This week, Montreal’s Quartier des Spectacles is transformed into a place to celebrate hip-hop culture. The JOAT (Jack of All Trades) festival will begin on August 31, and a brand newcomer to the Montreal landscape, the DISTRIX festival, will combine arts and urban sports on September 2. Meeting with the two instigators of these events who wish to make accessible the streetdance.
“When we talk about democratizing hip-hop, it’s important that it’s the actors, those who know the mores, the codes and the needs of the community who do it”, underlines from the outset Handy Yacinthe , one of the ambassadors of streetdance in Canada and at the origin of the JOAT festival. It is very important for the artist to distinguish hip-hop culture from fun. “Yes, hip-hop has the wind in its sails, but some people lack cultural knowledge on the subject. Hip-hop is culture, folklore and art, not entertainment,” he insists.
It is for these reasons that, from the beginning of JOAT, in 2014, Mr. Yacinthe surrounded himself with important ambassadors of the hip-hop scene and recognized artists. Think of Alexandra “Spicey” Landé, Pax and big names from abroad such as Rashaad Hasani Pearson from Washington DC, Nick Lee from Taiwan, Anthony Armstrong (“Slim Boogie”) from Los Angeles.
Same story with the DISTRIX festival, launched by Jo-Annie Charbonneau. “We can’t improvise ourselves as experts in everything, so we surround ourselves with partners,” explains the general manager of Productions podium, which organizes large-scale sporting events.
After two years of devoting herself to 3 on 3 basketball, Mme Charbonneau wanted to expand his event, under the watchful eye of Jocelyn Bruno, alias Dramatik, and include “other elements of urban culture”. Thus, for the graffiti component, it has partnered with the Under Pressure festival, for rap, it is in partnership with The end of the weak (End of the Weak) and finally, for dance, Éric “Zig” Martel and Breaking Québec take to the stage. “Our strength is to combine all disciplines. During the festival, we have a bit of everything throughout the day, so everyone can enjoy it! says Jo-Annie Charbonneau.
JOAT-style beatmaking
the beat makingi.e. the composition of hip-hop instrumental tracks including melodies, drum patterns and samples, will be highlighted this year at JOAT. A logical continuation for the festival. “The first years, we focused on popping, my favorite style, then we added hip-hop and break,” says Mr. Yacinthe. After several years of collaboration with Artbeat Montreal, we decided this year to offer abeat makingbattle with JOAT sauce. »
Handy Yacinthe has developed a real concept around JOAT, which has proven itself abroad: editions have been set up in Japan, Singapore, India, the United States and Great Britain. “The idea is to challenge the artists by bringing specific concepts. It also makes it possible to dissect the style of dance and therefore to democratize it in the eyes of the general public, ”he continues. Thus, JOAT is a series of battles, namely a confrontation between two dancers who improvise in a particular style, which proposes particular constraints at each turn. ” A round of waving, robotic movements… he gives as an example. It reveals all the creativity of the artists. »
The same concept will therefore be repeated this year for the beatmaking, with instructions concerning the tempo for example. However, Mr. Yacinthe does not wish to “mix things together”. “We prefer to talk about things we really know, and also take our time,” he says.
Meeting with the general public
To democratize dance, DISTRIX offers completely free programming. The public will then be able to attend breaking competitions over several days, preliminary to the 2024 Olympics. that people know the different tricks, understand why such moves are worth more points, etc. Our festival will allow that, ”says Mme Charbonneau. Several big names in this artistic practice will therefore be present at the event. “We want it to be a meeting place, for exchanges, for young people and those not so young to feel inspired! she continues.
On the JOAT side, this year, the 100Lux organization will offer, for example, the “Spot session”, an “ideal place for those who want to learn about culture”, according to the initiator of the festival. “Everyone will be welcome to watch the dancers, dance and practice if they want, but also to discuss, ask questions to people in the community,” explains Mr. Yacinthe. A free Block Party, on the Esplanade of Place des Arts, will also take place. “Here too, the idea is to show a representative element of the culture and to create a space of sociability for all”, continues the dancer.
The battles, as for them, will be paying. “It’s not something that is done too much in the middle, but we, it is important to us. We want the artists present, who are big names in the community, to be paid,” explains Mr. Yacinthe. A way also for him not to “distort the identity of a battle “. “We don’t want to overproduce, become a big machine. You have to keep it friendly, not lose the magic, he concludes. It’s here vibe. »