La Bottine Souriante is a folk band from

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. The band specializes in traditional French Canadian folk music, often with a modern twist. Formed in 1976 by Yves Lambert, Andre Marchand, and Mario Forest, they have toured extensively through

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

and

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

. In 1990, the band integrated a four-piece horn section with traditional instruments such as accordion,

fiddle A fiddle is a bowed string musical instrument, most often a violin. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including classical music. Although in many cases violins and fiddles are essentially synonymous, th ...

, guitar, piano and double bass, in order to add an element of

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

to their music. In 1998, they contributed a song to the Canadian

Celtic music Celtic music is a broad grouping of music genres that evolved out of the folk music traditions of the Celtic people of Northwestern Europe. It refers to both orally-transmitted traditional music and recorded music and the styles vary considerab ...

compilation by

The Chieftains The Chieftains are a traditional Irish folk band formed in Dublin in 1962, by Paddy Moloney, Seán Potts and Michael Tubridy. Their sound, which is almost entirely instrumental and largely built around uilleann pipes, has become synonymous wi ...

, ''

Fire in the Kitchen ''Fire in the Kitchen'' is a compilation album recorded by The Chieftains, in collaboration with an array of Canadian folk musical guests, and released in 1998. The Chieftains, who were touring Canada that year, had not originally intended to r ...

''. The group's name means "the smiling boot", which refers to the appearance of a work boot with worn-out soles.

Members

The line-up for LBS has changed numerous times (not unusual for folk groups), and its sound has evolved accordingly. The band started out with a very French Canadian feel with guitar, accordion and fiddle, but has expanded to include other styles and instruments. Although founder Yves Lambert has left the group, LBS continues to perform, and a new wave of young musicians joined the group in 2002. LBS's current line-up is: * Éric Beaudry (vocals, guitar,

bouzouki The bouzouki (, also ; el, μπουζούκι ; alt. pl. ''bouzoukia'', from Greek ), also spelled buzuki or buzuci, is a musical instrument popular in Greece. It is a member of the long-necked lute family, with a round body with a flat top and ...

mandolin A mandolin ( it, mandolino ; literally "small mandola") is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally plucked with a pick. It most commonly has four courses of doubled strings tuned in unison, thus giving a total of 8 ...

, podorythmie) 2002- * Pierre "Pedro" Bélisle (keyboards,

piano accordion A piano accordion is an accordion equipped with a right-hand keyboard similar to a piano or organ. Its acoustic mechanism is more that of an organ than a piano, as they are both aerophones, but the term "piano accordion"—coined by Guido Deiro ...

, piano, trumpet) 2000- * David Boulanger (vocals, violin, podorythmie, percussion)2007- * Benoît Bourque (

accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German ''Akkordeon'', from ''Akkord''—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a reed ...

bones A bone is a rigid organ that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various other organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells, store minerals, provide structure and support for the body, an ...

, podorythmie, vocals) 2009- * Robert "Bob" Ellis (

bass trombone The bass trombone (german: Bassposaune, it, trombone basso) is the bass instrument in the trombone family of brass instruments. Modern instruments are pitched in the same B♭ as the tenor trombone but with a larger bore, bell and mouthpiece to ...

tuba The tuba (; ) is the lowest-pitched musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, the sound is produced by lip vibrationa buzzinto a mouthpiece. It first appeared in the mid-19th century, making it one of the ne ...

, percussion) 1990- * Jean Fréchette (saxophone,

flute The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...

, penny whistle,

clarinet The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound. Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitches ...

, percussion, vocals) 1990- * Jean-François Gagnon-Branchaud (fiddle, guitar, voice) 2011- * Jocelyn Lapointe (trumpet,

flugelhorn The flugelhorn (), also spelled fluegelhorn, flugel horn, or flügelhorn, is a brass instrument that resembles the trumpet and cornet but has a wider, more conical bore. Like trumpets and cornets, most flugelhorns are pitched in B, though some ...

) 1993- * François Marion (electric bass,

acoustic bass guitar The acoustic bass guitar (sometimes shortened to acoustic bass or initialized ABG) is a bass instrument with a hollow wooden body similar to, though usually larger than a steel-string acoustic guitar. Like the traditional electric bass guitar a ...

