At the time of writing these words, April showers were melting away the last trailing strands of a winter that had given us its fair share of shivers. Festival fever, meanwhile, had already taken hold of the more ardent fans, who were tuning violins and guitars and gearing up for that special festival atmosphere. The fever, of course, is contagious and spreading like wild fire, even drawing the regular folk and merchants into fund-raising activities. It gives me joy to see the people of Lanaudière come together around Festival Mémoire et Racines, carrier of those traditions that have enlivened our region for generations.

It just goes to show how this fifteenth edition, like all those to come, already deserves the title of “hit” among the summer’s musical events. I caught the bug for this music and song twenty years ago, and despite all the potions and antidotes, I still suffer its after-effects—a pleasure as strong as on my loves’ first day.

As Gilles Cantin said so well: Ça c’t’une belle maladie—or loosely, “that’s a fine disease.”

Happy music and enjoy the Festival!

Michel Bordeleau

Spokesperson for Festival Mémoire et Racines