Saturday, February 14, 2004

The public is encouraged to participate actively in these open-mic events, where up-and-coming performers can appear on stage and make a name for themselves in a friendly, informal setting. All performers - known, unknown, soon-to-be-known, published or not, first time before an audience or not - are invited to come and perform their writings, poems, songs or stories.

Sign up with the host at the venue starting at 4:30 pm. Each participant has a maximum of five minutes for his or her performance.

The public is encouraged to participate actively in these open-mic events, where up-and-coming performers can appear on stage and make a name for themselves in a friendly, informal setting. All performers - known, unknown, soon-to-be-known, published or not, first time before an audience or not - are invited to come and perform their writings, poems, songs or stories.

Sign up with the host at the venue starting at 4:30 pm. Each participant has a maximum of five minutes for his or her performance.

We know, we know, it’s Valentine’s Day. We can’t change the date so let’s make it a date for EVERYONE: in-lovers, out-of-lovers, waiting-for-lovers, desperate-for-lovers, no-hope-for-lovers. No matter what your status, la Sala Rossa is the place to be on February 14. Languages come together and so will the spectators!

With poet Marie SAVARD (in French), one of the first to perform poetry in spoken-word style before the term had even gained ground on the French side; Kateri AKIWENZIE-DAMM* (in English), an Anishnaabe writer of mixed ancestry from the Chippewas of Nawash First Nation in Ontario; storyteller Simon GAUTHIER (in French), well known for his eloquence and spunk; Indigenous storyteller Bob BOURDON, son of a Mic-Mac mother and a Métis father from Mississippi, who will perform in English and French, accompanying himself on the drum; playwright, director and actor Yves Sioui DURAND, a member of the Huron-Wendat nation, whose artistic quest is centred on the development of a Native mythological theatre; and Paul CARGNELLO, a young anglophone francophile Montreal multi-instrumentalist (say that ten times fast!). They will be joined by the strange and fabulous duo TAIMA PROJECT, featuring Alain AUGER, a francophone musician who was raised in Abitibi, and filmmaker and singer Elisapie ISAAC, an Inuk from Nunavik, who will perform in French, English and Inuktituk.

The house band for this special evening will be composed of Bernard FALAISE (guitar), Fred BOUDREAULT (bass) and Alexis MARTIN (percussion). As Falaise would say, we’re in business!

* Kateri AKIWENZIE-DAMM will also give a creative writing workshop for Native students on Saturday, February 14, 11:00 am to 2:00 pm (in collaboration with Land InSights and the McGill First Peoples’ House).