DÉFILÉ de la St-JEAN BAPTISTE (MONTREAL, 2011), by TICKLEBEAR

i believe that today was my first time i went to watch 

the St-JEAN BAPTISTE parade. 

a reflection on our history, culture and diversity. 

i somewhat enjoyed this, 

despite the fact they started a whole half hour late... 

the weather was not the finest... 

the crowd wasn't as big as they would probably have liked, 

and much quieter... 

from giant puppets to people dressed in colonial gears, 

from traditional music to Hare Krishna to close the parade, 

it was an eclectic mix, 

just as we are!! 

:)~ 

HUGZ

MYLENE FARMER's "BLEU NOIR", by TICKLEBEAR

welcome to the narcissistic world of 

MYLENE FARMER,

where french pop reigns

and still manages to seduce you.

very moody,

the music is quite "chill" generally,

the words speak again of tortuous ways

to torture your soul

and yet,

you come out of it smiling...

pain has its own virtues

as it can be curative,

apparently!!

i grabbed this yesterday

and i must admit i remain fascinated with the woman and her work.

while not the greatest voice on the market,

she's always chose wisely the material she sang,

focusing on her strenght rather than her weakeness

and infusing everything with such a mood,

she just floats across your soul,

tainting it with her own.

this was nicely produced,

and she remains relevant

as she reflects our angst in this 21rst century.

i found out she was turning 50 this year,

just like me!!

admitedly,

i had never looked at her age,

perhaps in an attempt to keep up the mystery around her.

overall,

a most pleasant listening,
and my favorite would be:
"TOI, L'AMOUR".
no vid available yet...
(sigh...)

:)~

HUGZ

CELINE DION: TAKING CHANCES (LE SPECTACLE), by TICKLEBEAR

OH CELINE, CELINE!!!
i don't kiss the ground you walk on,
i lick it!!!!
:D~
i remember:
une adolescente aux dents croches,
au show de michel jasmin,avec une assurance frisant l'arrogance...
my, my!!
you've come a long way
and you have achieve so much!!!
who knew?!?
when you started to sing in english,
i found you a new appeal,though "incognito" had a little something...
moi, la colombe, le pape, etc, non merci...
but when you aimed for the american market,
you got it right.
a survey this week declared you
the americans' favorite female singer!!
no small feat!!
CONGRATS!!
:)~
this said,"TAKING CHANCES",
your latest tour,
shot in montreal for the DVD,
is, simply put,
wonderful
!!!!!!!!!
WOW!!!
a square stage,
right smack in the middle of the BELL center,
to better embrace the audience on all sides.
it looks sober but is quite effective
as it has a few perks,
allowing CELINE and her dancers
to entertain everyone equally.
one detail that makes me smile...
the inclined walkways....
does she misses the stage in vegas?????
despite all of the aggravations it caused?...

her fashion is a dream...
those shoes in the beginning are fierce!!
what are they, prada, louboutin, what?!?
i'll have to look it up.
her voice is at her best,
CELINE looks splendid
and she goes through her french and english repertoire,
singing in front of her fans
on home turf.
it had been a while,
given her stint in las vegas...
but we don't hold a grudge,
always willing to embrace again
the prodigal child...
which she is!!
alright!so, i'm a big fan of CELINE!!
but i can still bitch...
as she was singing,
a strap of one of her shoes fell down a bit...
(because she's a tad too skinny...)
her hair needs some hair conditioner...
(those backlights don't lie, too much static!!)
and she says "may" instead of "meeh!!"
keep your eyes on ME!!,
not on MAY!!!

but when one has to bitch about such things...
doesn't it mean her show is simply...
F-L-A-W-L-E-S-S
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
but seriously,
CELINE,
next time,
i expect your hair to look like those PANTENE commercials...
frivolity aside,
her homage to HEART and QUEEN showed her potential to expand,
and was a great tribute.
all in all,

such a great show!!
she proves once again what a great artist she is,
(no lipsynch for her, no siree!!),
and the closest to my heart.
you give so much,
as an artist,
and as a woman.
don't think eveything goes unnoticed!!