)2007- * Sandy Silva ( percussive dance) * André Verreault (

trombone The trombone (german: Posaune, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the Brass instrument, brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's vibrating lips cause the Standing wave, air column ...

) 1990- Past members include: * Yves Lambert (

, jaw harp, harmonica,

melodeon Melodeon may refer to: * Melodeon (accordion), a type of button accordion *Melodeon (organ), a type of 19th-century reed organ *Melodeon (Boston, Massachusetts), a concert hall in 19th-century Boston * Melodeon Records, a U.S. record label in the ...

, (solo) vocals) 1976- 2002 (founding member) * André Marchand (guitar, feet, (solo) vocals) 1976–1988 (founding member) * Mario Forest (

spoon A spoon is a utensil consisting of a shallow bowl (also known as a head), oval or round, at the end of a handle. A type of cutlery (sometimes called flatware in the United States), especially as part of a place setting, it is used primarily for ...

s, harmonica, vocals) 1976–1979, 1980–1984 (founding member) * Gilles Cantin (guitar, feet, (solo) vocals) 1977–1981 (deceased) * Jacques Landry (

bodhrán The bodhrán (, ; plural ''bodhráin'' or ''bodhráns'') is a frame drum used in Irish music ranging from in diameter, with most drums measuring . The sides of the drum are deep. A goatskin head is tacked to one side (synthetic heads or othe ...

) 1977 * Pierre Laporte (

, (solo) vocals) 1977–1981 * Lisa Ornstein (piano,

) 1979 * Guy Bouchard (

s, guitar,

, vocals) 1980 * Martin Racine (guitar,

, feet,

, vocals) 1980–1997 * Daniel Roy (

flageolet The flageolet is a woodwind instrument and a member of the fipple flute family which includes recorders and tin whistles. Its invention was erroneously ascribed to the 16th-century Sieur Juvigny in 1581. There are two basic forms of the instrume ...

, jaw harp,

, (solo) vocals) 1982–1985 * Bernard Simard (guitar, (solo) vocals) 1984–1986 * Michel Bordeleau (

snare drum The snare (or side drum) is a percussion instrument that produces a sharp staccato sound when the head is struck with a drum stick, due to the use of a series of stiff wires held under tension against the lower skin. Snare drums are often used ...

, guitar,

feet The foot ( : feet) is an anatomical structure found in many vertebrates. It is the terminal portion of a limb which bears weight and allows locomotion. In many animals with feet, the foot is a separate organ at the terminal part of the leg made ...

, (solo) vocals) 1987-2002 * Régent Archambault (

double bass The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or #Terminology, by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched Bow (music), bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox addit ...

, electric bass, vocals) 1988-? * Denis Fréchette (

, piano, trumpet, vocals) 1988–1999 (deceased) * Laflèche Doré (

, trumpet) 1990–1993 (deceased) * André Brunet (violin, guitar, vocals, podorythmie, percussion) 1997-2006 * Pierre-Luc Dupuis (vocals,

, harmonica) 2002-2008 Guest players * Dominique D'Haiti (

) on ''Je voudrais changer de chapeau'' * Ron di Lauro (trumpet,

) on ''La Mistrine'' * Michel Dupire (percussion) on ''La Mistrine'' * Jacques Landry (

) on ''La traverse de l'Atlantique'' * Danielle Martineau (piano) on ''La traverse de l'Atlantique'' * Dominique Messier (drums) on ''La Mistrine'' * Lisa Ornstein (

, piano) on ''Les Épousailles'', ''Chic & Swell'' and ''Je voudrais changer de chapeau'' * Anne Perrot (cello) on ''Je voudrais changer de chapeau'' * Daniel Plamondon (

viola The viola ( , also , ) is a string instrument that is bow (music), bowed, plucked, or played with varying techniques. Slightly larger than a violin, it has a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of ...

) on ''Je voudrais changer de chapeau'' * Daniel Roy (

) (bones) on ''Les Épousailles''

Discography

;Albums * ''

Y'a ben du changement ''Y'a ben du changement'' (''There's a Lot of Change'') is a 1978 album by La Bottine Souriante. Track listing # "Sur la montagne du loup" ''(On Wolf Mountain)'', – 4:10 # "Trinque l'amourette" ''(Toast to a Love Affair)'', – 3:51 # "La ro ...

