It was written in the sky of Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs last night: Klô Pelgag was going to be crowned female teacher or composer of the year at the 43e ADISQ Gala. The most prestigious Felix of the evening did not escape him during this ceremony which gave a good place to the next generation without forgetting the established artists. Klô Pelgag also won the (Online) Show of the Year award for the enthralling LIVE (the spectral spectacle), allowing him to end the year with thirteen trophies linked to the album already awarded the Felix Critics’ Choice and Album of the Year – Alternative earlier this week. Roxane Bruneau and FouKi each won the Performers of the Year awards.
Klô Pelgag quickly left his mark on the evening, presented on ICI Télé. After the traditional opening medley with David Goudreault, Scott-Pien Picard, CRi and Roxane Bruneau – all linked by Angèle Dubeau and the Pietà, it miraculously held up the road – she offered an acrobatic performance of her song Melamine, with extravagant costumes and choir-dancers roaming this Wilfrid-Pelletier room that the ADISQ Gala found, just like the public, after having been forced to a “confined” edition in 2020.
Above all, Klô Pelgag marked the history of the ADISQ Gala yesterday, at the very least by equalizing the number of six so-called “artistic” prizes won by Céline Dion in the same gala, or even surpassing her by one. ‘we consider that of Arrangements of the Year, an award shared with composer Owen Pallett. Just have to replay the album Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows to convince oneself that these arrangements, essential to the climate and to the sophisticated aesthetic of the work, constitute an artistic gesture, the strings and brass giving an extra soul to the author’s poetry. This album represents the ultimate in modern Quebec song, which the industry has recognized by awarding a total of thirteen Félix to Klô and his talented collaborators.
By winning the Female Performer of the Year awards, a prize determined at 50% by popular vote and that of the Academy, and Song of the Year (for In my way), Roxane Bruneau took root in the Quebec pop star-system; these Felixes are added to those of the Album of the year – popular success and Album of the year – pop (for Acrophobia) collected last Wednesday during the 1er gala. The friendly rapper FouKi, twice nominated in the Rap Album of the Year category, was crowned Male Performer of the Year.
New blood
The Revelation of the Year category reserved a pleasant surprise by crowning the electronic composer CRi (Christophe Dubé) in front of competitors evolving in styles traditionally better received in the Quebec music industry, Thierry Larose (indie rock), Comment Debord (funk and rock), Alex Burger (country rock) and Léa Jarry (country pop). Earlier this week, his album Juvenile won him the Félix Album of the Year – Electronic Music. CRi will be featured at the English label Anjunadeep’s party on January 29, 2022, at the Igloofest, which is also back on the calendar after skipping last year.
On her second nomination in as many editions, Oji-Cree singer-songwriter Anachnid won the Félix for Indigenous Artist of the Year. Also delightful, the victory of veteran Connoisseur Ticaso for his double album Eastern Normal, in the category Album of the year – Rap. A first Félix for him in almost twenty years of career, but above all a recognition that reflects on a whole section of the Quebec hip-hop scene making the street and those who frequent it the inkwell in which they plunge their raw pen, authentic and revealing. Alex Burger also tasted the joys of the gala for the first time, winning the Félix for Album of the Year – country for his album Sweet Montérégie.
Veterans
Unsurprisingly, but not without competition, the Cowboys Fringants won the Group or Duo of the Year award for a second year in a row, ahead of Bleu Jeans Bleu, 2Frères, Comment Debord and Corridor. Also doubled for Louis-Jean Cormier, recipient in the Album of the Year – Contemporary Adult category for Heaven is on the floor ; last year it was for the album When the night falls. While we underline the 20e anniversary of the release of the now classic album Dream better, its creator Daniel Bélanger came to pick a 26e Félix in career (including those given to his collaborators, the filmmakers Lyne Charlebois and Denis Villeneuve!) For Paloma, Album of the year – instrumental music.
Hosting the Gala for a sixteenth year, comedian Louis-José Houde was up to himself, more benevolent than slobbery, but knowing how to send a few tips to Quebec musical fauna, addressing the question of diversity in this predominantly white milieu (which “takes charge of the groove industry with so little swag in its blood”, he said, speaking of white Quebec jazzmen and rappers), to then put the #MoiAussi movement back at the heart of his opening monologue.