we hear things...
you are a good woman!!!
and such a great artist!!
did you know she could twirl?!?
if she wishes to ever retire,
(god forbid!!),

she could work for our football team,
the ALOUETTES.
she'd be quite the sensation on the field,
wouldn't she?!?
il me semble de la voir la!!!
now..
excuse me while i watch
"CELINE AUTOUR DU MONDE",
the DVD of her tour around the planet.
a woman that can evoke such passion and compassion,
can't be bad,
can it?!?
may your son take after you...
:D~
HUGZ

it is a unique experience to see the world
through CELINE's eyes and her big extended family.
while her reality is remoted from ours,
she remains genuine, caring and loving.
if her life is considered to be privileged,
it is also extremely demanding,
and...
SHE GIVES ENORMOUSLY.
the care she has for her fans,
no matter where on the planet is admirable.
always the right words to please,
the wardrobe adjustments so not to offend people,
always respectful of their ways.
but it is absolutly fascinating
to see how the world is responding to her as well.
fans around the planet show her the same courtesy.
in the vid,
i saw fans in shanghai, china,
holding a sign in french,
"je t'aime".
and you see people of all creeds, races, nations,
tell why they love CELINE DION.
and their love is intense, unconditional,
just like CELINE herself.
music is truly universal,
and CELINE is its best ambassador.
you'll guess she gets another five stars for this.
what an artist she is!!
she embraces the world,
and the whole wide world embraces her too!!
:)~
HUGZ (again!!)

MYLENE FARMER au STADE de FRANCE (DVD), by TICKLEBEAR

MYLENE FARMER,
the french goddess of pop,
in what i think may be her greatest show yet!!
her show has nothing to envy to any other pop stars of this world.
SHE ROCKS!!!
:)~

looking in top shape,
even perky if i dare to say so...
JEAN-PAUL GAUTHIER's costumes are amazing,
the visuals throughout the show are dazzling.
only the choregraphies left me non-plussed.
the dancers did well,
doing what was expected,
but the choregraphies lacked a little something,
some originality,
to compete with the rest of the production that was beyond superb!!

but the "coup-de-maitre" was when MYLENE proceeded
along the walkway to reach a star-shaped stage,
and transformed a stadium filled with 80 000 fans
into an intimate concert,
sobbing on cue to let her fans sing the lyrics in her stead.
we do love a drama queen,
don't we now!?!
this was filmed on her birthday,
which gave those fans present the opportunity
to convey their good wishes directly.
i like that!!
a most enchanting experience
where MYLENE proved she's at the top of her craft.
my only disappointment was when she did "DEGENERATION",
as i was expecting something more outrageous...
it's good but the video was so amazing.
but this said,
this is a MUST!!
not just for the fans,
but anyone who likes music
and can be impressed by a great performer.
her older material reamins as fresh and pertinent as her newer material.
just goes to show!!!
to give you an idea,
this is the fourth time i watch the DVD since tuesday...
and we are friday morning here right now...
is is good or
IS IT GOOD?!?
it is THAT good!!!
to enter MYLENE's univers is a unique experience,
and while she may have a dark side
and be provocative in her topics,
she remains high-class,
contrary to some other pop star
that think it's cool to swear
and throw a "motherfucker" in your face...
yes, MADONNA, i'm talking to you...
MYLENE's world is fragile like a mist,
you can see it but never quite grasp it.
pity the girl wouldn't come to montreal.
pretty sure her fanbase here in eastern canada would rush
to see her at the olympic stadium.
MYLENE,
should you ever change your mind,
"appelle mon numero!!"
and the bonus DVD is a gem,
giving you a look behind the scene
that is priceless.
the whole creative process is fascinating.
:)~
HUGZ

JULIEN DORÉ AUX FRANCOFOLIES DE MONTRÉAL

Wouh!! Je suis encore toute remuée. Attendez, je vais me reprendre... mmmmf, aaaaahhh... Bon. Hier soir a eu lieu à l'Astral, dans le câdre des Francofolies de Montréal, le spectacle de Julien Doré. Depuis deux ans déjà je surveille la carrière de ce jeune homme. Un gagnant de la Nouvelle Star, émission de télé-réalité française. Déjà, dans le câdre de cette émission, les prestations de Julien Doré étaient toujours les plus intéressantes. Son énergie, sa présence scénique et sa façon tellement originale et personnelle d'interpréter les vieux tubes que ces concurrents sont obligés de faire, pour rendre le spectacle abordable pour un plus large public, l'ont tout de suite fait se démarquer du troupeau d'aspirants chanteurs. Du moins à mes yeux. J'avais toujours hâte de voir ce qu'il était pour faire, de semaine en semaine. Et, de toute évidence, je n'étais pas la seule à avoir remarqué ce jeune fougueux!

