40 Years of Song, One Last Weekend: Coup de cœur francophone Closes the Ball, Nikamotan Extends It on November 27

The official Nikamotan MTL — Nikotwaso poster, featuring Laura Niquay. © Musique Nomade

40 years of song, eleven days of celebration

Montreal sings in French, and it does so in a big way. The 40th Coup de cœur francophone, which opened on November 5, brings together more than 70 artists in some fifteen venues across the city — 42 shows, half of them album or EP launches. A laboratory festival, true to its ways: song from here and from across the Francophonie, in human-sized rooms.

This anniversary edition is also a passing of the torch: Alain Chartrand, the festival's co-founder and general manager, is living his last edition at its helm, and Noémie Laniel is taking over. We told that farewell, and those 40 years, in our article devoted to this edition — here, the focus is the final weekend.

Tonight: Club Soda in rap mode

This Friday, November 13, at 8 p.m., the Club Soda hosts the album launch of rap collective Canicule — Tizzo, Shreez, Le Ice, Peeda, Salgrimo and YoAlain! — with rapper Jujuu opening. The same night, the official programme also lines up Jonathan Personne with Belgian trio Coup Dur at Foufounes Électriques, and Adieu Narcisse with Chéri at Le Ministère: at Coup de cœur, weekends do not choose — they stack up.

Saturday: Les Chiens, sold out

Tomorrow, Saturday, November 14, Le Verre Bouteille is sold out for Les Chiens and their guests (8:30 p.m.): Éric Goulet's band celebrates 30 years, a few months after releasing its first album in twenty years, surrounded by surprise guests. The box office is clear: not a single seat remains. At the same time, at Le Ministère, Forêt makes a lightning return after twelve years away, with Virginie Reid.

Sunday: a cancelled morning, a festival winding down

Closing day was to open with families: on Sunday, November 15 at 11 a.m., at Le Ministère, Laura Niquay was to present Comptines Atikamekw — E Aistahiak (Les six saisons), the family show drawn from her album of nursery rhymes in the Atikamekw language. As we publish, the festival's official programme and the venue's website list this show as cancelled — families, please check before heading out. Sunday's last Montreal listing on the programme remains Embo/phlébite, at 5 p.m. at Quai des Brumes.

The ball goes on: Nikamotan, on November 27

For Laura Niquay, November does not end there. On Friday, November 27, the Atikamekw artist from Wemotaci headlines Nikamotan MTL — Nikotwaso, Musique Nomade's annual night, presented with SiriusXM at Ausgang Plaza (doors 7 p.m., show 8 p.m.). It is the sixth edition of a concept built to create bridges between cultures: Laura Niquay invites Matiu, Aysanabee, Élage Diouf, Shauit, Mara Tremblay and Gotta Lago — Indigenous, francophone and African-diaspora song on the same stage — with Kris Kinokewin from the moment doors open.

The night kills two birds with one stone: the launch show for Nir Wactenama (“Moi, lumière” — “I, Light”), Laura Niquay's third album, released on November 6, and the 20th anniversary of Musique Nomade, the organization supporting Indigenous music. The 40th Coup de cœur francophone will have lived its final weekend; the celebration, though, goes on — and it is Nikamotan that closes this November ball in song.

The festival's full story, editions and dates live on its Festival TV page.

Moïse 1er, the Festival Explorer / Montréal - Québec - Toronto - Canada