Raôul Duguay
Encyclopedia
Raôul Duguay is an artist, poet, musician, and political activist in the Canadian
province of Quebec
. He been an active performer since 1966. Duguay is a longtime supporter of the Quebec sovereigntist movement and has run for public office on at least two occasions.
region of Quebec, an event that he later chronicled on the semi-autobiographical track "La bittt à Tibi" on his first album. He began writing poetry in the 1950s, and his first two anthologies were published in 1966 and 1967.
He met Walter Boudreau
in 1967, and the two artists formed L'Infonie shortly thereafter. This project was intended both as a music group and a new approach to collective improvisation; Duguay published its manifesto in 1970. The group released a number of albums on the avant-garde side of Quebec's progressive rock
and jazz-rock scenes before dissolving in 1973. Boudreau and Duguay have re-united on occasion since then, including in 2007 for an Orgues et Couleurs festival.
Duguay released his first solo album in 1975, entitled Alllô tôulmônd; this album features "Tôuttt etô bôuttt," one of his best known tracks. The following year, he performed in front of 400,000 people at the province's Fête nationale, an annual Quebec nationalist cultural event. Duguay released several more solo albums in the seventies, eighties, and nineties; after a gap of eleven years, he returned with J'ai souf in 2010. His song "La bittt à Tibi" was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame
in 2008.
Duguay also provided the music for the film Les Fleurs Sauvages (1982), for which he received a Genie nomination. In 1984, he took part in a musical collaboration with Parti Québécois
legislator Gilles Baril
. In 1996, he provided the text for a revised version of Terry Riley
's In C
.
Duguay has continued to publish works of poetry. His sixteenth volume, entre la lettre et l'esprit, was issued in 2001. He has also worked in the visual arts as a painter and sculptor.
's Festival d'été for booking mostly anglophone acts to perform.
Duguay ran for the Canadian House of Commons
in the 1972 federal election
as a non-affiliated candidate in Longueuil, under the name "Raôul Wéziwézô Duguay." He finished well behind Liberal
candidate Jacques Olivier. In the 1998 provincial election
, he ran as a candidate of the governing Parti Québécois
in Brome—Missisquoi
. He finished second to Liberal incumbent Pierre Paradis
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
province of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. He been an active performer since 1966. Duguay is a longtime supporter of the Quebec sovereigntist movement and has run for public office on at least two occasions.
Artist
Duguay was born in Val d'Or in the AbitibiAbitibi
Abitibi may refer to:* Abitibi Canyon, Ontario, community adjacent to the Abitibi Canyon Generating Station* Abitibi Canyon Generating Station, Canadian hydroelectric power plant* Abitibi-Témiscamingue , a region of Quebec...
region of Quebec, an event that he later chronicled on the semi-autobiographical track "La bittt à Tibi" on his first album. He began writing poetry in the 1950s, and his first two anthologies were published in 1966 and 1967.
He met Walter Boudreau
Walter Boudreau
Walter Boudreau is a Québécois composer, saxophonist and conductor. In 1969, he founded the group L'Infonie with Raoul Duguay, which dissolved in 1973. Since 1988, he has been the artistic director of the Société de musique contemporaine du Québec in Montreal...
in 1967, and the two artists formed L'Infonie shortly thereafter. This project was intended both as a music group and a new approach to collective improvisation; Duguay published its manifesto in 1970. The group released a number of albums on the avant-garde side of Quebec's progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
and jazz-rock scenes before dissolving in 1973. Boudreau and Duguay have re-united on occasion since then, including in 2007 for an Orgues et Couleurs festival.
Duguay released his first solo album in 1975, entitled Alllô tôulmônd; this album features "Tôuttt etô bôuttt," one of his best known tracks. The following year, he performed in front of 400,000 people at the province's Fête nationale, an annual Quebec nationalist cultural event. Duguay released several more solo albums in the seventies, eighties, and nineties; after a gap of eleven years, he returned with J'ai souf in 2010. His song "La bittt à Tibi" was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame
Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame
The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame is a Canadian non-profit organization, founded in 1998 by Frank Davies, that inducts Canadians into their Hall of Fame within three different categories: songwriters, songs, and those others who have made a significant contribution with respect to...
in 2008.