Je dois dire que la petite salle de l'Astral, hier, comptait un large public français. Ici et là, l'accent pointu des cousins se faisait entendre. Des touristes? Des néo-québécois? Sa famille? Il y avait aussi tout autant de québécois, et j'en étais très heureuse.

C'est la jeune Amylie qui a entammé la soirée en première partie de Julien. Amylie nous a chanté quelques unes des chansons de son album tout en s'accompagnant à la guitare. Elle était encâdrée d'un bassiste et d'une violoncelliste qui faisait aussi la voix d'arrière plan. Belle musique et bonne prestation, malgré le fait que nous ayons malheureusement perdu une partie de ses beaux textes, car le son des instruments noyait celui de sa voix. Dommage, mais on a quand même pu goûter sa voix.


Puis, une fois les instruments en place et les microphones bien calibrés, après l'intro de l'Italiano(?!?) à tue-tête, les musiciens commencent sans plus tarder à jouer et les lumières de la scène s'allument sur un Julien qui nous fait dos, des cymbales aux mains. Et c'est parti pour une soirée de musique endiablée, rock à souhaît, et un Julien débordant d'énergie! La voix bien placée, c'est avec fougue qu'il nous a chanté les pièces de son album Ersatz.

Je dois avouer avoir été hautement impressionnée par sa prestation. Au-delà de mes espérances. Il est généreux, rieur, et l'on devine un sens de l'humour particulier. À un moment donné il commence à nous interpréter la pièce Moi Lolita qui fut un tube lors de sa participation à la Nouvelle Star, et après quelques mesures le batteur se met à "déraper" en un solo de batterie des plus délirant, pour finalement passer à Les Limites, le premier extrait (et tube aussi) de son album Ersatz. Wouh! Comme on dit par chez nous, ça déménage! Et ce fut une façon pour lui de nous signifier qu'il tournait la page de sa période Nouvelle Star. C'est compris, Julien!
Il est définitivement un artiste de scène. Il bouge sans cesse, et je dois aussi admettre, il bouge très bien. Pas une seule seconde d'ennui. Il joue de la guitare, des cymbales, du xylophone, de la cloche à vache, du ukulélé et... du cheveu!

Il bouge tellement, que le photographier devient un sport! Je ne peux passer sous silence la formidable interprétation de First Lady sur laquelle il a amplement eu l'occasion de sautiller partout, et d'aller jouer devant les personnes à l'avant. Décoiffés, nous étions aussi!
Mais il y a tout de même eu des moments un peu plus calmes, comme par exemple lors de l'interprétation des Bords de Mer. Une des préférées de Ticklebear. Si si, j'ai bien dis Ticklebear...

Notons aussi la présence de Coeur de Pirate, qui est venue ajouter sa voix à une chanson composée tout spécialement pour les canadiens : I Want To Go To Winnipeg With You.
Personnellement, je t'aime bien Julien, mais Winnipeg ne fait tellement pas partie de mes fantasmes... I'll let you go with someone else. Snif.


Les musiciens qui l'accompagnent sont excellents. Je ne sais si ce sont ceux d'un de ses bands, mais j'ai beaucoup apprécié le travail du guitariste et du batteur. Des pros. On nous a servi une musique au son très rock, et à notre grande surprise et bonheur, certaines pièces qui s'étiraient dans des sons de rock progressif. C'est comme ça qu'il a achevé de nous charmer. Nous sommes maintenant vendus, mordus, et fans! (Comme si je ne l'étais pas déjà!) Et voici, la preuve est là, l'aveu de Ticklebear.


