News Release

2002-19

The Virtual Gramophone Embraces La Bolduc

Ottawa, September 20, 2002 - It is important to recognize hard work and accomplishment! October is women’s history month. This year we are saluting women in the arts. The National Library of Canada is proud to pay tribute to women who, in their own way, have influenced the many facets of Canadian art. On this occasion, the National Library highlights the significant contribution to French-Canadian culture of author-composer-performer Mary Travers. Better known as "La Bolduc," this first French-Canadian chansonnière was originally from Newport, in Gaspé. This October marks the 75^th anniversary of her first appearance on stage.

La Bolduc’s career began in 1927 through sheer luck. "A singer failed to show up at an evening event organized by Conrad Gauthier at the National Monument (Montreal). Mrs. Bolduc, who was there to play the mouth organ, was asked to replace him." [translation] (La Presse, Saturday, June 20, 1992). She touched our culture in so many ways with her folklore, her choice of words and her intimacy with her audience. Her catchy tunes - "turlutes" - her sense of humour and knowledge of current affairs became her trademark. Everyone will recall "J’ai un bouton sur la langue," which marked the "turlute" era. Her song "Ça va venir, découragez-vous pas" carries us back to the time of the Great Depression of the ’30s. Her playful words were like a breath of fresh air and energized her fellow countrymen, who, faced with economic stagnation, lived in despair. In fact, this song would make a comeback in 1992, during a new recession. "La Cuisinière" was the song that launched her career.

There is no doubt that La Bolduc had an incredible impact on the French-Canadian women of her time.

This year, the National Library of Canada, official owner of the Mary Travers collection, added
La Bolduc’s works - more than 130 songs as well as a biography and photos - to its Virtual Gramophone Website: Canadian Historical Sound Recordings ( www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/gramophone/m2-1031-e.html). La Bolduc has influenced our history and our lives by injecting her colour and folkloric originality into our culture.

A press kit is available upon request, and includes La Bolduc’s discography, a CD with three of her songs as well as material from our Web site (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/).

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Information:

Pauline M. Portelance
Media Relations Officer
National Library of Canada
Telephone: 613-996-6128
E-mail: media@lac-bac.gc.ca