A band made up of École secondaire catholique l’Horizon students will perform at the Hanmer mall starting at 3:30 p.m. Sept. 12 as part of Valley East Days.
This free French-language concert also includes local musician Dayv Poulin.
“Mandala band members, all hailing from Valley East, take great pride in being able to share their musical talent and their passion for francophone music,” a press release from Conseil scolaire catholique du Nouvel-Ontario said.
Zachary Clément, Nicholas Fournier, Luc Huneault and Julien Laferrière recently displayed the breadth of their musical talent by winning this summer’s “Battle of the Bands 2015” at Science North during Canada Day celebrations.
Mandala was also named outstanding band at the 2015 La Brunante music contest and earned the coveted opportunity to play on stage during the 2016 edition of La Nuit sur l'étang.
This past winter, the four band members had the experience of a lifetime at the “Quand ça nous chante” provincial music festival, during which each member received the prestigious “outstanding musician” award and was named to the festival’s All-Star Team.
This award is presented to students for in recognition of outstanding stage presence in a musical performance during the festival. The Horizon students secured four of the eight spots on the musical All-Star Team.
“All of these students hailing from the Valley East community are passionate about their music and are always open to experimenting with new styles,” said Horizon music teacher André Lachance.
“Influenced by performers like Mastik and Dayv Poulin, they want to play quality Francophone music, enjoy themselves and promote their French culture. Having a preference for jazz, Mandala is also appreciated for its alternative style.”