Au rappel, Coeur de Pirate s'est installée au piano, et ils ont fait ensemble le duo qui figure sur l'album de cette dernière : Pour un Infidèle. Charmant moment.

Et, comme si nous n'étions pas déjà comblés, pour la toute dernière pièce du rappel Julien et ses musiciens sont descendus de scène avec leurs instruments, et ont joué au milieu de la salle, parmi nous, une pièce acoustique des plus sympathiques, en nous faisant chanter avec eux. À ce moment, je n'en peux presque plus de bonheur!

AJOUT : 10 août 2009

Suite au commentaire de Romy je suis allée consulter le forum des Crazy-Julien. Woah!! Des heures de plaisir!

Si certains pensaient que j'étais maniaque de Julien, ils n'ont encore rien vu!

J'ai trouvé cette vidéo de la dernière pièce de son rappel. Et nous y étions!! Là, juste là, quelque part derrière lui...

Merci les Crazy-Julien!

Ah, au fait, je vous ai déjà dis, que je l'aimais bien, mon p'tit Julien?

Dix sur cinq. Rien de moins.

2009 !!!

FROM ALL OF US

TO ALL OF YOU

!!!!!!

DE NOUS TOUS

A VOUS TOUS

!!!!!!

:D~

HUGZ

-LINOUE

-LA BLOGGIA

-TICKLEBEAR

ELEPHANT: THE MEMORY OF QUEBECOIS CINEMA (VIDEOTRON), by TICKLEBEAR

in case you've missed the news,

it was announced by pierre karl peladeau,

ceo of quebecor,

the launch of

ELEPHANT,

la memoire du cinema quebecois.

all videotron customers will be able to access,

via the 900,

a new VOD

specializing in quebecois cinema.

in these troubled times

where culture is neglected

& poorly subsidized by our governments,

it is nice to see a private corporation

taking care of what constitute

our cinematic heritage.

an opportunity for people like me

to get [better] acquainted with our local industry,

from various eras.

or an occasion for the fans to indulge

in this bit of culture

that has come to reflect our society

for decades now.

i'm sure to give a try eventually

& must congratulate PKP for this decision.

it is definitely high time

we got something like this,

promoting what's being done here,

rather than constantly being bombarded

by what's being done abroad.

a 5-stars for the initiative!!

:)~

HUGZ

MARIE CARMEN (LE DIAMANT)- AT LONG LAST!!!! by TICKLEBEAR

talk about a long absence:

10 years!!!!

marie carmen comes back to us with

"le diamant",

full of lively melodies

& her voice has lost nothing,

i repeat,

N-O-T-H-I-N-G!!

of her charm.

i daresay she even sounds better,

transformed,

if this is possible.

i guess the humanitarian work she's done in south america

over the years

has done some good to her soul.

also,

she has matured as a woman,

therefore,

if you put all of this together,

you can see she's at her peak,

sounding more serene & enjoying this.

against all hope,

she went back to the studio

to give us this gem,

which her fans will just lap up like honey;

& she's likely to gain new fans with this CD.

come on,

listen to those samples

& dare tell me

you're not tempted...

& girl!!!

don't you ever dare leave us like this for SO long,

ever again!!!

P-leeeeeeazzze!!!!!!

we've been waiting all of this time for you,

& are happy to embrace you,

once again.

:)~

HUGZ

MYLENE FARMER: POINT DE SUTURE, by TICKLEBEAR

mylene farmer,

one of my alltime favorites,

strikes back with "point de suture",

which translates as "stiches".

"degeneration" was our first look at this new CD.

not much on words,

but the beat is catchy,

& the video (shown below) is very much

in the tradition of mylene's videos:

impeccably produced

& definitely provocative.

you'll find 11 tracks on this CD:

degeneration

appelle mon numero

je m'ennuie

paradis inanime

looking for my name (duet with moby)

point de suture

reveiller le monde

sextonik

c'est dans l'air

si j'avais au moins...

plus one hidden track,

ave maria

the familiar voice,

evoking the usual moods

through the lyrics & the music,

it is not too different

from what she has delivered in the past,

but it sounds fresh & engaging.

you cannot remain indifferent

to her charms.

she will once more seduce you,

singing about pain, angst & despair,

hopeless love & crushed dreams,

but on a very upbeat sound.

i expect there'll be sufficient remixes

to keep people dancing

until her next CD...

