtic peoples. It’s a lively music, not really given to ballads, featuring odd meters and a percussion style based on traditional clog dancing. “Le champ de pois/Le reel des cent larmes” is a wonderful exploration of the traditional style, albeit with percussion added. For a taste of the real thing, on “La Vandée/Brandy rose/Get up Sam” they feature guest Sandy Silva on gigue, or traditional step-dance backing.
But this is no group bent on recycling historical styles. Largely driven by the incredible bass of Simon Lepage, Matapat mixes many outside influences to their style. There are shots of jazz, as on “Soupir de St-Albans,” or funk as on “La jolie Rochelle.” There’s even an East/West exploration on “La vieille galope,” with the band playing with Indian musicians. This is a band that’s unafraid to push their tradition, and it succeeds at every turn.
The recording is crisp, and the packaging is excellent for the type of music within (except for the slightly dull cover). The only shortcoming of this album is that I hadn’t discovered it sooner! Since this recording, multi-instrumentalist Benoit Bourque has left: he has been replaced by a fiddler and a tabla player. According to their Web site, they are involved in a touring show to schools across Quebec: hopefully some recorded works come from it. And hopefully they’ll hit the road again soon: Matapat should be a dynamite live band.
If you’re getting burnt out on the same old Celtic scene, maybe a related tradition will be the answer. Petit Fou fits the bill wonderfully. Matapat is the voice from Quebec that the rest of us long for: another beautiful tradition meeting with the rest of us. Strongly recommended.
(Borealis Records, 2001)
[Update: In 2002 Benoit Bourque left the group and formed Le Vent du Nord with Oliver Demers, Nicolas Boulerice (of Montcorbier) and Bernard Simard of La Bottine Souriante. Gaston Bernard and Simon LePage were joined by Tommy Gautier and Francois Dauphin for Que De Peine Et Damour in 2007. As of 2025, both Matapat and Borealis Records are defunct.]
