Les Charbonniers de l'Enfer are an ''

a cappella ''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...

'' folk music group formed in

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

, Canada, in 1994.

History

The group is part of a revival in interest in Quebec's folk music. It was formed by five experienced singers who have been part of the regional folk music scene for more than 30 years: Michel Faubert, Normand Miron, Jean-Claude Mirandette, Michel Bordeleau, and André Marchand. Their instrumental accompaniment is limited to the jaw harp and foot tapping. The musicians also work in other projects and the band's appearances are relatively rare. The group includes two former members of

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. Formed in 1976 by Yves Lambert, Andre Marchand, and Mario Forest, they have toured extensively throug ...

(Bordeleau and Marchand). On their 2010 album ''Nouvelles fréquentations'' (New Visits), Les Charbonniers de l'Enfer tackle a contemporary repertoire. This includes, among others, works by

Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, joining Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Richie Furay ...

Félix Leclerc Félix Leclerc, (August 2, 1914 – August 8, 1988) was a French-Canadian singer-songwriter, poet, writer, actor and '' Québécois'' political activist. He was made an Officer of the Order of Canada on December 20, 1968. Leclerc was posth ...

Noir Désir Noir Désir (, "Black Desire") was a French rock band from Bordeaux. They were active during the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s, and have had two albums certified double platinum in France and three certified gold. They have been an influence on nu ...

Daniel Lanois Daniel Roland Lanois ( , ; born September 19, 1951) is a Canadian record producer, guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. He has produced albums by artists including Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Peter Gabriel, Robbie Robertson, Emmylou Harris, Willie ...

Plume Latraverse Plume Latraverse (born ''Michel Latraverse'' 11 May 1946) is a prolific singer, musician, songwriter and author from Quebec. At the end of the 1960s he formed a band named La Sainte Trinité with Pierrot le fou (Pierre Léger) and Pierre Landr ...

, Steven "Cassonade" Faulkner,

Daniel Lavoie Daniel Lavoie (; born Joseph-Hubert-Gérald Lavoie on March 17, 1949) is a Canadian singer–songwriter, actor, producer, poet, and radio host, known for his song " Ils s'aiment" and the role of Frollo in musical ''Notre-Dame de Paris''. He rele ...

Florent Vollant Florent Vollant (born August 10, 1959 in Labrador) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. An Innu from Maliotenam, Quebec, he was half of the popular folk music duo Kashtin, one of the most significant musical groups in First Nations history. He has s ...

Dédé Fortin André "Dédé" Fortin (17 November 1962 – 8 May 2000) was a founding member, frontman, and vocalist of the Québécois band Les Colocs, formed in 1990. Early life Fortin was born to Alfred Fortin and Gisèle Tremblay on a farm near the smal ...

, the McGarrigle sisters, Marcel Martel, and

Bertolt Brecht Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known professionally as Bertolt Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a pl ...

. This album earned them nominations from ADISQ as well as the

Canadian Folk Music Awards The Canadian Folk Music Awards are an annual music awards ceremony presenting awards in a variety of categories for achievements in both traditional and contemporary folk music, and other roots music genres, by Canadian musicians. The awards progr ...

. In 2017, they released the album ''25 ans de grande noirceur'' (25 Years of Great Darkness), a compilation of 13 songs selected from their complete repertoire. Jean-Claude Mirandette died in 2018.

Band members

Current * Michel Bordeleau * * André Marchand * Normand Miron Past * Jean-Claude Mirandette

Discography

* ''Chansons a cappella'' (1996) * ''Wô'' (2002) * ''En concert à la Tulippe : "En personne"'' (2005) * ''À la grâce de Dieu'' (2007) * ''La Traverse miraculeuse'' with

La Nef La Nef (French: The Nave (of a ship or church or a medieval boat) is a French-Canadian early music performance group founded in Quebec in 1991. The founding members were Sylvain Bergeron, the guitar and musical director; and Claire Gignac, the co ...

(2008) * ''Nouvelles fréquentations'' (2010) * ''25 ans de grande noirceur'' (2017)

Collaborations

* ''La sacrée rencontre'' (

Gilles Vigneault Gilles Vigneault (; born 27 October 1928) is a Canadian poet, publisher, singer-songwriter, and Quebec nationalist and sovereigntist. Two of his songs are considered by many to be Quebec's unofficial anthems: "Mon pays" and "Gens du pays", an ...

and Les Charbonniers de l'enfer - 2007)

Awards and recognition

* Félix Award – Album of the year – Traditional Music – for ''Wô'' (2003) * Nomination: ADISQ – Best CD cover – for ''Wô'' (2003) * Félix Award – Album of the year – Traditional Music – for ''En concert à la Tulippe : "En personne"'' (2006) * Canadian Folk Music Awards Prize – Best Group of the Year (2007) * Nomination: ADISQ – Album of the year – for ''À la grace de Dieu'' (2008) * Félix Award – Album of the year – Traditional Music – La Nef & Les Charbonniers de l'Enfer (2009) * Nomination: Canadian Folk Music Awards – Album of the Year – Contemporary Vocal Group of the Year – for ''Nouvelles fréquentations'' (2011) * Nomination: ADISQ – Album of the year – Revivals, Performance of the year – for ''Nouvelles fréquentations'' (2011)

References

External links

*
The Canadian Folk Music Awards
{{DEFAULTSORT:Charbonniers de l'enfer Professional a cappella groups Musical groups established in 1995 Musical groups from Quebec Canadian folk music groups Canadian Celtic music groups