:D~

HUGZ

MY TREAT TONIGHT: CELINE SUR LES PLAINES, by TICKLEBEAR

as i've been a good boy lately,

& those who know me

will understand why i say this;

therefore,

i felt i deserved a little something.

so,

after work,

i grabbed some beers,

a cake,

& settle for some leftovers,

nothing wrong with that...

:D~

& my treat tonight?

"celine sur les plaines",

celine dion's performance on the plaines d'abraham,

last friday.

as i wasn't home on friday,

i missed the live broadcast,

so today,

i went to-de-go on illico

& ordered it .

a nice feeling to get celine to show up,

when "i" decide...

(only in my own sick mind...)

:D~

she gave this show

to celebrate quebec city's 400th anniversary,

while she is herself touring the world,

delivering a unique show

for the occasion,

with some guests

& sticking to her french repertoire only...

(this is decidedly a recurring theme

this week,

first a french tv series,

now a french concert.

what's next:?

no-no-no,

not a french movie,

N-O-O-O !!!

but i'd go for a french restaurant,

you know...)

:D~

the production was impeccable,

the crowd was immense & enthousiastic,

(reportedly a quarter million people were there);

the guests were familiar & well received:

garou,

who sang one of my favorites: "seul"

marc dupre,

i didn't know his stuff but i think he did well.

nanette workman,

"lady marmelade" with celine was most fun.

dan bigras,

who went from "tu m'tueras" to "carmina burana" to "les 3 p'tits cochons",

but also reciting a poem he wrote for sarajevo.

a man with convictions.

i like that.

mes aieux.

le clan dion,

whose rendition of "il y a longtemps que je t'aime" was beautiful.

zachary richard.

eric lapointe,

who joined celine for "l'amour existe encore",

than sang "mon ange",

his best song ever,

i think...

claude dubois,

"si dieu existe" with celine
tended to prove maybe god does exist (?)...

jean-pierre ferland

who sang with celine

celine & rene's song,

"une chance qu'on s'a"

& then went on with

"un peu plus haut, un peu plus loin"

only to be joined by

ginette reno.

celine & ginette's duo was spectacular.

why, tell me why,

these two never sang together before

????????????????????????????

i don't wish,

i demand,

NO!!

i command

that these two sing together

not one song,

but a whole album,

N-O-W

!!!!!!!

don't wait 'till someone dies

to think that maybe you should have...

DO IT NOW !!!!!

that's an order,

with luv',

but an order nonetheless.

if certain moments left me nonplussed,

the ending was well worth waiting for it.

oh, wow!!!!!!!!!!

now i pray,

since paul mccartney declined the offer

to have his concert in quebec city turned into a DVD,

that celine & rene on the contrary,

have accepted &

we will soon see it in store,

as it makes for a most memorable moment.

come on

"productions J" & "feeling productions"!!

get your act together.

hey!!

i'm willing to buy a french DVD!!!

better do it soon

before i change my mind!!

(as if ever...

it is celine,

after all,

we're speaking of here...)

bravo celine!!

bravo la gang!!

c'est un maudit beau cadeau

que vous avez fait a la ville de quebec,

mais aussi a tous les quebecois.

UN GROS MERCI

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:)~

HUGZ

BTW

it is still available through illico,

& we could still make pressure

on the powers-that-be

to release a DVD

pretty soon,

before xmas maybe?

it'd make for such a lovely gift...

:D~

********************************

UPDATE: NOVEMBER 11TH 2008

the DVD is now available!!!!!!

:D~

*********************************

HELL'S GONNA FREEZE OVER !!!! by TICKLEBEAR

yes, hell's gonna freeze over!!!

ticklebear has acquired (legally...)

the DVD boxset of the first season of

"les etoiles filantes",

a quebecois comedy

running on radio-canada...

alright people!!

pick up your jaw from your desk

& put back your eyeballs into the sockets...

