À Montréal, il est difficile de trouver des billets pour aller écouter les Salebarbes, un groupe acadien aux fortes influences louisianaises qui, en quelques années seulement, est devenu l’un des plus connus du Québec. Presque tous les spectacles des Salebarbes à venir cette année sont complets. 

In Montreal, it is difficult to find tickets to go listen to the Salebarbes, an Acadian group with strong Louisiana influences which, in just a few years, has become one of the best known in Quebec. Almost all of the Salebarbes shows coming this year are sold out.

Their songs are lively and joyful, all made for dancing and bringing people together; their lyrics celebrate the one of a kind Louisiana life, and mix several versions of the French language, such as those of New Brunswick, Louisiana, or the Magdalen Islands. It might seem surprising to many Louisianans to learn that so many Acadian artists are influenced by our traditional sounds, but this cultural exchange dates back to the 1970s, when Zachary Richard had his big hits in Quebec. For many French speakers, a minority in Canada, Louisiana music is therefore very present.

The Salebarbes began playing for fun with Acadian musicians, then very quickly performed at Pas Perdus, a performance hall in the Magdalen Islands. Their covers of Louisiana songs are compiled in the album Live au Pas Perdus. The band members share a passion for Louisiana’s musical tradition; Jonathan Painchaud even named his dog Belton to honor Belton Richard. But even if the Salebarbes are greatly inspired by Louisiana classics, their style is modern and always seeks to innovate. “It’s really a hybrid style, explains Jonathan. We don’t try to copy the originals. It’s to add a little of our spice to this gumbo, to give a maple syrup flavor.”

Painchaud sees more and more young people starting to learn this music and its traditions. He hopes that the Salebarbes will one day have the opportunity to make their unique contribution to Louisiana.

Drummondville, a Laurentian town between Quebec and Montreal, will host the third edition of the Trad-Cajun festival in October, created in 2022 by Steve Veilleux. A musician himself, he spent a lot of time in Louisiana.  Veilleux says he “fell in love with the culture of New Orleans” and thinks that “trad Quebec culture finds a beautiful complement with Cajun music.” He sees a lot of familiarity between the two worlds. “It’s the music of the heart, bon vivant.”

This festival is an open-air stage for the new wave of talent fascinated by Louisiana culture, and spectators can listen to Canadian artists perform zydeco and jazz. The Salebarbes played there last year. Programmers are working hard to create new connections with Louisiana artists, like Waylon Thibodeaux.  Louisiana cuisine is also there, and you can easily find typical dishes like gumbo, poboys or crawfish boiled. “People are curious, they want to taste Louisiana dishes.” Even the paths in the park bear the names of the streets of the Vieux Carré, leading participants to the Lafayette stage and the Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler stage, for example.

And of course, there are quite a few French-speaking artists who have decided to share their culture with Louisiana. Lisa LeBlanc, “the queen of Chiac Disco”, has played several times at the Festival International of Lafayette. Even if her songs belong mainly to the disco register, she released a cover of “Bonsoir Moreau” in collaboration with Salebarbes, and also had the opportunity to play with several local artists. Louisiana music has long played a very important role in the artist’s life. “I was 20 years old and I completely fell in love with Louisiana”, explains LeBlanc, remembering her first visit to Louisiana. “It’s interesting to see how our cultures are similar but at the same time different. We immediately see that there is something similar in the atmosphere and the welcome of the people.”

LeBlanc is convinced of the potential of this cross-border exchange. “I think he has more and more opportunities to bridge the two. These are exchanges that are good for everyone. To see how a culture is close and different from ours, to absorb that and come home with lots of great ideas and learnings.”