This text is part of the special Francophonie booklet
The Rendez-vous de la Francophonie takes place this year in March on the theme “These traditions that forge identities”. This vast theme invites Francophones and Francophiles from all walks of life to reflect on the multitude of traditions that enrich the Francophonie here and elsewhere.
Whether we are talking about music, dance or cooking, traditions are not lacking in diversity within French-speaking communities. Modern representatives of this constellation with many faces, the two spokespersons of the 24and edition of the Rendez-vous de la Francophonie (RVF) are Neev, Quebec and Franco-Moroccan comedian, and Inuit artist and activist Elisapie.
Comedian for a dozen years, Neev speaks four languages: French, Hebrew, English and Spanish. Born in Montreal and raised in a Sephardic Jewish family, he grew up at the crossroads of several traditions, but French is his mother tongue and everyday language.
“I think, I count and I write my jokes in French,” he says. I also love to imitate different accents of the Francophonie, including the accents of the different immigrant communities in Quebec and the Quebec accent, which is very surprising to people who are not used to hearing me speak like that. At my secondary school, there were about 90 nationalities, so no one accent was dominant. Personally, I think I have the accent of a Quebecer son of immigrants who grew up in Ville Saint-Laurent (laughs). »
For him, the theme of RVF 2022 stems from the fact that everyone approaches traditions in their own way, while sharing a common language which is an integral part of our identities. “Whether you come from here or elsewhere, you realize that the Francophonie is an important common thread,” he confides.
The French language unites its speakers, whether they are from British Columbia, Quebec or New Brunswick, whether they were born in Canada or newcomers.
“By taking part in RVF tours across the country for nine years, I realized that Francophones from other provinces have a very different relationship to French from ours, but that the fight for French is still very much alive. I meet multilingual people like me who make the conscious choice to speak French. Their relationship to the language and to the Francophonie is diversified and their traditions are very varied, but French remains a language of transmission of their identity. »
According to him, humor is also an important tradition and an interesting vector of the language in Quebec.
“When I perform, I arrive somewhere, I ask people ‘how are you?’ And it’s the same thing, everywhere I go, we share this language that allows us to laugh together. »
Live and show its traditions
In terms of programming, the theme of traditions opens the door to a multitude of activities across Canada, whether it be contests, exhibitions, cafés, workshops or shows. Participants are invited to live and share the traditions that are dear to them.
Comedy shows, hosted by Neev, are also given in Halifax, Vancouver, Winnipeg and Cornwall. Among the guests: Arnaud Soly and André Sauvé. In each city, local artists are also presented. The Cornwall show on March 26 will be streamed live online.
“It’s really a celebration of the Francophonie and each time, we see people so happy to see shows in French. It motivates young people to see these comedians express themselves in French. That’s why it’s so important to go to communities that don’t have a ton of cultural activities and comedy shows in French. »
Online content
In parallel, the RVF offer several online contents for the curious, the gourmands, the amateurs of history and, of course, the lovers of French.
We can therefore listen to a series of podcasts of 18 episodes of about ten minutes where artists and personalities talk about traditions, seen from different angles. Topics covered include music, storytelling, poutine and the culinary history of Quebec. In addition, once again this year, the National Film Board (NFB) is offering short films in theaters and online.
Finally, three online contests are also offered. The public can vote for their favorite recipe in the “Delicious Traditions” cooking competition. The spelling challenge “Write me without mistakes!” is offered to primary schools. “Traditions that bring people together” allows you to test your language skills.