HER TEAM

français | JEAN-PIERRE JOYAL | LUC LAVALÉE | JEAN-CLAUDE BÉLANGER

Monique works with a talented entourage, each contributing his own unique colour, energy and passion for traditional Québécois music.

JEAN-PIERRE JOYAL

Violinist, fiddle and musicologist, Jean-Pierre Joyal specializes in traditional Québécois fiddling. A founding member of the group Éritage, he has toured nationally and internationally with band members Raynald Ouellette (Carrefour Mondial de l'Accordéon) and stepdancer-singer Benoit Bourque (Matapat, Le Vent du Nord). He left the stage to earn a Masters (in 1989) in ethnomusicology from the University of Montréal. His research subject was "Instruments and practices in the popular Québec tradition". His years of study and research make him one of the most knowledgeable resources on traditional Québécois music.

Since 1988, Jean-Pierre has taught in the music department at the CÉGEP of Drummondville. Since 2004 he has also taught fiddle and the history of traditional Québécois music at l'École des Arts de la Veillée for the Société de la Promotion de la Danse Traditionnelle Québécoise. At the same time, he continues to perform, perfecting his technique and style. In 1996, he was invited to play in the inaugural concert for the Hémicycle at Molson Centre in Montréal, joining pianist/composer André Gagnon for "Petit Concerto pour Carignan et Orchestre", composed by Gagnon in honour of beloved Québécois fiddler Jean Carignan. Jean-Pierre also regularly accompanies Québec folk dance troups on tour, including "Les Bons Diables" of Laval for whom he has been musical director since 1998.

In addition, he worked extensively on the publication of "Madame Bolduc/Paroles et Musiques" by Lina Remon (Éditions Guérin 1993). Not only did he transcribe all of the melodies (100), he identified the traditional tunes that were her source of inspiration in composing her songs. Since 2001 he has played with Monique Jutras both in concert and on her recordings.

Luc LavallÉe

Pianist, guitarist and bassist, Luc Lavallée is a natural-born accompanist brimming with energy, always listening to those whom he accompanies. From a large family in the Drummondville region, he has played in a variety of bands since his youth, performing all sorts of music in clubs and dancehalls.

For forty-five musically intense years, he has accompanied some of Québec's best-known singers, fiddlers and accordionists, notably Jean Carignan and Philippe Bruneau. His ear and rhythmic sense put him in high demand in the trad milieu, in the studio and onstage and it would be impossible to count the number of musicians he's worked with in this capacity. Since 1990 he has played regularly with Jean-Pierre Joyal and began to work with Monique Jutras in 2001.

Jean-Claude BÉlanger

Composer, lyricist and arranger, Jean-Claude Bélanger has long been involved in Monique Jutras' projects, assisting with research and arrangements for both recordings and concert performances.

Having studied compositiona and harmony with Michel Perrault (Institut Pantonal) during the 1970s, he has executed numerous musical projects, in particular, projects that target the educational milieu. He is the author of at least a hundred childrens' songs arranged for two voices and inspired by traditional Québécois melodies. The four volumes of "Deux Voix Une Mesure" (Éditions Consonance, Vol. 1-4, 1992-2002) as well as their accompanying CDs, are very popular with teachers of elementary school singing. "Le Gros Bon Chant", a collaboration between Jean-Claude Bélanger and Michel Pérrault, is another excellent tool for beginner singers, with a family-oriented approach.

Jean-Claude's special interest in musical heritage led him to do a lot of research on Québéc oral traditions in song repertoire and instrumentation; this profound knowledge of both musical theory and Québec traditional music make him an incomparable arranger of both song and music. " His musical arrangements are both varied and original, done in good taste and with respect for their sources. We hear a passion for Québec heritage and at the same time a new approach. Never over-orchestrated, no virtuostic harmonies, the character and emotion of the original songs is preserved." (Neil Chotem, 1996, tr.)

Impassioned by the accordion but without the desire to perform, he teaches traditional Québécois accordion at l'École des Arts de la Veillée for the Société pour la Promotion de la Danse Traditionnelle Québécoise, an organization he has been deeply involved in since 1990, devoted to the promotion and preservation of Québécois musical heritage.