Choosing Mélissa Lavergne raised my eyebrows, but I didn’t take the time to be indignant. I had dishes to do and I’m still behind on my taxes, so I had other fish to fry.
Posted at 12:00 p.m.
Literally.
Cats.
Was Mélissa Lavergne the best person for this position? The question is legitimate.
It’s like placing a man in the Ministry of Women’s Affairs or a former police officer in the Ministry of Indigenous Affairs… Oh wait.
In short, the question is legitimate: why her?
I hadn’t read any articles on the subject, only headlines, only publications on the networks. I didn’t need to read, I knew what the news was. I didn’t need to think about it, I knew what I thought about it: it was a mistake to have chosen her.
Luckily, I really had a lot of washing up to do, so for a few days I was able to let the ideas simmer in my head. (Like my garlic press in my dishwater.)
PHOTO BERNARD BRAULT, PRESS ARCHIVES
Melissa Lavergne
And come to think of it, it was not Simon Jolin-Barrette and Richard Martineau who chose Mme Lavergne is Lamine Touré and his team. To criticize this nomination is not to criticize Mr.me Lavergne is to criticize Lamine Touré, founder and president of the festival for nearly 40 years.
Since. Close. From. 40 years.
Lamine Touré, spiritual father of African music in Montreal, does he not have the legitimacy to choose a spokesperson? Isn’t he able to choose his team and make informed decisions? Hasn’t it proven itself?
Lamine Touré has been shining a light on Africa in Montreal for longer than its detractors have been on Earth.
It puts things into perspective.
We talk there. Let’s say he said to himself that: for the past 35 years, generally, the spokespersons have been Afro-descendants who introduced African music to Quebecers, and that it would be interesting to see what happens if, from time to time, it was a “native” Quebecer who launched this invitation to the general public.
We talk there. Let’s say that it was thought that the festival-goers of Nuits d’Afrique were often part of the same demographic groups and that it would be interesting (and possibly profitable) to test new strategies to introduce African music to another segment of population.
We talk there. Mélissa Lavergne was offered a job as a spokesperson… it’s marketing, it’s public relations, PR.
After 36 years of existence and 2 years of pandemic, does the Festival have the independence of its own PR or must he submit to the complaints of a minority (who probably had no intention of buying tickets, anyway)?
She was not offered to storm the festival program, to play in place of Tiken Jah Fakoly or to do a show of covers songs from Les Vulgaires Machins “African style”. (OK, that would still have been cool!) She was given a job as PR, that’s it.
Faced with discontent, Mélissa Lavergne withdrew and it is to her credit. I guess.
The appearance of racism is not always racism. The appearance of discrimination is not always discrimination.
I hope those who rejoice in his resignation will buy tickets…
And that those who rejoiced in his appointment will also buy some.
I feel like if we had taken the time to digest the news instead of reacting to the headlines click baitMélissa Lavergne would still be spokesperson for the Festival Nuits d’Afrique.
From one side to the other, the next time, let’s soak our garlic press in the dishwater before stepping up to the plate.
Sleep on it.