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Euphoria in the streets:
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The Gazette (Montreal, QC), Euphoria in the streets: >>
Wednesday night's South African show enraptured the crowd with celestial music. When it comes to jazz festivals, even Tony Bennett says 'Montreal is the best of the bunch'
How do you effortlessly pacify the population equivalent of a midsized metropolis, shoehorned into a downtown block and a half? A mass of humanity largely drained by a recent divisive demerger vote and a federal election? No sweat, mon.
Bring on Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Johnny Clegg.
Aided and abetted by an ideal Montreal summer night, Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Clegg cast a magical spell over the outdoor audience of 120,000 (according to the crowd-counting firm of Decarie et Complices) gathered in front of Place des Arts on Wednesday night. A swaying mass of humanity made mellow not by beer, but by music. It was a most fitting way to launch and to celebrate the 25th Montreal International Jazz Festival - outdoor portion, that is. And an even more fitting way to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the end of apartheid in South Africa, from where Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Clegg hail.
The performers had a heartfelt though downright rhythmic message to impart. And the crowd was more than receptive. The scene was as serene as this city gets. We'd do well to bottle it.
Thandi Klaasen, mother of the show's host, singer Lorraine Klaasen, set the tone for the evening with a stirring chanting of the South African national anthem. Video clips of a crooning Nelson Mandela enhanced proceedings. But it was left to Ladysmith Black Mambazo to entrance the throngs with its oh-so-celestial a capella gospel/Zulu fusion.
Then came Clegg, the "white Zulu" who rocked the jazz fest to its foundation 16 years ago. And with one of the tightest bands around, he rocked - and he rolled - and he electrified again. The love affair between Clegg and Montrealers has clearly not abated. (It also helped that Clegg addressed the crowd in near-perfect French.)
Perhaps the most evocative note of the evening was struck when Ladysmith Black Mambazo joined Clegg for a sobering rendering of the self-explanatory One (Hu)man, One Vote.
The crowd was mesmerized. So, too, was jazz fest co-founder Andre Menard. "Music can change your life," he said. "It helped change the lives of South Africans. It has helped to change the lives of Montrealers. And it has definitely changed my life."
Those sentiments were echoed by Elizabeth Sgier, a Swiss native who uprooted to Rosemere. She has been coming to the jazz fest for 15 years, largely because she finds it's the tonic for all ills. "To find this sort of peacefulness and good feeling in the heart of a city is unbelievable," she said. "It's just fantastic that people from all walks of life can come together like this."
It was the first jazz fest for Sgier's sister, Ursula, fresh from Switzerland. "I am simply overwhelmed," she said. "The music and the mood of the crowd couldn't be any more perfect."
Gaetan Lantier, a veteran fest-goer, has come to anticipate this street euphoria. But his mate, Marie, attending for the first time, had no idea what to expect. Her assessment: "Formidable!"
Alain Simard, also a co-founder of the fest, had to pinch himself. "No one could have anticipated the success of this festival 25 years ago," he said. "No one could have ever predicted that it would become such a symbol for the identity of Montreal."
He's got that right. What started as a funky gathering has mushroomed into a well-oiled machine (with a budget of nearly $25 million) that pumps countless millions into the economy and yet still exudes great vibes.
Even the satin-voiced Tony Bennett concurs. Before his show at Place des Arts on Wednesday, Bennett was awarded the festival's Ella Fitzgerald Award. "I've been to just about every jazz festival in the world," he said. "But Montreal is the best of the bunch."
The festival has broken from tradition this year. Instead of one outdoor blowout, there are now three. Next up is the fabulous Funk Brothers - plus special guests - Sunday at 9:30 p.m. And the closing spectacle, Sunday, July 11 at 9 p.m., spotlights the ever-jazzy theatrics of Cirque du Soleil, celebrating its 20th birthday.
In between, at another big outdoor show, Streetnix and Vic Vogel's Big Band share the spotlight on Saturday, July 10, at 6 p.m. at Place des Nations on Ile Ste. Helene.
"We might all be getting a little older," Menard noted. "But this is still cool. No, it's way cool."
bbrownst@thegazette.canwest.com
More jazz fest coverage, Pages D6, D8
07/02/04
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