Duguay also provided the music for the film Les Fleurs Sauvages (1982), for which he received a Genie nomination. In 1984, he took part in a musical collaboration with Parti Québécois
Parti Québécois
The Parti Québécois is a centre-left political party that advocates national sovereignty for the province of Quebec and secession from Canada. The Party traditionally has support from the labour movement. Unlike many other social-democratic parties, its ties with the labour movement are informal...
legislator Gilles Baril
Gilles Baril (PQ)
Gilles Baril was a politician in Quebec, Canada and a Member of the National Assembly of Quebec .-Background:He was born in Saint-Eugène-de-Guigues on 24 March 1957 and has a B.A...
. In 1996, he provided the text for a revised version of Terry Riley
Terry Riley
Terrence Mitchell Riley, is an American composer intrinsically associated with the minimalist school of Western classical music and was a pioneer of the movement...
's In C
In C
In C is a semi-aleatoric musical piece composed by Terry Riley in 1964 for any number of people, although he suggests "a group of about 35 is desired if possible but smaller or larger groups will work"...
.
Duguay has continued to publish works of poetry. His sixteenth volume, entre la lettre et l'esprit, was issued in 2001. He has also worked in the visual arts as a painter and sculptor.
Political activist
Duguay is a longtime supporter of Quebec sovereigntism. In his poem Trente Lettres (1995), he described Canada as a father who "never gave mother [Quebec] an orgasm." In 2010, he signed a public letter criticizing the organizers of Quebec CityQuebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
's Festival d'été for booking mostly anglophone acts to perform.
Duguay ran for the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
in the 1972 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1972
The Canadian federal election of 1972 was held on October 30, 1972 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 29th Parliament of Canada. It resulted in a slim victory for the governing Liberal Party, which won 109 seats, compared to 107 seats for the opposition Progressive...
as a non-affiliated candidate in Longueuil, under the name "Raôul Wéziwézô Duguay." He finished well behind Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
candidate Jacques Olivier. In the 1998 provincial election
Quebec general election, 1998
The Quebec general election of 1998 was held on November 30, 1998, to elect members of the National Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. The incumbent Parti Québécois, led by Lucien Bouchard, won re-election, defeating the Quebec Liberal Party, led by Jean Charest.After the narrow defeat of...
, he ran as a candidate of the governing Parti Québécois
Parti Québécois
The Parti Québécois is a centre-left political party that advocates national sovereignty for the province of Quebec and secession from Canada. The Party traditionally has support from the labour movement. Unlike many other social-democratic parties, its ties with the labour movement are informal...
in Brome—Missisquoi
Brome-Missisquoi (provincial electoral district)
Brome-Missisquoi is a provincial electoral district in Quebec, Canada that elects members to the National Assembly of Quebec. The riding was created in 1973 from Brome and parts of Missisquoi and Shefford...
. He finished second to Liberal incumbent Pierre Paradis
Pierre Paradis
Pierre Paradis is a politician in the Canadian province of Quebec. He has represented Brome—Missisquoi in the National Assembly of Quebec since 1980 as a member of the Liberal Party...
.
Discography
- Alllô tôulmônd, 1975
- L'Envol, 1976
- M, 1977
- Vivant avec tôulllmônd, 1978
- On s'm ô Kébek, 1979
- Le Chanteur de pomme, 1982
- Tout ce qui compte, 1983
- Douceur, 1985
- Nova, 1989
- Monter en amour, 1993
- La Santé par la Rire (with Jean Drouin), 1995
- Caser, 1999
- J'ai soif, 2010
Anthologies
- ruts, 1966
- or le cycle du sang dure donc, 1967
- Manifeste de l'Infonie, le ToutArtBel, 1970
- Musiques du KébèK, 1971
- Lapokalipsô, 1971
- D'amour, 1976
- Mainmise, 1976
- Quand j'étions p'tit, 1977
- Le poète à la voix d'Ô, 1979
- Les Saisons, 1981
- Chansons d'Ô, 1981
- KébèK à la porte, 1993
- réveiller le rêve suivi de ruts et or le cycle du sang dure donc, 1996
- nu tout nu, le rêveur réveillé, 1997
- L'Infonie, le bouttt de touttt, 2000
- entre la lettre et l'esprit, 2001