'' (1978) – (Gold) * ''

Les Épousailles ''Les Épousailles'' ('' French for: The Wedding'') is a 1980 album by La Bottine Souriante. Track listing # "Les p'tits plaisirs de Basile" ''(Basil's Little Pleasures)'' # "Le Réel des deux Lisa, Le Réel du cordonnier" ''(Two Lisas Reel/Shoe ...

'' (1980) * ''

Chic 'n Swell ''Chic 'n Swell'' is a 1982 album by La Bottine Souriante. Track listing

# "Le Batteux" ''(The Threshing Mill)'', La grande gigue simple – 2:58 # "La Tapinie" ''(The Log Drive)'', Le reel des voyageurs – 3:50 # "Sur le chemin de mont" ''( ...

'' (1982) * ''

La Traversée de l'Atlantique ''La Traversée de l'Atlantique'' (''Atlantic Crossing'') is a 1986 album by La Bottine Souriante La Bottine Souriante is a folk band from Canada. The band specializes in traditional French Canadian folk music, often with a modern twist. F ...

'' (1986) * ''Tout comme au jour de l'An'' (1987) – (Platinum) * ''Je voudrais changer d'chapeau'' (1988) * '' Jusqu'aux p'tites heures'' (1992) – (Platinum) * '' La Mistrine'' (1994) * ''En spectacle'' (1996) * '' Xième'' (1998, also released in the United States as ''Rock 'n Reel'') – (Gold) * '' Cordial'' (2001) * ''Anthologie'' (2001) – (Gold) * ''J'ai jamais tant ri'' (2003) * ''Anthologie II, 1976-2005'' (2006) * '' Appellation d'origine contrôlée'' (2011) * '' danse'' (2019) ;Contributing artist * '' The Rough Guide to the Music of Canada'' (2005)

Awards and achievements

La Bottine Souriante has received the Canadian

Juno award The Juno Awards, more popularly known as the JUNOS, are awards presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall of ...

for Best Roots & Traditional Album on three occasions for ''Je voudrais changer d'chapeau'' in 1989, '' Jusqu'aux p'tites heures'' in 1992, and '' Cordial'' in 2002. They have also received several

Félix Award The Félix Award (french: Trophée Félix or Prix Félix) is an award, given by the ''Association du disque, de l'industrie du spectacle québécois'' (ADISQ) on an annual basis to artists working in the music and humor industry in the Canadian p ...

s from the Quebec recording industry: four Best Folk Album of the Year awards for '' Jusqu'aux p'tites heures'' in 1992, '' La Mistrine'' in 1995, ''En spectacle'' in 1997, and '' Xième'' in 1999, two Best Traditional Album awards for '' Cordial'' in 2002 and ''J'ai jamais tant ri'' in 2004, and one Best Sound (Technical) of the Year award in 1993. Furthermore, they have received four gold records for ''

'', ''En spectacle'', '' Xième'', and ''Anthologie'' and three platinum records for ''Tout comme au jour de l'An'', '' Jusqu'aux p'tites heures'', and '' La Mistrine''.La Bottine Souriante. Kawabunga. January 2010. May 16, 2010. They are known for their high energy live performances and in 2000 were voted ''Best Live Act'' at the

BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards The BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards celebrate outstanding achievement during the previous year within the field of folk music, with the aim of raising the profile of folk and acoustic music. The awards have been given annually since 2000 by British ra ...

BBC Radio 3 BBC Radio 3 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It replaced the BBC Third Programme in 1967 and broadcasts classical music and opera, with jazz, world music, Radio drama, drama, High culture, culture and the arts ...

has also played their music in mainstream programmes.

References

External links

La Bottine Souriante
Official web site
Fan site
– with details of lineup and pictures – in French
Detailed discography
– with some sound samples

- many complete album lyrics {{DEFAULTSORT:Bottine Souriante, La Musical groups established in 1976 Musical groups from Quebec Canadian folk music groups Canadian Celtic music groups Juno Award for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year – Group winners 1976 establishments in Quebec Félix Award winners

Members

Discography

Awards and achievements

See also

References

External links