Experience Québec
475e Gaspé
Gaspé rings in summer!
This year Gaspé and the entire Gaspé Peninsula will be celebrating its 475th anniversary! It is the anniversary of the arrival of Jacques Cartier, the famous explorer from Saint-Malo who opened the door to French America! Based on the Retrouvailles theme, come celebrate with the Gaspesians: these friendly people who welcome you with open arms, with their delicious cuisine, their songs borne on the sea air, and especially their breathtaking landscapes! 
There is something for everyone at Gaspé 475th: sandcastle competitions, music festivals, commemorative shows and a France–Québec collaboration, country music celebrations, Irish Week… in fact, a whole program of festivities that will unite locals and the many visitors. Just as with a great ocean crossing, you too can participate and become a Gaspesian at heart. So cast off the lines, we set sail immediately! 475 times Gaspé
July 24 will mark the official day of the festivities, when more than 85 yachts will sail in to Gaspé Bay to commemorate the arrival of Jacques Cartier. It will be the largest gathering of boats in the history of Québec. The tempo then picks up during the commemorative show, with performances by Isabelle Boulay, Laurence Jalbert, Zachary Richard, Kevin Parent, Diane Dufresne, Daniel Boucher, Pierre Flynn, Jim Corcoran, and many others! Clover and rose
The land that Jacques Cartier first spotted on the morning of July 24, 1534 was undoubtedly green, just like in Ireland. Thus, Douglastown will play host to Irish Week, from August 2-9. ‘Green’ Celtic blood flows through the veins of many Gaspesians, so come discover this heritage in the village lovingly known as the pearl of the coast. To celebrate the rose and English heritage in Gaspé, its Anglophone community also invites you to Pioneer Day, from July 29 to August 2. Rediscovering the Fleur-de-Lys
It was in Gaspé that the French community of the Americas first landed, and the festivities of the 475th will be a reflection of their language. The new Musée de la Gaspésie just reopened with an exhibition on the history of the Gaspésie peninsula, which originated from the sea. Did you know that Gaspé was where the Cirque du Soleil, a circus that has travelled over land and sea , presented its first show 25 years ago?
Ta ti té à Gaspé?
If you haven’t visited Gaspé yet, this is the opportune time to Rediscover our mother tongue. A show about the musical ties between France and Québec, across the ocean, will take place on July 14, France’s national holiday, with the participation of the group Mes Aïeux. My country, my roots
Country music fans will enjoy the brightest stars performing the loveliest melodies sung in the language of Molière: Laurence Jalbert, Vincent Vallières, Patrick Norman and Dale Boyle. Quand le soleil dit bonjour, aux …Chic-Chocs!1 Party on the morrow
It is at the tip of the New World, where it is truly possible to throw a bottle into the sea as a sign of hope, that the special edition of the largest festival in Gaspé, the Festival Musique du Bout du Monde takes place. During the 475th you will be able to enjoy the following events, taking place from August 13-16: Boucar Diouf, host of the opening evening on August 13; Fanfare Pourpour, École du cirque de la Gaspésie and many others will be on hand during the Grand Défilé du Bout du Monde on August 14; Compagnie Créole will shake the whole peninsula on the 15th and, to mark the Fête des Acadiens (many Gaspesians are of Acadian origin), the festival will close on August 16 with the group Grand Dérangement. A ‘flying’ return to school
What more ‘up-in-the-air’ event could you ask for to celebrate the end of summer, than a Snowbirds show across the Gaspé skies? On August 26, come watch as these steel birds push the limits of aerial acrobatics, and if you see a Spoutnik right beside them, no doubt it will be Daniel Bélanger who will give a major evening performance of his biggest hits. So this summer, come ‘respirez dans l’eau2 sans parapluie2 and celebrate the birthplace of our history… with an oceanfront view, in Gaspé! 1 Reference to: Quand le soleil dit bonjour aux montagnes by Renée Martel, well-known Québec country singer
2 Song titles by Daniel Bélanger.
| Festival en Chanson de la Petite Vallée |
 With this unique Festival de la relève, Gaspé will beat to the sounds of chansonniers at this 27th edition, held from June 26 to July 4, 2009. The 12 chansonniers selected by the Festival’s jury promise to be up to the challenge: they were selected from among 326 candidates! Backing them up at the Festival will be veteran artists Marie-Claire Séguin, Edgar Bori, Pierre Flynn and Michel Faubert. Stepping up to the plate for 2009, Paul Piché will present a concert of new songs, and the other shows include Catherine Durand, Zébulon and Thomas Hellman, among others. Come hear them belt out their tounes in the enchanting site of the Petite Vallée! |
| ROSEQ |
 The Réseau des Organisateurs de Spectacles de l'Est du Québec (ROSEQ) was formed at the end of the 70s to ward off isolation: by joining together, playhouse distributers organize tours, which attract the greatest names in music to tour the North Shore, Lower St-Lawrence and Gaspé regions during the summer months. In 2009 this represents 283 shows, 33 tours, 43 artists and 35 venues. The spokesperson for this new summer edition, Marco Calliari, who completed his first tour in Eastern Québec with ROSEQ in2005, has only one piece of advice for the other artists: don’t party too late, there is a lot of (lovely) road to cover!Under the spotlight this year: Alexandre Desilets, Daniel Lavoie, Andrée Watters, France d’Amour, Caracol, Martine St-Clair, Mara Tremblay et Coeur de Pirate. Full program available here (site in French only) |
Sylvain Lacoursière
Photos: Francoeur McDonald, Roseq, Festival Musique du Bout du Monde
2009-07-14
