The performance marked the acclaimed Québécois progressive folk group Le Vent du Nord first New York City appearance since 2020. The concert celebrated the U.S. launch of their new album, Voisinages, released in October 2025.
The return of Le Vent du Nord to Brooklyn’s Roulette Intermedium, presented by Robert Browning Associates, on October 25, 2025, was an high energetic showcase of the Québécois progressive folk movement at its best.
Called “Trad” (from Traditional) in Québécois, the genre is recognized as it’s own style. Le Vent du Nord‘s Nicola Boulerice talked about the Irish culture influence during the show.
Celebrating the US launch of their new album, Voisinages, the Grammy-nominated quintet—featuring the distinctive textures of the hurdy-gurdy , fiddle, and button accordion—delivered a performance rich with both in dance reels and breathtaking a cappella harmonies.
Under the direction of storyteller Michel Faubert, the band’s renowned joie de vivre was infectious, blending traditional French-Canadian repertoire with their own compositions in a dynamic demonstration of musical prowess and cultural pride that felt both deeply rooted and strikingly modern.
In conversation with Boulerice after the show, he revealed that he was initially a rocker, performing progressive rock with his peers. However, he got into traditionalmusic because it was his grandmother’s favorite, a passion that caused him to never look back.
“Trad” music from Quebec, often referred to as Québécois folk music, is a dynamic tradition that historically emerged from a blend of French, Celtic, and local influences, centered around community social life.
The foundation was laid by French settlers beginning in the 17th century, who brought songs, dances (like the quadrille and cotillion), and the fiddle from regions like Normandy and Brittany.
This repertoire was adapted to life in the New World, with many songs taking the form of the chanson à répondre (call-and-response), a style great for group singing during work (like by the voyageurs) or social gatherings called veillées.
The children of the soil learned various Native American languages and shared a life with them and probably, their music.
With instruments and songs from France, early settlers began their lives along Quebec’s waterways, where singing became integrated into daily travel. The instrumental tradition, heavily influenced by later Irish and Scottish dance tunes, demanded a strong beat. Thus, podorythmie emerged as an ingenious local solution, utilizing the feet as percussion to provide the rhythmic foundation for reels and jigs, serving as a vital, portable substitute for drums and bass.
During the French Regine (approximately 1608 to 1760), the colony relied on ships to receive news. Despite the isolation, settlers kept up with songs and dances.
In the 18th century, French-Canadians danced during their evening veillées. While the violin was the preferred instrument, music was also made using only the voice, allowing everyone to participate. Early New France had music books filled with a diverse repertoire: serious melodies, parodies, drinking songs, and vaudevilles.
In the 19th century, which introduced an abundance of dance tunes like reels and jigs, giving Québécois fiddle playing its distinctive, highly rhythmic character.
Instruments like the diatonic button accordion and harmonicaalso became popular in the late 19th century, joining the fiddle.
The Scots ans Irish arrived in 1840s. They moved to French speaking neighborhoods around cities and joined the work force with Canadians. Others joined lumber camps, taking music to deep forests.
The 1840s brought the migration of Scots and Irish. They found themselves in the French districts of cities and joining the labor force. Still others sought work in the rugged lumber camps, carrying the strains of their homeland music into the remote forests.
Le Vent du Nort
Nicolas Boulerice: Vocals, electro-acoustic hurdy-gurdy (vielle à roue), and piano.
André Brunet: Fiddle, foot-tapping (podorythmie), and vocals.
Réjean Brunet: Diatonic accordion, acoustic bass guitar (basses), jaw harp, piano, and vocals.
Olivier Demers: Fiddle, guitar, foot percussion, mandolin, and vocals
André Gagné: Vocals, bouzouki, and guitar. (André Gagné replaced Simon Beaudry, who left the band to persue personal projects).
🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷
Presented by:
https://www.robertbrowningassociates.com
Venue: Roulette Intermedium
509 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217
917 267 0363
https://maps.app.goo.gl/zS9P2HbSdWBQPUDU9
Date: Saturday, October 25, 2025
Time: 8:00 PM (Doors open at 7:00 PM
#leventdunord #nicolasboulerice #andrebrunet#rejeanbrunet #olivierdemers #andregagne #canada #montreal #native #nativeamericans #indian #indians #folk #folklore #quebecois #frenchcanadians #france #french #trad #traditional #celtic #ireland #irish #scotland #scotch #scottish #britanny #normandy #rhythm #music #folkmusic #riddle #hurdygurdy #fiddle #accordion #turlute #dance #podorythmie #footpercussion #harp #piano #bass #guitar #mandolin #bouzouki #voice #voices #robertbrowningassociates #rouletteintermedium #brooklyn #ny #newyork #usa #america
