CANO are back.
The 70s alternative rock band composed of both francophone and anglophone members, formerly from Sudbury and Sturgeon Falls, reunited after 10 years to open the 37th annual La Nuit sur l'étang francophone music celebration March 27 at the Fraser Auditorium, Laurentian University.
The concert was packed and tickets sold out well in advance, Mathieu Beausoleil, president of the board of the francophone event, said. He said the event was being filmed for a future television production.
Many older people in the crowd remarked how the concert, which also featured a Quebec band, Les Trois Accords, Tricia Foster, and three young local bands, was like a homecoming of sorts.“I have seen people here tonight who I have not seen for 30 years,” remarked business consultant GerryLabelle. He said he knew the original band well.“I lived with André Paiement and other members for awhile,” he said.
Monique Paiement, new vocalist for the group, and sister of deceased founding member André Paiement, said she was very emotional after the show.“I am so happy at seeing all the people who came out for us,” she said tearfully. Her sister Rachel was an original vocalist with the group. The family originally came from Sturgeon Falls and some still live there now, she said.
Currently Paiement lives in Montreal and works in the travel industry. She still sings at various venues there, according to her brother.
Drummer Michel Dasti, another original member, said after the show he felt a bit let down now that it was over after all the rehearsals that were involved in getting the band playing together. But he said he would be interested in future performances and even recording new material for the group. He now works as a transit driver with the Toronto Transit Commission.
He said he appreciated the media support Northern Life gave the original group back in the 1970s.“Northern Life published a lot of articles about us,” Dasti commentated. “That really helped us out.”
According to vocalist and guitarist Marcel Aymar, the last time the group played together was in Ottawa ten years ago. Guitarist David Burt, another original member, said the group, all those present at the concert, were planning on playing in Quebec this summer and possibly in Sturgeon Falls in 2011. He still performs with the original stratocaster guitar he bought in 1974. He too looked forward to playing together with the others. He is a teacher in Toronto.
Helene Thoms said she was at the concert to hear the newer music by the youthful performers. She is a board member of the Northern Lights Festival Boreal and appreicates good music.“My grandson, Justin Labelle, 15, is a drummer with Le Jeudi Soir. They play rock music. I am here to see him.”
She said her grandson was so pleased his band would perform at the concert after being a finalist in La Brunante, a runner up event to the La Nuit sur l'étang on Feb. 20 . Other local bands playing were Leïla and Le Bistro. Other seasoned performers were Les Trois Accords from Quebec and Tricia Foster, originally from Cochrane.
For more information, visit www.lanuit.ca
