With his traditional music, the artist Yves Albert influenced icons of Quebec folklore such as the members of the group La Bottinesourisante. However, when journalist Ariane Labrèche wanted to know more about the man who died more than 40 years ago, she did not even find a “Wikipedia page” about him.
It was during a car ride with her brother that the Radio-Canada reporter heard Yves Albert sing for the first time. “I had a “mouth” in my throat. I was really gripped,” recounts the 30-year-old woman, in an interview with Duty. “I was like, ‘Wow, folklore can sound like that.’ » Moved by the beauty of his voice, she was however surprised to find little information about him when doing research.
In order to rediscover the “unjustly forgotten” artist, she is releasing this Monday a digital story and a podcast entitled Yves who? Yves Albert! of which the three episodes of approximately 20 minutes are available on OHdio. During the 1960s and 1970s, the musician notably repopularized songs taken from folklore, such as Unfortunate St-Maurice Or Gatineau travelers.
In 1969, he headed to France to attract a new audience. Returning to Quebec five years later, he nevertheless flew numerous times to the Old Continent to tour. His career, however, ended abruptly in 1981, when he died in a car accident at the age of 39.
Today, there are few traces left of the man who, among others, opened for Gilles Vigneault. Why was it forgotten? “There are several possible explanations,” says Ariane Labrèche. “I was particularly told about the disinterest in traditional music after the defeat of the 1980 referendum, which coincided with the death of Yves Albert. »
The artist may also have disappeared from Quebec’s collective memory due to his years spent in Europe, says the reporter. “At a time when there were no social networks and fewer contacts, if you leave for five years, you may already be a little forgotten on the local scene. I think that when he returned to Quebec, he was rebuilding his presence here. He had released two albums. »
Bohemian, Yves Albert had not developed a career plan during his life, she continues. “He was just blackmailing because he loved it and couldn’t see any further than that. » Although he dusted off several folklore songs, he never recorded his compositions, “finding that they were too similar to him”, explains Ariane Labrèche.
Find the artist, find the father
In order to pick up the pieces of the life of this “great forgotten person in Quebec musical history”, Ariane Labrèche called on Loïc Albert, the artist’s son. Yves Albert died when he was barely eight years old. “We met in a restaurant on rue Fleury, in Montreal. Very quickly, he was very moved, and I think it surprised him himself. Talking about his father still touched him a lot,” says the journalist.
Several aspects of Yves Albert’s life remained a mystery to Loïc, she relates. “The mourning was never really over,” she summarizes. And several parts of Yves Albert’s life remained a mystery to Loïc. So he was very excited to learn more about his father, she says.
There was also a certain “urgency” to follow in the footsteps of this musician, raises Ariane Labrèche. “At the beginning of my research, I faced so many obstacles. Every time I found the name of someone who had been with him, they were dead. There are not many left who can still tell his story. »
Among the people who met Yves Albert, she notably met the octogenarian Monique Lelièvre, the wife of the singer-songwriter Sylvain Lelièvre, who died in 2002. The two men had been friends since childhood . Later, their evenings spent playing the piano and strumming the guitar will stretch into the early hours.
By collecting testimonies like that of Mme Lelièvre, Ariane Labrèche was able to see how important Yves Albert’s legacy was. Yves Lambert, who was one of the founding members of La Bottine Souriante, considered him a “rock star”. “It is, among other things, thanks to him that the musicians of this group learned about traditional music. And we agree on the fact that La Bottine is quite significant in the history of traditional music in Quebec,” she adds.
The artist also has young heirs, like François-Félix Roy. The 24-year-old singer and musician released his first solo album in 2023 entitled Wasted effort, which features songs that were popularized by Yves Albert. The latter “influenced him a lot by opening the way to traditional voice-guitar music, more songlike and gentle, without the typical violin-accordion instrumentation,” he explained to Duty.
With the holding of certain vigils, folk dance and music are currently generating a certain enthusiasm in Quebec, notes Ariane Labrèche. “So it’s perhaps a good time to introduce younger people to Yves Albert,” she emphasizes.