:D~

written by francois archambault

& directed by ricardo trogi,

it is the collision of two lifestyles

of two men that used to share things together,

both playing in a band

& living on the wildside;

now they both live in two totally different worlds,

& drag everyone into a whirlwind experience

where all are exposed to unexpected sides of themselves.

it's a crazy world out there

when you let it in...

suburbia will never be the same.

i'm halfway through the first season,

& i'll admit...

(awh, shut up!!!)

it is quite good.

some things made me laughed out loud.

if i had watched it on tv on a weekly basis,

i don't know if i would have stuck with it,

but to see it like this,

one chapter after another,

(no commercials...),

it makes for a pleasant time,

where we see the opposition

between freedom & conformity,

between obligations & being carefree.

what do you think happens???

H-mmm???

as the saying goes:
the shit hits the fan...

i don't know

if i'll watch the 2nd season on tv this fall,

but i'm likely to grab it on DVD

when it comes out.

the characters are well-defined,

the storyline is interesting

& it reflects somehow

what our society has been through

& what it's all about now,

with a touch of humor.

yup,

i like it!!

:)~

HUGZ

(is everyone still breathing???...

come on!!!

get over it...)

:D~

HUGZ

****************************

UPDATE: AUGUST 25TH

the main character,

"jacques prefontaine" just lost his mom,

just like me,

not so long ago...

a moving moment.

should i expect one too?????

nevertheless,

an excellent series,

& looking forward even more so,

to the 2nd season.

:)~

*******************************

A TASTE OF THINGS TO COME, by TICKLEBEAR

as is customary,

comes the end of the summer, early fall,

a bunch of recording artists

will be releasing their new album.

among them,

an old favorite & a new one,

a french singer & an american actress/singer:

mylene farmer & jennifer hudson.

i am looking forward

to these two singers brand new albums,

but in the meantime,

you get a taste here

of what's to come.

these were leaked,

as usual,

since i believe

it has become a marketing strategy

from the record labels

and/or the artists themselves

to create interest in their new projects

by leaking stuff over the internet.

but obviously,

they would deny this,

only reinforcing the interest

by making people believe

it is forbidden to see this beforehand...

"le fruit defendu",

as we say...

:)~

jennifer hudson's "spotlight"

mylene farmer's "degeneration"

i'm even throwing in some "light"

to create the mood...

ain't i good to you?

:D~

HUGZ

Zaki Ibrahim, heureux mélange d'influences

Voici un de mes derniers coups de coeur. Il s'agit du tout nouveau CD d'une demoiselle née à Vancouver d'un père d'Afrique du Sud et d'une mère anglaise/écossaise. Zaki a grandi tant en Afrique du Sud que dans l'ouest canadien. Imaginez le mélange des influences diverses dont elle a pu se nourrir!

Après des années d'exploration musicale, elle nous livre ce CD,judicieusement nommé Eclectica, dont les pièces reflètent chacunes à leur manière, un aspect de ses influences. C'est en plein ce que j'apprécie d'un artiste. C'est-à-dire cette capacité de me transporter dans un univers nouveau et enveloppant, tout en me faisant voyager d'une pièce à l'autre. Une atmosphère unique, une expérience riche en sensations.

Comment vous décrirais-je la chose...

C'est un peu comme un face à face entre Sade et Björk, sur un petit chemin d'Afrique du Sud.

Vous avez cette voix veloutée, sur des arrangement éclectiques aux consonnances africaines, pour le plus heureux des mélanges!

Voici deux extraits, dont le deuxième est interprété en partie en français, ce qui n'est pas pour me déplaire!




Zaki sera à Montréal le 4 juillet prochain dans le cadre du Festival de Jazz, sur la scène Bell à 20:00.

Sa MySpace page est ici.

BIENVENUE, WELCOME !!

a trio with heteroclyte tastes

in cinema, theater, books, tv, etc...

3 people,

3 lifestyles,

3 points of view.

we'll agree & disagree aplenty,

but we are best friends forever,

no matter what.

welcome to our world.

:)~

un trio des plus hétéroclites tant

dans leur goûts pour le cinéma, la littérature,

la télévision et autres...

3 personnes,

3 styles différents,

3 points de vue

qui nous rallieriont ou causeront des divergences,

mais notre amitié demeurera intacte,

tout de meme.

bienvenue dans notre univers.

:)~

les critikx